Carmen Guerrero 

A Brazilian by birth, Carmen Guerrero is a descendant of the Tupinambá tribe from the northern state of Pernambuco. She graduated from the Pernambucano Conservatory of Music (Recife, Brazil) with a degree in Piano Performance. Upon moving to Arizona, Guerrero formed the popular band Zúm Zúm Zúm along with sculptor husband and native Arizonan Zarco Guerrero. She sings and plays guitar and accordion now as part of the Guerrero Family Musicians.   

Guerrero is the Arts Education Director at El Rancho del Arte (Mesa) and a teaching artist at area schools.  She co-founded Xicanindio (now Xico, Inc.) in 1975, the Arizona Latino Arts Center in 2007, and the Cultural Coalition, Inc. in 1996. As executive director of the Cultural Coalition, she produces annual community festivals such as Mikiztli, the Día de Los Muertos Phx Festival, The Mask Alive Festival (Mesa), Portal Festival at S’edav Va’aki Museum, and El Puente Festival at Tempe Center for the Arts. Under her leadership, Cultural Coalition has grown to partner with numerous local arts organizations and artists. As an artistic producer, she is committed and dedicated to issues of cultural literacy and social justice. 

In 2012, Guerrero received the Patron of the Arts in Education Award from the Victoria Foundation in 2012. Her board service includes Chair of the i.d.e.a. Museum Foundation, Mesa Arts Center Foundation, and the Mesa Association of Hispanic Citizens, and she is presently Treasurer of the S’edav Va’aki Museum Foundation Board (formerly Pueblo Grande Museum).   

Image Credit: Photo courtesy of Carmen Guerrero.