Latinx Art curing my pandemic brain-fog

Moving through this pandemic period has been weirder than I originally thought. Not that I knew what to expect. I was going to grad school during the brunt in early 2020 and frankly, staying home alone, writing my MA thesis, attending classes on Zoom, and working remotely was not that hard for me. Graduating on Zoom was not ideal. And of course, I am not even touching on the overall dangers and consequences of the Coronavirus pervading our city, and the world. But for me (and yes, I am an introvert), staying home, watching TV, cooking, painting, meditating, taking long neighborhood walks, and wearing a mask, was absolutely fine. Enjoyable, even. I was actually very productive throughout the entire year of 2020.

And let’s not forget the multitude of BLM-related marches and protests, of which I made it to quite a few in NYC. I even made it to Washington, DC for the historic Commitment March in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech, which was tremendous. Yes, 2020 was a tough year, but some diamonds were made under the pressure, too.

However, 2021 has been much more challenging for me. I’m no longer a grad student, which is bittersweet. I've been job-searching, but that has been challenging, as cultural organizations have been heavily affected by the pandemic. I moved into a new apartment in early-2021 which was an improvement in many ways. But still a big change; my routine has changed - and coupled with the fact Covid restrictions abound, going to places and doing things I usually like to do has been curbed. I’ve felt a general malaise, I think, because of how long this “reopening of NYC” has been taking. We are still in the midst of a pandemic almost two years later. Life has changed.

While I was unable to go out and visit museums and galleries or the most part, I engaged with art in whatever ways I could. The enormous importance of public art and street art could not have impressed upon me more. Cultural institutions made use of Zoom and other online platforms and I soaked in as much as I could, until I got Zoomed-out. Being interested in Latinx art, I was happy to see that a number of books related to this subject were published recently, and so I’ve been acquiring them one by one. Truth be told, I started reading all, but have not finished any (I’ll blame it on pandemic brain-fog), so I cant review them per se. Nonetheless, I have inadvertently been building a little library of Latinx art and these are all lovely, thoughtful books, I believe will stand the test of time.

Before I go further, I should address the meaning of "Latinx" as it pertains to art, for those who might not be aware of the distinction. According to Aldeide Delgado: 

..."Latinx" is a concept that does not pertain to Latin America, nor does it pretend to define the artistic or social processes in the region. It does however facilitate the inclusion of these debates in the discourse on Latin America and the Latin American diaspora. "Latinx" includes people who have been born, educated or naturalized in the United States... Latinx artists recover shared cultural experiences to reflect on class, migration and identity issues. Latinx art does not define a monolithic identity, nor is it about single story or experience. Rather, this art is marked by various factors of gender, mobility, migratory status, skin color and access to cultural and economic capital. Studying Latinx art involves recognizing the influence of these artists on the history of American art, as well as generating a space for dialogue and discussion about the politics of access and participation of the Latino communities in US society. ("What Is "Latinx"?" Contemporary & AL, 2019.) 

Not so coincidentally, one of the first IRL art exhibits I visited this year was at El Museo del Barrio for Estamos Bien – La Trienal 20/21 – a large-scale survey of Latinx art curated by Rodrigo Moura, Susanna V Temkin, and guest curator Elia Alba. It’s no secret that El Museo is one of my favorite cultural institutions. I even had the opportunity to intern there in 2019. So, returning to the building in person this July felt a bit nostalgic. And I was thrilled to see that they have added on an entirely new, huge gallery to help encompass this expansive exhibition. I don’t fancy myself an art critic, so I’ll save you from my opinions on the particular pieces. But I will instead include some photos I took of the works featured at La Trienal, as well as a few links to articles about the exhibit.* 

I will also post some info about the aforementioned books I’ve acquired about Latinx and BIPOC art, for those who may be interested in bolstering their own libraries: Latinx Art: Artists/Markets/Politics by Arlene Dávila; We Are Here: Visionaries of Color Transforming the Art World, by Jasmin Hernandez; Raphael Montañez Ortiz; a monograph about founder and first director of El Museo del Barrio; and Estamos Bien: La Trienal 20/21 featuring the work of the 42 participating artists and collectives included in the exhibition. 

Overall if there is one thing I've learned during this pandemic time, it's that is is okay to slow down. I have always been a person who is "overly busy" doing a million things at once, always stacking my time, responsibilities, and appointments. I prided myself on being productive. The pandemic has created space for me to slow down and think, without necessarily fill up every moment with busy-ness. And still somehow certain themes arise - for me, at this time, it's been Latinx art. As a fellow Latinx artist myself, and cultural worker, it sparks joy and inspiration that this category is gaining notability and challenging the traditional art canon. 

 *Articles about Estamos Bien – La Trienal 20/21:

- El Museo Looks to Define ‘Latinx Art’ With a Major Survey - NY Times

- El Museo’s Triennial Gathers Works That Defy Pervasive Stereotypes Mapped onto Latinx Art - Hyperallergic 

- Veering From the Didactic to the Lyrical, El Museo del Barrio’s Worthy New Triennial Defines Latinx Art Through a Common Struggle - ArtNet

All photos by Lorie Caval, taken at El Museo del Barrio, July 2021

Looking There, From Here

I've been trying to come up with a way to write about this, but couldn't quite find the words. Being that this blog is about art, artists, the Puerto Rican diaspora - and my experience within the intersection of all of that - I feel it's only right for me to write an entry about what Puerto Rico is going through right now. I am referring to the devastation left by Hurricane Maria on the island, and the relief efforts.

I live in NYC, which obviously has a huge Puerto Rican presence, so from my perspective, I have seen an incredible effort on the part of people here - grassroots, union, community and artistic groups - coming together, doing fundraisers, collecting (and sometimes personally delivering) donations, and so on. However according to what I see in the news, the Administration's response has been deathly insufficient, leaving so many Puerto Ricans (still) in a state of emergency; without sufficient food, clean water, power or medical care. From what I've read in the news, the corporate opportunists and hedge fund vultures are circling overhead, scoping out their next Puerto Rican windfall (in an economy that was already in dire straights). From what I've read, a lot of stateside Americans do not know what Puerto Rico is, or that Puerto Ricans are Americans at all. On the upside (if you can call it that), so much about Puerto Rico of what was rarely talked about in the mainstream, has been the topic of much discussion and debate; such as the Jones Act and the fact that Puerto Rico is a US "commonwealth" in name, but a colony in practice. I imagine that in the months and years to come, there will be much restructuring and repositioning, for better or for worse.

When Maria hit, I felt a complicated mix of fear, worry and sadness for a land I have never lived on, but have always felt a part  of; or rather that it was a part of me. The land where my father was born and where he and our family farmed, lived and grew. A land whose culture I've learned primarily by way of New York City and Nuyoricans. When Maria hit, it was a few weeks before my birthday and I thought I would ask my friends who might have bought me gifts, to instead donate money to a worthy relief fund. I was lucky enough to quickly find that an organization, Defend Puerto Rico, had already started a fundraiser (because there was another hurricane, Irma, that had hit the island a couple of weeks prior). Little did they know that this fundraiser would end up also being for the second, harder hit of Maria, and that their efforts would have to become so grand. I've noticed a number of other people, groups and organizations that I know have also decided to donate funds to Defend Puerto Rico, so I feel good about the concentration of collective trust, good intentions, work and energy being directed here.

As I mentioned, in NYC there have been and continue to be many fundraising efforts (going to varios organizations), including many creative events; proving that music and art (and nightlife!) can make a difference. Some examples are Defend Puerto Rico's bomba party and art auction; A Party Called Rosie Perez with Casitas Wisdom at the Highline; Helping Hands for Puerto Rico house music dance party at Output; Arte for Puerto Rico Fundraiser at EL Museo del Barrio; AbrazARTE benefit with the Loisaida Center and Teatro LaTEA; Salsa Meets Jazz for Puerto Rico at Le Poisson Rouge; and the most plainly named, Sh*t's Fu*ked Up: Send Help art auction by the Con Artist Collective. These are all examples of creative grassroots organizing that makes a big impact - artivism, if you will. Of course, there are the major organizations contributing towards relief efforts too, and not to mention the various celebrities who have lent their time and talents toward helping raise funds - such as Lin-Manuel Miranda, J Lo & Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin, Fat Joe, Jay Z, and Bethany Frankel (yes, even a RHONY!). Every little bit helps.

Thankfully, there are many more fundraisers popping up every day. And there are lots more people, like myself, wondering how we can help the island from afar. One great resource I have found is the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College. They have an e-newsletter called Centro Voices as well as a special newsletter to specifically address recovery efforts, Rebuild Puerto Rico . They have been hosting events, like the upcoming symposium, "Puerto Rico, Puerto Ricans" to address the complicated questions arising.

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In pictures: Hurricane Maria pummels Puerto Rico

From CNN.com 
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From CCCADI newsletter

We give a heartfelt acknowledgement to Defend PR, “a multimedia project designed to document and celebrate Puerto Rican creativity, resilience, and resistance,” for organizing our community around the Puerto Rican debt crisis and raising funds around Hurricane Relief. DefendPR has been working tirelessly from the diaspora and on the ground to ensure Puerto Rico is rebuilt by and for its people. They are a true example of the power of art and culture to transform society. Contribute to their Hurricane Relief Fund by clicking here.

Puerto Ricans, Now En Vogue, in NYC

Brooklyn Museum member's opening reception for  

Impressionism and the Caribbean: Francisco Oller and His Transatlantic World .

Well apparently it's National Hispanic Heritage Month and while I’ve never paid if much mind before, I have recently been more aware of “Hispanic” goings-on around town, especially in the art world. I just Googled it and found that the month runs from September 15^th to October 15^th, which is kind of weird and interesting – overlapping between two different months and in fact two different seasons, summer and fall. The "month" is composed of multiple elements, much like one might say Hispanics are? I don’t think the reasoning was that poetic. I read online that the dates were stretched in order to include Columbus Day (as he “discovered” many of the Latin American countries [pause here for a look of stunned disbelief]). By the way, I am not a fan of the term Hispanic - but I will save that for a different blog post. For now, I would like to report on a few events that I’ve recently found out about and/or attended and around town, as they relate to this Travesia Artistica blog in general, and to Puerto Rican art and culture specifically.

Firstly, there is the tri-pronged exhibit, ¡Presente! The Young Lords in New York located at El Museo Del Barrio, the Bronx Museum of the Arts and the Loisaida Center. The exhibits have been running since the summer, but this month, I've noticed a few other institutions linking in on the Young Lords theme. Specifically, the Shomberg Center for Research in Black Culture with a panel discussion event entitled, Conversations in Black Freedom Studies - The Young Lords Party, Part 1, which took place on October 1st (part 2 to be scheduled for 2016), and the Queens Museum hosting an "offsite" event (actually at El Museo, not QMA) called Puerto Ricans in New York and the Young Lords in El Barrio on October 10th. Besides those, I came across information for a food festival called, Puerto Rico Meets NYC (September 30th to October 4th) featuring a multitude of top chefs at tasting events culminating in a Lechon Asado Block Party (yes, an old fashioned pig roast!). 

Another major event that kicked off this month is the retrospective exhibition of Puerto Rican master artist Francisco Oller at the Brooklyn Museum, entitled, Impressionism and the Caribbean: Francisco Oller and His Transatlantic World (running from October 2nd, 2015 through January 3rd, 2016). Being a museum member, I was thrilled to receive an invitation to  the members-only advance preview and reception for the exhibit, which I attended on October 1st. Ann Pasternak (the museum's recently appointed director) gave a welcoming speech before introducing a lovely Latin Jazz band and inviting members to partake in the open bar which included Puerto Rican rum drinks - and there were even plantain chips to snack on, not to mention gorgeous table arrangements made of tropical plants reminiscent of the island (a nice touch!). The Oller exhibit is extensive, 85 works - Oller's, as well as some of his contemporaries and predecessors. Even though the exhibit rightfully points out how Oller was influenced by his time and study in Europe, I thought they also did a great job at illuminating the fact that his Puerto Rican/Caribbean influence was maintained throughout his career and how it shows through his aesthetic, for example, in Still Life with Coconuts (circa 1893). Moreover, Oller's works featuring people - from portraits to scenes - give a sense of the complicated spectrum of race and class in Puerto Rican culture; for example in his well-known work; Maestro Cordero's School (circa 1890). Another iconic piece featured in the exhibit is The Wake (circa 1893), which is actually a reproduction (that seemed to be a big disappointment for some visitors). But even though the museum was unable to obtain the original for whatever reasons, I think that they would have been remiss had they not offered some reference to this important work.  

I'm not sure if all of the aforementioned events were specifically programmed to revolve around Hispanic Heritage Month or not. But in addition to the Puerto Rican/Nuyorican-centric institutions like El Museo and Loisaida Inc., it's wonderful to see Puerto Rican culture - from fine art, to culinary to political and historical influences - brought to light at a wide array of venues across NYC. In any case, I hope to see this appreciation continue well beyond National Hispanic Heritage Month. 


To see more photos of the Francisco Oller exhibit and lots of other arts and cultural events check out my Instagram: @whippedhoney.

Brooklyn Museum member's opening reception for  

Impressionism and the Caribbean: Francisco Oller and His Transatlantic World .

Brooklyn Museum Director, Ann Pasternak.

Latin-Jazz band playing the reception.

Oller, Self-Portrait

Oller, Still Life with Bananas, Pitcher and Cashews.

Oller, Maestro Cordero's School.

Oller (reproduction), the Wake. 

Oller, Still Life with Coconuts.

From New York to Puerto Rico to New York…

Chalk artist creating outside of El Museo Del Barrio.

As per my original intention, this blog – Travesia Artistica – was meant to document my experience with the Community Arts University Without Walls (CAUWW) program in Puerto Rico, as well as any subsequent inspirations that came out of it. Since I’ve been home in New York City, I have been thinking a lot about what those “subsequent inspirations” and projects are/will be. Although it’s been a while since I actually posted here, so I figure I’d better do so ASAP.

First off, there’s my own personal painting project inspired by my CAUWW experience, which I have already started on (updates soon to come). Secondly there is my art exhibition/event project, which I plan to produce and will include a group of multi-disciplinary artists. The concept for the event was actually my CAUWW final project presentation, however, after getting home, I realized that I need more time to conceptualize and tighten up on my mission (I hope to have that done very soon) before I can start on the production. Besides these projects, I have continued to attend lots of art exhibits and events (if you know me, you know that this is a very regular occurrence), documenting and posting them through my Instagram account (with the appropriate hashtags, of course!) so that they can be shared far and wide. The addition in this case, is that now I have an eye out for the particular Puerto Rican, diasporic and/or Nuyorican connections  – and making said connections on my Instagram postings, and on this very blog. (All three of these things: the painting project, the exhibition event and the online publishing are interrelated, as I hope will be evident once they are all publicly presented.)

One such connecting-of-the-dots that I’ve made is to see the art exhibit that’s up right now: ¡Presente! The Young Lords in New York. It’s a three-pronged exhibit that’s taking place simultaneously at three NYC institutions: The Bronx Museum of the Arts, El Museo del Barrio, and Loisaida Inc.  It piqued my interest, especially after having met Panama Alba, a member of the Young Lords Party (he presented a passionate lecture on his first-hand experience and history of YLP for CAUWW). Two weeks ago I saw ¡Presente! at El Museo (during a block party, Uptown Bounce, in conjunction with the Museum of the City of New York), and last Wednesday I went to Loisaida Inc.

In addition to the exhibit, Loisaida Inc. provided some thoughtful public programming. First, Maximo Colon gave a gallery talk discussing his work as a world-renown photographer, and his involvement with the Struggle as documenting through powerful black and white photography (many which are included in this exhibition) during the time when the YLP was most active. Next, there was another talk: Presente in Absentia: Diasporic Responses to Puerto Rico’s Crisis. This was a brilliant in the part of Loisaida Inc. to make the connection between what was happening politically during the YLP’s heyday and what’s happening now – and offering the opportunity to create dialogue around it. The presenters were journalist Ed Morales, activist David Galarza Santa, leader of Puerto Rico's Working People’s Party, Rafael Bernabe (who Skyped in from Puerto Rico) and a last-minute addition, poet and activist Felipe Luciano. The presentation was well-attended and the conversation was lively (to put it mildly), offering much food for thought.

I haven’t been able to make it up to the Bronx Museum yet, but I hope to at some point soon. In the meantime, I will keep working on my paintings, pondering the art event project, and continue on this Travesia Artistica.

You can see more photos of ¡Presente! The Young Lords in New York and lots of other arts and cultural events on my Instagram: @whippedhoney

Gallery talk for ¡Presente! The Young Lords in New York at El Museo Del Barrio

Entrance of Loisaida Inc.

Photographer Maximo Colon's gallery talk at Loisaida Inc.

¡Presente! The Young Lords in New York at Loisaida Inc.

¡Presente! The Young Lords in New York at Loisaida Inc.

¡Presente! The Young Lords in New York at Loisaida Inc.

Talk "Presente in Absentia: Diasporic Responses to Puerto Rico’s Crisis" at Loisaida Inc.

Panelists and staff at Loisaida Inc.