April 29-30, 2026 7:00PM Table Sessions with Kristal Sotomayor, Las Mariposas Galácticas, and Chef Christina Martinez

 

Journey Arts’ beloved Table Sessions returns on April 29 and 30, and we couldn’t be happier to invite you back to the table.

Filmmaker Kristal Sotomayor brings her curatorial vision to this year’s Table Sessions, held in the verdant Bartram’s Garden. Delight in a delicious dinner from James Beard Award-winning Chef Cristina Martínez of South Philly Barbacoa, dance to the ebullient sounds of the kumbia-klezmer-punk collective Mariposa Galácticas, and then sit forward for a screening of Kristal’s short film Expanding Sanctuary  — the winner of the 2024 BlackStar Philadelphia Filmmaker Award — which flips the script on the current moment by telling the story of an immigrant mother’s triumphant fight for safety for Philly families.

It’s time to pull up your chair. Meet you at the Table!

Kristal Sotomayor is a documentary filmmaker, journalist, and curator. Drawing inspiration from their Peruvian heritage, Kristal’s community-based work practice focuses on Latinidad, immigration, and belonging. They practice transformative filmmaking that humanizes and validates the lived experiences of underrepresented communities. To that end, Kristal founded the queer BIPOC-owned and operated media production company, Sotomayor Productions, which works at the intersection of investigative journalism and documentary filmmaking to advance the portrayals of Latinx and queer communities.

Las Mariposas Galácticas is an 8-piece Cumbia Klezmer Punk band in Philadelphia, PA. Combining band members’ South American and Jewish ancestries, the band creates a unique diasporic sound that gets audiences everywhere dancing with rebellious joy. By honoring their Indigenous Andean musical ancestries, blended together with punkified ancient Jewish melodies, the band plays a mixture of original and classic tunes that span different languages, cultures, and genres. Las Mariposas have toured the east coast and collaborated with international acts such as the legendary Brazilian rock band Os Mutantes and the renowned Argentinian Tropi-punkband Kumbia Queers. They have headlined the L.A.T.I.N. PunkFest inPhiladelphia and NYC and continue to accompany their communities’ struggle for liberation everywhere from prominent stages to cultural, activist and community spaces.

Cristina Martínez is a Mexican-born chef and undocumented in the United States since 2009. Raised by barbacoa masters, she has dedicated the better part of 40 years to mastering her singular tradition. Fleeing violence in Mexico, she came to live in the USA and worked as a dishwasher, prep cook, and pastry chef, eventually losing her position due to her undocumented status. She pivoted to cooking barbacoa out of their apartment, eventually moving to a food cart, and onto a brick and mortar; becoming an activist for undocumented workers' rights

along the way. She has been featured on Netflix's "Chef's Table", and was awarded the prestigious 2022 James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic Region; although the most important recognition in here eyes are families who travel to eat her barbacoa in the heart of south Philly every weekend. In addition to South Philly Barbacoa, she owns and operates Casa Mexico, focusing on guisados and family style dishes, and the People's Kitchen at El Compadre, which has served 100,000 free meals in the last year and employs a rotating crew of chefs, students, and volunteers from the community. Reserve your seat! Bartram's Garden 5400 Lindbergh Boulevard Philadelphia, PA 19143 Tickets start at: $28.52