Conversation Series
An Interview with Sam Cortez
Tim: I’d love to start with a quick introduction about you, your organization, and what your artistic practice is.
Sam: I’m the Artistic Director for Los Lupeños de San José. I’m a Mexican, LGBTQ immigrant. I got to the United States in 2000. I was in Chicago, where I built a dance company and worked there for 15 years. I had an amazing time in Chicago–the community is beautiful. Then, I was invited to direct Los Lupeños in San José in 2015. I found an organization that is very deeply rooted in the community. I was very excited with the possibility of working with the San José community and with the whole Northern California community. Los Lupeños de San José is a pioneering Mexican folk dance company. It’s been around for 55 years, promoting Mexican culture through dance. The main goal of the company is to serve in San José, but our work has been appreciated around the United States.
Tim: I’ve seen some of the performances; they’re absolutely spectacular. Why do you think it’s important that the government funds your work? In particular, with the governor proposing large budget cuts to the arts in California, I think many people reading this want to advocate for the arts and push back on these cuts. How does government funding help you and what happens if it goes away?
Sam: I think we have this old perception that culture is a luxury. For my community, it’s not a luxury at all–it’s a necessity. In Mexican communities in San José, it’s very expensive. Most families have to have both parents working, which means the kids have to find activities and things that make sense for them. And, of course, culture–the arts — are essential for us. I think making sure they understand the culture they come from and reconnecting is essential. The sense of belonging–the young kids need to identify themselves and find out who they are. And I think the art of Mexican folk dance brings them to a place where they understand better who they are.
There are many, many situations where the arts helped to have more well-rounded individuals in my community. I think it’s not just dance, the beauty of dancing, or how pretty they can look on stage. It’s what it means to our community. The kids are in the dance class forming a community while the parents are outside waiting, creating another part of the community. We come together around dance, around art, and around our culture. We participate in many events that really promote diversity and contribute to economic growth. The work that we do is essential even for mental health. The children need the arts, and the culture brings them to a place where they feel like they belong. Without funding–oh my goodness–we are not going to be able to serve our community. And it’s essential for us to do that.
Tim: I think you’re emphasizing something we really believe at SVCREATES. Art is not just about the event or the piece of art. It’s about the value to the community that goes so far beyond the art itself.
Sam: Yes. In fact, we know that people that are involved in the arts are more empathetic, have a more open mind, and they’re more compassionate. The emotional intelligence of these kids is bigger.
Tim: That makes total sense. What is the Art Advocacy Day that you went to in Sacramento?
Sam: This was my first time. Full disclosure–I was very uncomfortable. I’m a dancer, so I dance. I don’t talk. Getting to talk in front of politicians was, for me, kind of very “out there.” But I started researching a little bit and learning what Arts Advocacy Day was. It’s an annual event where artists, advocates, and arts organizations come together in Sacramento to raise awareness and promote the support that we need from our lawmakers. We go to a series of meetings throughout the day, and we have the opportunity to say who we are, tell our stories, and hopefully influence budget decisions.
Tim: What surprised you the most when you met with elected officials who aren’t necessarily artists?
Sam: They have a lot of willingness to engage. They were really listening to us. And they were really invested in meaningful conversations. They were very attentive. They were taking notes. They showed genuine interest and concern about our opinions and our experiences. I hope that by telling them our stories, we secured allies for any budget debates that they have.
Tim: What did you find the most valuable about meeting with other arts leaders like you from around the state?
Sam: The day before Arts Advocacy Day, we had the Arts and Culture Summit. It was amazing to hear these wonderful leaders, their experiences and their perspective from all across California. The community is big. They are very diverse and they are very, very supportive. I had amazing conversations throughout the day. It helped me re-evaluate and appreciate the importance of what we do. When I came back to San José, I was very inspired. I was motivated to keep helping to make my community better. They filled my heart with joy.
Tim: I always get inspired by hanging out with other artists. What would you say to other artists or art leaders that are hesitant to advocate to elected officials or haven’t yet gone to an event like Arts Advocacy Day?
Sam: Remember this Mexican immigrant guy from San José that thought the same thing. I thought, “This is gonna be hard. I don’t know how to do it.” But I really want to encourage artists and leaders to join Arts Advocacy Day, because it’s a great experience to take a stand with other fellow artists and influence decisions that our representatives make that will impact the arts. Our stories really can make a difference and benefit not only our organization, but the arts community in general. If you really believe in the power of arts, you should know that you can make a difference.
Tim: Is there anything that you would like to share with other artists or other art leaders in Silicon Valley that we haven’t yet talked about?
Sam: We just learned that there have been some proposed cuts coming this year. We need to push back. You need to talk to representatives. You need to call the government. You need to really push back and avoid these cuts. These cuts will be very impactful to our community. If we don’t say anything, nothing’s going to happen. I ask the community to please, please push back. It’s not just about applying for grants. We also need to take a stand and say, “Hey, we need not just what we have–we need more.” We are very, very low in the list of arts funding per capita in the United States. Even Florida spends more on the arts than California. How can that happen? So please participate. Please make sure that our elected officials know that we are here, we are standing, and we need their support.
Tim: Gracias, Sam. That’s all my questions. I appreciate you taking the time.
Sam: Thank you for having me. It was a great experience. Like I mentioned before, I was very overwhelmed by the idea when they first told me, “Let’s go to Arts Advocacy Day.” I said I would go, and then I thought, “Why did I do that? I don’t even know if I can really do that.” And now, I’m very excited to take part in this and know that we can really make a difference. So, thank you for having me here and sharing my experience.
Samuel Cortez, a graduate of the Executive Program in Arts & Culture Strategy, is the artistic director and choreographer of the Los Lupeños de San José and Los Lupeños Juvenil dance companies. A LGBTQ+ Mexican Immigrant to the United States, Cortez began his traditional dance background in his home state of Guanajuato, México before pursuing dance in the US.
Cortez is a member of the International Dance Council, the Asociación Nacional de Maestros de Danza Popular Mexicana, the Instituto de Investigación y Difusión de la Danza Mexicana and Dance/USA. He is also a NALAC Leadership Institute 2021 and MALI (Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute) graduate and gives back by mentoring directors of other dance companies across the United States.
Tim Leehane is a Sr. Manager of Product Management at Amazon and a member of the SVCREATES Board of Directors. He is also an independent music producer and the City Leader for the San Jose chapter of the international musician’s networking group, Balanced Breakfast.
