How I Became an Artista is CALA’s cultural literacy program. The community-based educational program exposes a wide range of community members—from students to adults—in the Metro-Phoenix area to the life and work of Latinx and Latin American artists. Through reading and art-making, CALA employs visual and performing teaching artists to engage audiences in cultural learning and artistic expression.

How I Became an Artista creates spaces for community members to gain a critical understanding of contemporary social issues from the perspectives of Latinx artists in the Metro-Phoenix region and beyond.