Today we’d like to introduce you to Myrna Salazar.
Myrna, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
A native of Puerto Rico and raised in Chicago, I began my career as an Economic Development Specialist at the West Town Economic Development Corporation. In that capacity, I generated over $10 million in procurement housing and business development from both the private and public sectors.
During that time, I completed a two-year fellowship with the National Economic Development Council and was appointed by the then Mayor of Chicago, Jane Byrne, to the Chicago Board of Education where I served for five years. Founder and President of Salazar & Navas Talent Agency, I successfully secured contracts for over 300 professional actors, models and spokespersons for a client base of 50 Fortune 500 companies.
From 2007 through 2011, I acted as the Director of Development & Marketing at the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago (ILCC), which produces the Annual Chicago Latino Film Festival (CLFF), among other programs.
In 2016, I co-founded The Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA) along with the three most prominent and long-standing Latino cultural institutions in Chicago; The National Museum of Mexican Art (NMMA)– The only Latino Museum in the U.S. accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, The International Latino Cultural Center (ILCC) – that produces the nation’s largest and oldest Latino Film festival, and The Puerto Rican Arts Alliance (PRAA) – considered to be the country’s leading Puerto Rican Arts organization.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No road is ever smooth. However, an obstacle hinders you and I am firm and passionate in everything I do that they can only be considered challenges to be met. Over the years, there have been cultural challenges to overcome perceptions. In part, that is why the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance is so important. We strive to create a cross-cultural exchange to show our culture through art.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance story. Tell us more about the business.
Chicago is home to countless quality theater groups, yet, very few identify as Latino/a/x. The Chicago Latino Theater Alliance was founded in 2016 to help raise those groups to a more prominent level by amplifying their voices and featuring them along with international Latino groups in our festival Destinos, which first premiered in 2017.
We aim to provide technical and professional support to our local Chicago Latino theater groups to aid them in sustainability and growth. We also aim to build a complex that these groups can call home.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
We work hard to make our own luck. I do, however, believe both CLATA and I have been blessed. We have been blessed with determination and passion in our mission.
We have been blessed with wonderful partnerships throughout the city from our co-founders/venue partners to our local Latino theater talent. We have been blessed to have this great responsibility to represent our community to the larger Chicago theater community.
Contact Info:
- Address: 180 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60601
- Website: www.clata.org
- Phone: 312-631-3112
- Email: info@clata.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latinotheater/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinotheater/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LatinoTheater
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