About

The Lit & Luz Festival...

began in 2012 (unofficially) with the release of the fully translated—Spanish/English—MAKE Magazine  issue 13, “Intercambio/Exchange.” In 2014 the Lit & Luz Festival was launched from those pages and ever since has produced yearly events in Mexico City and Chicago, with writers and artists from Chicago, Mexico, and beyond.

MAKE Literary Production’s 6th annual Lit & Luz Festival of Language, Literature, and Art, themed “Migration,” is an ambitious exchange between Mexico City and Chicago. The week-long festival takes place at over a dozen arts venues and universities throughout Chicago, October 12th–19th. The following February, a similar series of events are held in Mexico City. Programs include readings, conversations, and our signature event, the “Live Magazine Show”—which returns to the Museum of Contemporary Art.

We are honored to welcome inspiring authors, artists, and arts professionals from Mexico to Chicago. Art and language are key to understanding culture and community, and the cultural exchange between the United States and Mexico. With events such as Lit & Luz, we hope to strengthen the relationship between the two countries, and in particular, to increase the distribution of literature and art from Mexico for Chicago audiences and beyond.

2019–20 CHICAGo/CDMX staff

Lit & Luz is produced by MAKE Literary Productions, NFP

Creative Director and Website Design: MAKE & Co.

Managing Director: Sarah Dodson

Assistant Managing Director: Kenneth Guay

Literary Arts & Community Coordinator: Miguel Jiménez

Chicago Artistic Associates: Jessica Anne, Libia Bianibi, Daniel Borzutzky, Rachel Galvin, Héctor García Chávez, and Kathleen Rooney

Mexico City Artistic Associates: Esteban King and Brenda Lozano

Live Show Audio/Visual Production and Stage Management: Charly Garcia and Stephanie Manriquez

Advisory Council: Alejandro Almanza Pereda, Susy Bielak, Gerardo Cárdenas, Joel Craig, Carla Faesler, Luis Felipe Fabre, Jaime Garza, Adolfo Hernandez, Kirsten Leenaars, Fabiola Ramirez, Nuria Sheehan, Gibran Villalobos

Hospitality and Experiences Coordinator: Kamilah Foreman

Logistics: Jose-Luis Moctezuma

Translation: Valeria García Origel

2019 CDMX ADDITIONAL STAFF

Mexico City Partnerships and Marketing Director: David Ruano

Photography/Videography: Harrison Martin

Live Show Management: Francesca Coppola

2017–18 CHICAGO THANK YOUS

Thank you for the support, time, energy, and ideas

MAKE Mag Staff: Chamandeep Bains, Alejandro Almanza Pereda, Mark Molloy, and Kolin Jordan

MAKE Board: Bob Adams, Natalie Edwards, Leonard Sommer, Mike Zapata

Lou Bank, Dana Bassett, Franco Bavoni Escobedo, Paul Biasco, Mike Drew, Tom Flynn, Rachel Galvin, Mario E. Gastelum, Claire Henry, Jesse Hora, Alex Houston, Devin King,  Theo Kourlas, Hannah Larson, Abby Lynne, Colin McDonald, Gabriel Mendoza López, Caroline Picard, Dan Salls, Tselanie Townsend, Jamie Trecker, and everyone we’re inevitably forgetting, but couldn’t have done this without.