Bi-National Arts Institute

To celebrate and strengthen our border community through bi-national arts creation, education, performance and collaborative exchange. We invite you to empower our wonderful communities this year! We have lots going on this year. Our next FREE concert without borders is May 1, 2024 at 11:00 am -- corner of Humphrey and Naco Hwy at the international wall. Come celebrate Día de los Niños with us and hear our youth sing and play guitar. We are excited to grow our programs with your help!

We provide music education through singing and guitar classes. Our Naco AZ school music program services approximately 150 children in kindergarten through fifth grade that would otherwise not have the arts as part of their education. Besides building confidence and self-esteem in our students, we help them with language acquisition as we perform bilingual songs. Our music program in Naco Sonora has increased. Our guitar classes have 12 private students. Our singing classes engage 13 children in elementary school and our new Coro de Jovenes has over 20 students. All of these students get together at the international wall twice a year to sing and perform for each other. These concerts allow families of our students be able to enjoy their youth without having to cross.

We were gifted two buildings in Naco Arizona and want to renovate them so that we can open a community center. With this center, we will expand our programs to include more youth job skill offerings. We have had at least 10 binational youth volunteer their time in cleaning and preparing this space. We want to offer youth construction camps during this summer to teach construction trades as well as continue renovation work, with the supervision of licensed contractors who are willing to volunteer their time. By doing this, our two buildings will become an important community center to our youth as well as to the entire Naco community. Once this work is completed, our community center will include a youth run coffee shop; free internet and computer use for adults and youth; language classes (both Spanish and English) taught by youth; a sound/recording studio; a before and after school hang out spot for youth, and a multi-use event center that can house community open mike, movies and recitals or concerts. We will also be able to offer computer literacy and GED classes at this spot.

In 2024, we will expand our Naco Sonora space to include language classes for the community (English) as well as our music classes.

The Bi-National Arts Institute was established in 2012. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating and strengthening our border community with bi-national arts creation, education, performance and exchange. We offer musical programs and events from both sides of the border, cultural exchange programs between the United States, Mexico, and other countries. We are also provide youth and adult collaborative programs in both the United States and Mexico. Our projects channel the creative expression of music, poetry, film, and other media, by celebrating our shared human experience across the border. The Bi-National Arts Institute's signature event is the Concert Without Borders which had previously taken place in Douglas, Arizona and Agua Prieta, Sonora. Our Concert Without Borders has moved to a new location, in Naco, Arizona, which is also the location of the El Centro Café and Community Center, funded by the Bi-National Arts Institute.

This is our second year participating in Arizona Gives Day, and we need your help to continue to empower our binational youth, thereby empowering all of us.

Your support means everything to us, and we are only able to exist because of our caring community. Thank you!

Testimonials

Every concert we have had in Naco includes families of students that would not otherwise be able to participate, including grandparents and other important people in students' lives. Our Naco AZ School teachers that they have seen an improvement in confidence and language acquisition through our singing classes. We have collaborated with Bisbee High School in order to help seniors graduate by providing work skill programs.