#58 – Maryela Perez – Visual Artist, DJ, and Curator for MACLA

Maryela originally came to San José after graduating from UC Santa Cruz. She was looking to gain experience and develop a resume to become an urban planner. Through AmeriCorps and a program called Public Allies, she landed an internship with the Park and Recreation Department of San José. Once in the city, Maryela began to connect with the creative community, which led her to become a curator at MACLA.

In our conversion, Maryela explains how moving to Downtown San José and opening her home to artists and musicians changed her career path and exposed her to more artistic opportunities in the South Bay, including learning to DJ.

“It wasn’t with the intention of playing in front of folks, and even like being taught how to DJ was never with that intention, but it was really like I was propelled by the community itself.” _ Maryela Perez

Follow Maryela and tune into her Twitch channel every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month at 7:00pm.

Instagram: mare.e.fresh and dearrrdj

Twitch: twitch.tv/velvetcloudradio and MACLA’s website: maclaarte.org

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This episode’s music in “Tang” by Chris Emond.
Follow Chris on Spotify, http://bit.ly/ChrisEmond Featured in issue 13.2 “Sight and Sound” 2021