John Salgado Maldanado
Activist, Percussionist and Photographer (Willmar, Minnesota)
Session: Artists on Main Street: A Model for Creative Community Development (Friday, 3:45 – 5:00pm)
John is a social activist, percussionist, and photographer, interested in using these artistic expressions to contribute to social realities and to provide community awareness. He has a background in Occupational Therapy applied to empowering indigenous/tribal communities through social projects, and a Master degree in Strategic Consulting. Currently, John is an International Project Advisor for social innovation projects, working with universities from Canada, Chile, and Brazil. He is also a member of the Human Rights Commission in the City of Willmar, MN, and the former Director of the NGO “Oro Negro” (Chile), for afro-descendent social development, cultural/artistic revival, and their ethnic legal recognition. John is a firm believer that arts are there to make sense of life and community.