On June 28, Latino Cultural, Washington’s first Latino magazine dedicated exclusively to the arts, released its second issue. Hugo Ludeño, a Peruvian photographer, and Javier Amaya, a Colombian author, created the magazine in response to perceived “invisibility” of Latinos in the art community.

“In many major media venues, [Latinos] are invisible, and when [Latinos] are presented, it is not in a good light,” Amaya said. “We decided that we needed to do something to let Latinos express themselves. Latinos have an artistic life and we try to capture it.”

Presently, Latino Cultural is produced on a small scale. The magazine, which is personally financed by Ludeño, is not mass-produced and is not available for sale in newsstands or bookstores. Instead, it is being distributed to schools, libraries and museums in the hopes of increasing the presence and visibility of Latino contributors to the Puget Sound art community.

While the magazine currently enjoys support from a few Seattle area organizations and from a limited number of subscribers, Ludeño says he is confident that more support, as well as a wider distribution of the magazine, is on the way. “My goal is to get support from the community, recognition from the art commission, and to make this magazine available for many years,” Ludeño said. “I know this is a process. Help will arrive when people see the quality and the content.”

More information about Latino Cultural, including information about subscriptions, is available at www.latinocultural.com. Hugo Ludeño’s photo exhibition, “Latinos in the Northwest”, can be viewed at the M. Rosetta Hunter Gallery located at Seattle Central Community College through July 31.

—Patrick Reis