Celebrate México Now 2005, a groundbreaking citywide festival, offers an introduction to the vanguard of contemporary Mexican art and culture. In the 1990's, Mexico experienced a cultural boom that generated new artists, ideas, and forms of expression. Cross-disciplinary collaborations and collectives, focused on reexamining and redefining Mexican identity within a global context, sprung up in the country’s major urban centers. Celebrate Mexico Now presents this thriving generation of artists in an 18-day festival that encompasses architecture, cuisine, dance, film, music, theatre, and visual art.

Celebrate Mexico Now 2005 is produced by CN Management, an arts consulting and management group headed by Claudia Norman, and under the sponsorship of The Field. The festival was first produced in November 2004 under the name “méxicoNOW” in conjunction with the non-profit Arts International. Three years in the making, méxicoNOW 2004 was a tremendous success, including more than 150 events at 36 of New York City’s leading venues over 33 days. With over 30,000 ticket buyers, and an additional 700,000 people who witnessed its public art displays, méxicoNOW 2004 clearly tapped a widespread curiosity on the part of New Yorkers to understand contemporary Mexican culture, and a need, on the part of Mexican New Yorkers, to revisit and re-experience their country of origin.

The overwhelming response to méxicoNOW 2004 inspired Project Director Claudia Norman to work to make the festival happen again. Under the new name of “Celebrate Mexico Now,” the 2005 festival continues the first year’s trademark high-quality artistic presentations, but with a smaller, more focused roster of events. The dates for the 2005 festival (September 1 – 18) were chosen to coincide with Mexican Independence Day and Hispanic Heritage Month, and include events at outdoor sites. With a view towards accessibility, Celebrate México Now has several events that have free or low admission fees.

> Visit the méxicoNOW 2004 website

Celebrate Mexico Now is produced by CN Management:

Claudia Norman > Festival Director
Alyssa Alpine > Festival Coordinator
Julieta Cervantes & Andrea Leminske > Special Events
Claudia Lopez > Festival Director’s Assistant
Martirene Alcantara > Copy Editor
Diana Vargas > Public Relations