ASU’s Belinda Acosta selected for prestigious leadership institute fellowship

Belinda Acosta, the director of CantoMundo at Arizona State University, is among 14 arts leaders and cultural workers to be selected as a fellow by the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures for the NALAC Leadership Institute in San Antonio, Texas, later this summer. 

Since 1989, NALAC has been a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion, advancement, development and cultivation of the Latino arts. Its programs have helped stabilize and revitalize the Latino arts and cultural sector through funding, leadership training and research. 

This year’s cohort of fellows come from across the U.S. in disciplines ranging from dance and theater to literature and media. Fellows are chosen based on their demonstration of leadership in different initiatives and community engagement with Latino arts and culture. 

“I have been following NALAC since it started and have long admired what it does for Latinx/éA gender-neutral alternative to Latina or Latino. arts and culture nationwide. I am most looking forward to meeting young leaders, who often have innovative ideas. I have been around a while, and while I think I carry some wisdom, I am always inspired by fresh perspectives. It keeps me young and on my toes,” said Acosta.  

Acosta oversees CantoMundo’s operations and activities on campus through the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing. The organization has hosted summer retreats, book fairs — including one during the Desert Nights Rising Stars conference — and invited former fellows of different disciplines to return to the center to teach online.

“I hope that I can offer as much as I gain and bring what I learn not only to CantoMundo but also to the larger ASU, Phoenix and Arizona arts community,” said Acosta. 

The NALAC Leadership Institute invites both emerging and established arts administrators to train in nonprofit arts management and leadership development. Core faculty members will lead the fellows through an immersive curriculum of individual and group working sessions followed by meetings with local arts leaders and visits to cultural sites around the city.

For Acosta, having an institute that understands these cultural perspectives is invaluable. 

“I would say that many people who become arts administrators get those positions by chance. Many of us are artists, too, and take these positions because of a desire to serve our communities, which are often overlooked in dominant realms of artistic expression,” said Acosta. 

“To have an organization specifically focused on training Latinx/é leaders is a huge blessing. So much more can be learned and accomplished when you gain insight from leaders who honor and appreciate the cultural roots you represent. I’m deeply honored for this opportunity.”