For the second year in a row, El Futuro will host a Latino Art Auction & Fundraiser in order to attract new supporters for our work, raise funds for organizational sustainability, and uplift local artists. This year, the event will be in-person at The Rickhouse in downtown Durham on Saturday, October 8 from 6:30-9:30pm with a Special Supporter hour from 5:30-6:30pm. In addition to the art auction, the event will include dinner, an open refreshment bar, and live music.
This year’s theme is Expresiones/Expressions which speaks to the juxtaposition of the work of the artist and the individual who uses the therapeutic services that El Futuro offers. We believe that therapy is similar to art in that it is an expression of the inner self, but in order for the person to feel free in their expression, several elements must be in place: space, guidance, and the freedom to experiment with different approaches. El Futuro works with families in this way – by providing a safe space where they can express themselves, experiment with alternatives, open themselves to creative problem solving, explore their emotions and move forward. As a result, we are promoting a world full of color and self-expression.
Ticket costs for the Art Auction & Fundraiser are $75 for General Admission and $125 for Special Supporters. El Futuro is covering all costs so 100% of guest ticket purchases and bids go to El Futuro’s mission. All guests will receive an auction catalogue with information about the art/artists and auction items as well as additional information about El Futuro and our sponsors. The art pieces for the auction will be prominently displayed for people to view throughout the evening. The dinner will be a Mexican-American fusion cuisine and all guests will have open access to a beer and wine and non-alcoholic refreshment bar. With all vendors, we hope to highlight and promote Latino contributions. Recommended dress attire is colorful cocktail.
Find out more and purchase tickets at the link below. If you represent a business, you can also find out more information about event sponsorship at the link.
For any questions or for additional information, please contact Mary Coffman (Advancement Manager) at mcoffman@elfuturo-nc.org.
Thank you to our sponsors
Alvely Alcántara, LCSW
Rossy C. Garcia, MEd 
Katy Sims, MD 
Everardo Aviles, LCSW, LCAS (Eve)
As a medical anthropologist and social work researcher, Dr. Gulbas’ research embodies interdisciplinarity through the integration of applied theories of health and human development with qualitative and ethnographic methodologies. Her work seeks to understand how people—children, families, and providers—navigate complex sociocultural landscapes in the pursuit of mental health. Most of her work, to date, focuses attention on developing more robust interpretations of suicide risk. With funding from the National Institutes of Mental Health, this body of research has contributed to advancements in theoretical and empirical knowledge of the broader contexts within which youth suicide risk is situated. 
R. Gabriela Barajas-Gonzalez is a developmental psychologist and an assistant professor of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Barajas-Gonzalez is the principal investigator of a study that examines the impact of immigration-related threat and stress on school communities. She earned a PhD in developmental psychology from Columbia University and hold a BA in human biology from Stanford University. Dr. Barajas-Gonzalez is the daughter of Mexican immigrants and a first gen college student.
Dr. Parra-Cardona is an Associate Professor in the Steve Hicks School of Social Work (SHSSW) at the University of Texas at Austin. At the SHSSW, he serves as Coordinator for Mexico and Latin American initiatives. He also serves as Area Director for Research at the UT Austin Latino Research Institute. Dr. Parra-Cardona’s program of research is focused on the cultural adaptation of evidence-based parenting interventions for low-income Latinx populations in the US and Latin America.
Bianka Reese, PhD, MSPH is a research scientist and program evaluator specializing in adolescent and young adult sexual and reproductive health. Her previous research in the experiences of Latinx LGBTQ+ youth stems from her work as the Research and Evaluation Manager at SHIFT NC (Sexual Initiatives For Teens), where she led largescale evaluations of multilevel, community-based sexual health promotion initiatives and research projects aimed at elevating the voices of diverse youth in North Carolina. Dr. Reese is currently the Senior Research Strategist at Creative Research Solutions, LLC, an award-winning national evaluation, research, and assessment firm.
Tania Connaughton-Espino, MPH is an independent researcher focused on adolescent and young adult sexual and reproductive health. Her interest in the experiences of Latinx LGBTQ+ youth stems from her previous work with SHIFT NC (Sexual Initiatives For Teens), where she led the training and evaluation department, conducted capacity-building workshops for youth serving professionals including on the topic of how to be more affirming of LGBTQ youth, and from her extensive experience working with the Latinx population in NC.
Maru Gonzalez, EdD is an Assistant Professor and Youth Development Specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences at North Carolina State University. Her areas of inquiry include youth development with a focus on activism, social justice, and the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people across familial, school, and community contexts. 
Nayeli Y. Chavez-Dueñas, PhD
Hector Y. Adames, PsyD