Color Me Art
(Replay) Radio Palacio: A Conversation with Griselda Suarez
We first met Griselda Suarez at an event at The Playhouse a few years back. She and her partner were catering it with their food business. The food was spicy and delicious. I saw that dedication and commitment to quality again last year during the partnership between Palacio Magazine, Leadership Long Beach and IdeaFest.
Ms. Suarez joined the Arts Council for Long Beach Board of Directors in the fall. She was part of a new wave of Directors that would add more “color” to the Board. Watching from afar, it became obvious quickly that she and the others were not joining to be wallpaper. They were joining to make an impact.
Now, she will have an opportunity take that impact to a new level as the new Executive Director.
PalacioMagazine.com sat down with Ms. Suarez recently for a 45-minute interview. This is Part One. We spoke about her first week on the job, diversity and collaboration.
Part One:
From Griselda Suarez’s Bio
Griselda Suarez is a writer, artist, cook, and a teacher. She was born in unincorporated East Los Angeles and walked Whittier Blvd and Brooklyn Ave in black and white saddle shoes. She grew up in a place where her thoughts did not find voice easily; instead, she found a pen and paper. Her hometown inspires her to investigate memories of a home space that continues to be bodiless. She believes that the arts are essential in empowering others to express their thoughts. As a Lambda Literary Fellow, she continues to work on her poetry collection and a body of essays. Aunt Lute Press, Seal Press, Acentos Literary Review, Finishing Line Press, NCOC Press, The Other Side, and OutSpoken Journal have published her work. She also chronicles her business Peppered Up Foods and has led her to a tantalizing experience with food writing. Most recently, Griselda created a blog, Vista Zine, with students at CSULB and was a founding editor of XQSi Magazine LGBT Latinos. To keep her inspired, Griselda enjoys meditating over warm suds and dirty dishes. She also grows fruits and vegetables at the community garden to feed her creativity. And if timing is right, you can catch her reenacting her Quinceañera and reading books on her to become a Mexican calendar girl.
Learn more about the Arts Council for Long Beach HERE
