Art For Change

Coronation at PLAYstreet

claudia — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 01:21:04 +0000

by James Rhines the Sparkledusta.

Every Thursday through September 4, 2010 from 10-12pm Art for Change presents an arts workshop for youth creating yet another safe space for the kids of East Harlem. A lively project has emerged in conjunction with Transportation Alternatives, Strategic Alliance for Health, and the Harvest Home Farmers Market, at 104th Street between Second and Third Avenues, evol,ving into a wonderland of laughs, energy, and pure fun , namely Playstreet.

Art for Change’s playteam : Eliana, Alyssa, Claudia, Genesis, and myself delivered a fashionable coronation for the community at the weekly Playstreet. Utilizing arts and crafts, great weather, and an enthusiastic, happy, bright bunch of kids (and adults), we created crowns that rocked the runway. Our table was jam packed with juvenile royalty. Creativity exploded from baby carriages to adults on their way to and fro. Crowns were the must have that afternoon. Anna Wintour get the word out, Naomi Campbell make room, and Queen Elizabeth share your excellency. It was East Harlem meets Bryant Park meets Westminster Abbey. Long live the queens and kings of Playstreet. We deign to see you next week, same time at the same space….bring a friend!

A Rose in Spanish Harlem

claudia — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 04:16:24 +0000

by James Rhines

The unveiling of Lina Puerta’s EN FLOR (Blossom) at the Modesta Flores Community Garden on Lexington Avenue between104th and 105th streets was absolutely spendid. A lively celebration el fresco. Music by the Welfare Poets and food catered by La Fonda Boriqua ans Sabor Borinquento infused the festive occasion. Sparkledust was everywhere.Ms. Puerta’s sculpture radiates a fierce feminine vibe. A shimmering piece alluding to the vaginal floral paintings of Georgia O’Keefe. An futuristic allusion and rethinking of Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus, the piece created a kinetic churning ,energy that that motorized the garden. According to Ms Puerta, “ it is a metaphorical imaging of the fallopian tubes. My inspiration deals with nature organistically, a connnection with nature and our bodies, especially the female body. It is a surrealistic bouquet of flowers. EN FLOR is pure magic adding another point of beauty to the El Barrio community. A must see when in the area. Her next on site unveiling will be at the Queens Sculpture Garden in September.

“Weaving In and Out”

claudia — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 04:13:40 +0000

by James Rhines

The “Weaving In and Out Show” was an energetic compilation delivered at The Tapestry in East Harlem. The featured artists presented their pieces with a thorough understanding of the space within the building, as well as, the building in relationship to the neighborhood.

David Antonio Cruz’s “everything I said…”, aggressively presented it’s themes of desire and a longing to relive the past. The piece involved a ladder smothered in candy syrup laid against a wall supporting a huge canvas of a man swinging into oblivion. Conquering his space, his use of the entire cinder block wall as a continuation gave the experience a fullness of completion.

Helen Dennis’ “Merge on the Triboro Bridge” was an ambitious multilayered work utilizing technology and print. It reflected the multilayered contingencies that converge in East Harlem. It emphasized the silent fact that East Harlem sits at a magor crossroad in our metropolitan landscape, a melting pot or merging , of geography, culture, and politics.

Crhistobal Lehty’s “El Norte 2005″ a mixed media installation of (3) C prints and )2) markers were laid abruptly at 45 degree angles demanding their viewer to engage. The prints were deeply resonant, magnifying the abbitious labor that transforms the neighborhood lot into a lush garden or serene veranda. It was charming, delivering the theme that comfort has an universal simplicity.

Manuel Mansylla’s installation: “tashpatch” was a prophetic discourse on the pollution of our oceans and waterways. The piece hung from the ceiling, a chandelier of detritus and garbage. His political statement “nonbiodegradables”n was strong, coming together namely as “trashpatcvhes (According to Mansylla, “There is a trshpatch as large as Texas floating in the Pacific.” Manuel, a Guatamalan, who naturally has an affinityu for the ocean. Guatamala is sandwiched between both the Pacific and the Atlantic It is as large as the state of Georgia. He made note that Harlem is also sandwiched by the East and Hudson rivers.; therefore, this piece breathes rhythmically as well as naturally, in this present moment. His installation hab begun well before the unfortunate crisis in the Gulf if Mexico. Prophetic and politically au courant, the piece haunted the space like a spectral revelation. The placement of a broken umbrella hung like a dagger from the sculpture echoing the rainy days inNew York when umbrella, torn and discarde, litter the streets.

NBC NY: New Addition to East Harlem Public Art Works

claudia — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 02:48:41 +0000

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/around-town/events/New-Addition-to-East-Harlem-Public-Art-Works-96320969.html

by Maria Eugenia Miranda, NBC NY

East Harlem will soon welcome a female contributor to the annals of public art in the neighborhood renowned for its murals by male artists Manny Vega and James De La Vega.

Lina Puerta is unveiling a mosaic fountain on June 25 called “Blossom/En Flor” in the Community of Hope Garden on E. 104th Street and Lexington Avenue.

“It goes along with the rich cultural traditions of the neighborhood,” Eliana Godoy, founder of the East Harlem arts organization, Art for Change, said of the fountain designed in the shape of fallopian tubes. “But I think this is one of the boldest pieces of art work, because this is a fountain.”

While the sculpture has yet to be formally unveiled, it’s already the last stop on a Spanish Harlem arts tour by the Museum of the City of New York, said Godoy.

From the onset of her creation, Puerta aimed to honor the neighborhood’s women with the fountain.

“We definitely wanted to do something that would acknowledge women’s strength,” said Puerta, who was given the green light to build the fountain by the landlord Hope Community, Inc.

Much of Puerta’s work examines how the female body affects women’s experiences. Touch-and-go funding and uncooperative weather stalled the project several times since its ground-breaking in December 2005. At the start, Puerta received $1,500 from Hope Community and a $2,300 grant from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, but the funding soon evaporated.

Still, the determined artist persevered and petitioned for public and private grants.

“I had never built anything of this size,” she said, adding that her only other public piece was a temporary installation in a Queens city park.

Puerta was inspired to create “Confessions From the Wound,” after interviewing several women of Latin American descent who had been victims of domestic violence. This installation spurred Puerta to build a permanent work to celebrate women.

“Blossom/En Flor” in Spanish Harlem adds a pop of color to the block. Its rainbow of glass tiles are reminiscent of the vibrant hues Puerta grew up around in rural Colombia.

“The neighborhood has lost so much, not only with gentrification, but with the economy. It’s just symbolic of the resilience of the neighborhood,” Godoy said of the fountain.

This summer, Puerta will also have a piece exhibited in the Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens, and she’ll be part of the June 15 – Aug. 30 exhibition “Weaving in and Out” with the group No Longer Empty, which hosts arts events in empty lots across the city.

First Published: Jun 14, 2010 3:12 PM EDT

Hacia Afuera 2009, NYCITYMAMA.COM

claudia — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:09:18 +0000

We’d like to share a beautiful blogpost from Carol at nycitymama.com. Carol we are so glad you enjoyed Hacia Afuera and hopefully we’ll see you this year too!

http://nycitymama.com/2009/08/%C2%A1hacia-afuera-art-for-change-in-el-barrio-east-harlem-ny/

Written by Carol Cain on 26 August 2009

Before taking part in the festivities at the park last weekend, my family and I made our way into El Barrio of East Harlem. I had heard about the two-day weekend event, ¡Hacia Afuera!, that was being hosted by Art for Change through a facebook announcement. Art for Change is an organization focused on bringing forth social change through the arts. It is driven by the belief that art can bring together people of all backgrounds and incite discussions, reflection, and provide information, while helping build and strengthen a community and encourage active participation and involvement.

I love it when grassroots organizations start gaining popularity and I especially love it when the attention is given to communities such as El Barrio and the people living there, because often times we are so focused on changing that we forget that sometimes change not only excludes the traditions and custom of an area, but also the very people who established them in the first place. El Barrio isn’t just a location where you can still find “cheap rent”, it is the home of a people, traditions fostered and bred by a community of immigrants who came to the area and called this place home. It is a piece of New York City that I hold dear in my memories, not because I ever lived there, but because it represents the various sounds and sabor of what New York City is. But little by little this is being pushed out, replaced. Forgotten. This is the case for many traditional neighborhoods in NYC.

In my neighborhood of Washington Heights, there is still a strong sense of the Dominican population that has been established there for many years, but there is a border that expands itself every year, pushing away local businesses, residents who have called this place home for generations, and all the things that many knew to associate with the area. All change is not bad, and it is a sign of progress and growth. But organizations, such as Art for Change, aim to involve the people in these communities, give them a voice, let their choices count too.

When we arrived at the art festival it was hot. Humid. Uncomfortable. But it was festive and I was able to meet some really nice people and the talented artists displaying their amazing work. Artists such as Louis Nieves, whose images reflected my New York in ever way; Alex White-Mazarella, whose paintings had me coming back again and again, because every time I did I saw something new, that I hadn’t seen the time before;and Daniel Cordani whose work really appealed to me as well and am happy to be able to further promote here. Daniel was also there helping local kids create their own artwork, something I enjoyed watching and they enjoyed participating in.

I met Aaron Lazansky-Olivas, a man full of life, dedicated to an eclectic list of many things of importance, from eco-awareness, to organ donation, to urban art and commerce.

And all the while, as I walked around and met the different personalities that had dedicated their time and work to this great cause, my husband and kids played, danced to the music being played by the DJ, and even enjoyed some enchiladas from the food vendor on site.

It was a nice way to start our adventures that day. I wish Art for Change and all those involved much success. There is a reason NYC is such an incredible place to live. It is about the diversity of each of our neighborhoods. I welcome change, but when it involves the members of the community who were there to begin with, not when it pushes them out. Thank you too Art for Change and everyone at ¡Hacia Fuera! for sharing your work and stories with us.

Art For Change in El Barrio

claudia — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 03:20:33 +0000

http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/pavement/in/east-harlem/art-for-change-el-barrio/

Art for Change in El Barrio

An East Harlem organization preserves the Latino culture of local residents in the increasingly gentrified and diversified neighborhood.

By RACHEL WINTERS

East Harlem, a bustling barrio filled with beauty supply stores and salons, tiny shoe repair shops, and large, worn-down supermarkets and grocery stores with bargain prices taped awkwardly to the windows, is also a place brimming with culture. For generations, this culture has been Puerto Rican. Now it is growing more and more diverse. Other immigrant communities from Central and South America and wealthy New Yorkers, are calling the neighborhood that stretches from 96th Street to 116th Streets east of 5th Avenue home.

Using art as a tool for empowerment and for bridging gaps in East Harlem, a non-profit organization called Art for Change vows to keep the Latino culture and vibe alive.

“Even if the immigrant community gets pushed out ten years from now, we will always have a foundation of what the community was,” said Clara Rodriguez, chair of the Art for Change Board and president of the organization.

City Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito recently awarded a $500,000 grant to the organization, to help the six-year-old organization expand. The group runs art exhibitions and community programs out of Carlitos Cafe at 1701 Lexington Avenue. Sandwiched between a hair salon and a bodega on Lexington Avenue, this tiny, dimly lit cafe has a cement floor speckled with colorful bits of mosaic tile and a warm, welcoming vibe. Carlitos is a place of hope and promise in a changing neighborhood.

“I believe the neighborhood’s gentrification has not really integrated the culture of the old neighborhood, El Barrio,” said Veronica Silva, a lifetime East Harlem resident who works in marketing for the NYC based reality company Georgia Malone, Inc. “This has resulted in the displacement of prior residents. The neighborhood would greatly benefit from the maintenance of its culture.”

Through community groups and gallery exhibitions, Art for Change is helping East Harlem residents cope with the issues they face, from the diverse immigrant population and the mounting financial problems of gentrification, to community concerns about standard of living and health. East Harlem has the second-highest HIV infection rate, one of the highest asthma rates, and twice as many residents die of diabetes, compared to the rest of New York City, according to the Department of Health.

Although Art for Change began as a group of struggling immigrant artists, it has grown into something much larger than just a means of exhibiting artwork. It provides an opportunity for a community to unite, and provides a platform for both education and expression.

“The problems that Art for Change in its early stages began to encounter were largely about gentrification,” Rodriguez said “The people of East Harlem were having problems maintaining their lifestyle in a neighborhood they called their own.”

Art for Change was founded by Eliana Godoy, 33, a Bolivian immigrant who came to East Harlem in 1986. Godoy started the organization in her apartment in March of 2000, after she failed to find an outlet to display her creative works as an emerging immigrant artist. Her small apartment on East 101st Street became a gallery space where she and other artists in her community exhibited their work and discussed the changes affecting El Barrio, as the neighborhood is known.

Soon after Eliana Godoy opened the doors to her apartment, those displaying their work began to discuss larger issues that they were facing as immigrants, according to Rodriguez. They had questions about how to apply for loans, how to apply to schools, and how to obtain a decent education for their children who were struggling with the English language. They discussed starting a woman’s group, a tutoring program and ESL classes. It was during these informal talks in Godoy’s apartment that Art for Change became a forum for community-based discussions.

“Art for Change is important because it brings people in this community together and fights against the powers that be,” said Jose Guzman, an East Harlem resident who immigrated to the United States from Puerto Rico with his family when he was in elementary school.

Since the year 2000, when the organization began to 2005, housing prices in New York City rose by 79%, according to the New York City Census. The census also showed that in 2005 New Yorkers paid over 30% of their income in rent. In East Harlem, a community where gentrification was occurring, 40% of the neighborhood lived in public housing and the median family income was only $30,000. The steep rise in housing costs was a serious issue.

“A lot of people are looking for a place to live here, but rent is skyrocketing and affordable housing is harder to come by everyday,” said Lester LaBoy, 51, an Art for Change employee since 2001 and lifetime resident of East Harlem. “These landlords, now all they do is put in sheet-rock and a wood floor, call it ‘renovated,’ and charge $875 for a tiny studio.”

Art for Change began by sponsoring community groups such as Barrio Cine, a film program that offered multi-lingual films to spark conversations about important issues, and a tutoring program for immigrant youth at the nearby Julio de Burgos School. Presently, Carlitos displays the work of immigrant artists in East Harlem and is home to a long list of community forums for discussion and education.

“Art for Change’s focus is community development at a time of strife in the East Harlem community due to gentrification and funding cutbacks,” LaBoy said. “We use art for activism and social change, whether it’s alcoholism, drugs, education or housing.”

It is not only gentrification that has been changing East Harlem, but also a recent variation in the ethnic composition of the neighborhood. East Harlem, which is 40% Puerto Rican, according to 2005 US Census data, is becoming more and more diverse.

“You can see the influence of the new immigrant population everywhere on the streets, especially if you look at the restaurants. There used to be all these tiny Spanish and Puerto Rican frito places, but now there are taquerias and restaurants with the Mexican flag on the awning everywhere,” said Mariela Rosario, 26, Outreach Coordinator for the MNN Youth Channel.

“It is no longer a Puerto Rican neighborhood,” agreed Rodriguez. “It is now about a new type of immigrant that is beginning to dominate the neighborhood, which is mostly Mexican. Mexicans are the largest-growing population in New York.”

It is not only the increasing number of Mexican immigrants that are changing the ethnic composition of East Harlem, but also the interests of white renters and buyers who are interested in moving to El Barrio.

“I moved here from Puerto Rico in 2000 and I didn’t see any white people past 96th Street,” said Jenny Yari, 28, the Thursday night bartender at Carlitos who also teaches a course in Puerto Rican culture at Hunter College and music to East Harlem middle-school students. “Then it wasn’t past 103rd, and then 110th, and now they’re walking all over the place and renting here.”

It is this complex cultural composition that is the inspiration for many of the art exhibitions and discussion forums at Carlitos.

“Art is essential to the full development of any human being,” said Yari. “If you limit funds, where do you leave the arts? All of their art programs address social issues of the community and bridge a gap. It’s really important.”