Julia Lopez - Boricua Brilliance: A Puerto Rican Artist's Journey Through the Arts

Julia and I have been friends for a very long time. She’s like a big sister to me and aside from being an inspiration creatively, she was one of the Boricuas I met in my college years who helped me to understand some of the political and economic realities associated with the colonial status of Puerto Rico. 

Julia is a poet, playwright, actress, and most importantly a mother, who advocates strongly for the power of the arts in education and social justice. Julia was born and raised in the South Bronx, NY to Puerto Rican parents and shw dedicates her work to them, documenting their struggle to provide a better life for their children who embody the complexity of the 1st generation experience in the US. Julia has written innumerable plays and performance art pieces. 

She has performed and facilitated Art & Social Change experiences throughout the United States, Mexico, Madrid Spain, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Cuba. Julia has a BA in Theater from Wesleyan University, and attended the Eugene O'Neill National Theater Institute in Waterford, CT, as well as the Instituto Internacional in Madrid, Spain. Julia was the Board President of the Leeway Foundation, Executive Director of Centro Pedro Claver, and Director of Education at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. She also served as the Programs Manager for the Philadelphia Jazz Project - Mural Arts Philadelphia. 

Visit me at www.oskarcastro.com and if you like what you hear please support us at - https://www.patreon.com/Oskar.