Its a powerful moment his year, September 11, 2025. Tomorrow in City of Los Angeles Council Chambers in City Hall I will share the inspirations that motivated my watercolor illustration El Cantante- The Singer. El Cantante was chosen to be on the cover of the Latino American Heritage Month Calendar and Guide 2025. For years now I have contributed to the yearly guide. Its a beautiful celebration of our diverse Latino cultures and particularly important this year when so many are under attack, imprisoned and disappeared.
I am proud to be a part of a city that creates sanctuary and recognizes the true nature of nation and history.
It's a recognition of my work, but more importantly, it feels like an official acknowledgment of Chileans—our history, exile, and ongoing presence in California. We are here, and we endure. :
My name is Francisco Letelier, and I live in Council District 11 in the Oakwood Neighborhood of Venice.
My illustration, El Cantante/ The Singer, on the cover of the Latino American Heritage Month Calendar and Cultural Guide, is inspired by the vibrant culture repressed in Chile after the rise of the authoritarian dictatorship that overthrew democracy on September 11, 1973, leading to the imprisonment and death of thousands, including my father.
Through arts and culture, Chileans built solidarity and hope, spread information and helped create the social movements that led back to democracy.
Inspired by the diversity and knowledge held in the cultures of Los Angeles and across the Americas, my work recognizes travelers and the exchange of ideas, affirming our complexities, celebrations, and challenges.
I am grateful to this Council and the Department of Cultural Affairs for their ongoing efforts to defend and reimagine cultural heritage as a tool for progress and action.
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