TILTS History
Our association was first established in 1969 under the name of "Poughkeepsie Latvian Association." Its goals were to keep alive and support Latvian heritage, traditions, and values within the local community of people of Latvian extraction, to bridge the Iron Curtain with cultural exchanges, and to work towards the restoration of Latvia’s independence.
Because of the geographic expansion of its activities, in 1988 the association was incorporated as the “Mid-Hudson Latvian Association, Inc.,” and in 1993 the name was changed to the present one, TILTS (the BRIDGE, in Latvian), to reflect the broader scope of activities as a result of Latvia’s regained independence.
Since our founding in 1969, TILTS has arranged the following:
Around 70 | Lectures, speeches and literary events |
Around 60 | Concerts or concert tours covering the USA and Canada |
Around 40 | Theatre performances or theatre tours covering the USA and Canada |
Around 20 | Movie and video shows or tours covering the USA and Canada |
Around 15 | Exhibits, folklore performances, or projects in support of culture |
8 | Presentations by dissidents |
Over 20 | Projects in support of youth and Latvian national interests |
Around 100 | Schools have been supplied with computers or other teaching materials |
We would like to emphasize that TILTS is not a local organization, and its membership is not related to any geographic area. Members of TILTS are people who recognize that Latvian culture needs support for it to survive and grow. Please join us to make this happen.