Marcelino Quiñonez

Tell us about a Phoenix arts experience that changed how you saw the city.

I have always known that Phoenix has a rich arts history and culture. While earning my theatre degrees from Arizona State University, I had the opportunity to collaborate/create alongside talented actors, directors, designers, producers, and professors. Each of them showed me how important the arts could be to Phoenix and the incredible potential our city held. I learned the power of storytelling and the value of investigating a moment again and again in rehearsal until we got it right. I also learned, through my own theatre-making, the importance of representation and ensuring audiences could see themselves reflected on stage.

That experience eventually led me to write my own plays and bring them to the stage. But I never did it alone. My producer, Benny Morel, and countless community members believed, as I did, that our stories—and the arts more broadly—were worth investing dollars in. Their support showed me that Phoenix’s artistic future is built by those who believe in and also invest in the arts.

So my invitation to you today is to create art in whatever way you can.

What changes would you like to see in Phoenix–cultural, economic, or civic–that would help arts and culture to thrive?

Arts and culture in Phoenix and Arizona will thrive when we stop asking each year for financial support and instead create a sustained commitment to investing in the arts. Prior to serving in the Arizona Legislature, like many artists and community members, I saw the yearly requests for support and the need to call legislators and other leaders to ensure that arts and culture remained a priority. That cycle made it difficult for organizations to plan, grow, and imagine what was possible beyond the next budget year.

When I served in the Arizona Legislature, I helped the Arizona Commission on the Arts secure a historic investment in the arts. I saw firsthand how public investment can help turn cultural potential into opportunity and community building. The arts bring people together. I would like to see Phoenix and Arizona build on that momentum through long-term, predictable investment that allows artists and arts organizations to create, grow, employ people, and contribute to the cultural and economic vitality of our communities.

Marcelino Quiñonez serves Arizona State University as an executive director of outreach. A first-generation college graduate, Marcelino earned his BA and MFA in Theatre from Arizona State University. He has built a career as an educator, artist, and advocate for Arizona’s communities and served three sessions in the Arizona House of Representatives.