Park Cultural Center

Karla Quinoñez grew up in Mexico City and studied at the Autonomous University of Mexico and at the School of Frida Kahlo of Fine Arts of Mexico. Karla is a muralist and painter who follows the philosophy that “art is for the people.”

In 1997-98 Karla cofounded Junax, a non-profit organization that works with Mexican college students to understand and support the indigenous democracy movement in Chiapas. Karla lead educational workshops on how to work within indigenous communities while respecting community traditions and social codes, and how to observe, evaluate and report back on human rights abuses.

Since moving to New York City in 2000, Karla has worked with several peace and social justice groups, including Sista II Sista, We Interrupt this Message, and Forefront, an international human rights organization. In 2005 the Soros Foundation’s Open Society Institute awarded Karla a Community Fellowship. Karla is cofounder and director of The Park Cultural Center in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

Paola Quinoñez grew up in Mexico City and studied at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and specialized in Organizational Psychology in American Management Consulting. She also studied techniques in training and coaching.

Since 1993 Paola has designed creativity workshops for children of low-income families in Mexico City. She has worked on many music therapy and painting projects where she practiced the approach of teaching children through art.

In 2004 Paola taught English in a public elementary school in Mexico City.

Paola volunteers with the Park Culural Center’s Teaching Spanish Through Art Program and helps as an events coordinator.

Ingrid is a Colombian filmmaker living in New York City. She holds a BS in Film Production from the University of Texas at Austin.

She has worked as Associate Producer and Researcher for various PBS and cable network documentaries. She is a Fellow of NALIP’s Latino Producers’ Academy, and a recipient of Film/Video Arts Foundation’s mentorship, f the IFP’s Project Involve and of a Chiapas Media Project scholarship. Ingrid recently completed a half-hour documentary titled “Legally Blind” which will be playing in several film festivals in 2006.