Travesía Artística (Artistic Voyage)

Hi, my name is Lorie; I am a NYC-based artist and cultural advocate. I first created this blog in 2015 as a means of documenting my experience as a student of a community arts program in Puerto Rico with CCCADI. The blog has lived on, documenting my experiences in NYC and beyond, participating in artful events, and maintaining threads of community arts, social justice, EDI and the Puerto Rican diaspora. Thank you for your interest in my Travesía Artística! I hope to hear from you.

Monday, June 25, 2018

Following Up on Art Opening

Last Thursday, June 21st, 2018 was the opening reception for "Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself" group art exhibit at the Cigar Factory, where I was lucky enough to have some of my work featured.

My previous blog post has details about the curators, Krista Scenna and Carolina Peñafiel's vision for the exhibition, as well as more details about my work "Tobacco Spirit" with photos and suplemental audio/video clips about the concept and context.

For this post, I just wanted to send a big THANK YOU out to the curators, my fellow artists, and all of the friends and family who came out to support this event. It was a magical night (Summer Solstice!) with good vibes and spectacular art all around.

For anyone who missed the opening, the curators have arranged for more viewing hours: Friday, June 29th, 3-8pm; Thursday, July 12th, 3-8pm; Saturday, July 14th, 12-6pm; and a closing party on Thursday, July 19th, 5-9pm.

As promised, here are some of the photos I snapped at the opening party. Special thanks to Doris Elena Argote Lopez, and Genevieve Custodio for the additional pics.

My work in situ, "Tobacco Spirit," paper sculpture and acrylic paintings.

Allow me to Reintroduce Myself

An Art Exhibition for the New Cigar Factory LIC

9-20 35th Avenue, LIC/Queens, NYC 11106

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself

I am thrilled to say that my work has been chosen to be included in an upcoming group exhibition, Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself, at the Cigar Factory Gallery, curated by Krista Scenna and Carolina Peñafiel. The curators asked artists to create new pieces - works on paper - to interpret the theme, drawing connections between the art-makers of LIC with the history of the space. I don't normally do works on paper, but I decided to stretch myself and come up with something different. My offering is an installation, "Spirit of Tobacco," which endeavors to tie in traditions of tobacco farmers, cigar makers, indigenous practices, and my own family history.

My offering, "Spirit of Tobacco"

In considering the theme of this show, Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself, at the Cigar Factory, I recalled my father telling me about growing up on a farm in the mountains of Puerto Rico, and how one of his very first tasks as a child was to hang tobacco leaves to dry. I thought about this art exhibit’s aim to draw connections between the factory’s cigar-makers of this past with LIC’s current community of art-makers, of which I am one. I thought about deepening that connection to the people who farm tobacco, and practices that go back to Native Americans, and particularly Taíno Indians of Puerto Rico. Taínos and other Indigenous traditions use tobacco in ritual practice, believing the plant has a powerful energy, a Tobacco Spirit; which I have endeavored to honor in creating these works for Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself at the Cigar Factory.

Spirit of Tobacco pieces are connected to my Boricua Sankofa series (2015-present).

"Spirit of Tobacco" consists of a paper sculptural installation, along with three acrylic paintings on paper, supplemented by a short video piece and an audio interview with my father, recalling life as a child on a farm in Puerto Rico, circa 1940. The video and audio pieces are hosted here, on this blog as the paper artworks hang at the exhibition.

LINK: VIDEO CLIP - MAKING OF "SPIRIT OF TOBACCO" ARTWORK
Background music, "La Herencia de Mi Papa (the Heritage of My Father)" by Ecos de Borinquen

LINKAUDIO INTERVIEW WITH MY FATHER
Phone interview with my dad, recalling childhood life on a farm in Juncos/Humacao, Puerto Rico, circa 1940.

One part of larger paper sculpture: Spirit of Tobacco – Dried Bunches, May 2018.

Installation of paper, yarn and wood.

1. Lorie Caval, Spirit of Tobacco – Personified, May 2018.

Acrylic paint on paper, 9” x 12”

2. Lorie Caval, Spirit of Tobacco - Drying Shed, May 2018.

Acrylic paint on paper, 9” x 12”

3. Lorie Caval, Spirit of Tobacco – Taína Portrait, June 2018. Acrylic paint on paper, 9” x 12"

I will make another blog post after the exhibition opening event, with more photos of the artwork in situ.

Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself

Independent curators, Krista Scenna, of Brooklyn's Ground Floor Gallery and Carolina Peñafiel, of Local Project in Queens, are thrilled to welcome the historic Cigar Factory back to Long Island City with a new generation of makers: New York City’s talented emerging artists!

A group exhibition featuring dozens of local, contemporary artists, the exhibition pays homage to the Cigar Factory's past as a thriving network of local makers by inviting New York City’s living artists - the current generation of makers - to show original, new works on or made with paper in all media.

Cigar manufacturing was a dominant industry in New York City from the late 19th century into the early 20th century. Established in 1896, The DeNobili Cigar Factory in Long Island City operated for decades, employing thousands of local makers to roll and pack the tabaco by hand until the factory moved operations outside of New York City in 1960. In 2017, the former industrial hub was repurposed to a modern, mixed-use creative space.

Allow me to Reintroduce Myself

An Art Exhibition for the New Cigar Factory LIC

9-20 35th Avenue, LIC/Queens, NYC 11106

Welcome Party: Thursday, June 21, 5 – 9pm

Refreshments will be served.

Viewing Hours:
Thursday, July 12th: 3-7pm
Closing Party: Thursday, July 19th, 5 – 9pm

Join us in welcoming the new Cigar Factory back to New York City! 100+ Artists Based in New York City will be showing original artwork made with paper ranging from photography and collage to drawings, sculpture, and installation!

Almost all artworks are priced under $1,000 in keeping with the exhibition’s spirit of accessibility.

Meet and support your talented artist community at next Thursday’s welcome party from 5 – 9pm!

Saturday, March 3, 2018

Art Everywhere - a Photo Roundup

As many of us art-lovers do, I go to a fair amount of exhibits and often snap pics of the works that I find interesting.

Living in New York City, I am lucky to have access to lots of art in all sorts of venues: galleries, museums, fairs, cafes, and in public spaces. I like to post pics on my Instagram as a means of documentation and info-sharing as well as a little promotion/advocacy for art/ists, spaces and communities I appreciate. Here is a roundup of some photos of art I've seen recently (spanning only from December 2017 to February 2018).

Please feel free to go to my IG to see more pics from the past, and ongoing into the future: @Whippedhoney. For further info on any of the art, spaces or events pictured below, click the links.

February, 2018

Preview reception for Defend Puerto Rico exhibition at CCCADI. 🌍 🎨 ✊🏽💪🏽 #CCCADI #ourfirehouse #africandiasporahome #defendpuertorico #contemporaryart #puertorico #artopening #artexhibition #nyc #harlem

www.cccadi.org

http://www.defendpr.com/

February, 2018

www.cccadi.org

http://www.defendpr.com/

February, 2018

www.cccadi.org

http://www.defendpr.com/

February, 2018

www.cccadi.org

http://www.defendpr.com/

February, 2018

www.cccadi.org

http://www.defendpr.com/

February, 2018

CCCADI Founder, Dr. Marta Moreno Vega and Interim Executive Director, Margarita Rosa at the Preview reception for Defend Puerto Rico exhibition at CCCADI. 🌍 🎨 ✊🏽💪🏽 #CCCADI #ourfirehouse #africandiasporahome #defendpuertorico #contemporaryart #puertorico #artopening #artexhibition #nyc #harlem

www.cccadi.org

http://www.defendpr.com/

February, 2018

The curators of Defend Puerto Rico exhibition at CCCADI. 🌍 🎨 ✊🏽💪🏽 #CCCADI #ourfirehouse #africandiasporahome #defendpuertorico #contemporaryart #puertorico #artopening #artexhibition #nyc #harlem

www.cccadi.org

http://www.defendpr.com/

February 2018

Here’s a piece I really enjoyed.... Rejin Leys’ ArtBoxNY - a bubblegum machine filled with original artwork (for sale 50cents!). I got two pieces for my personal art collection: a resin piece by Elizabeth Velazquez, and a mini-book by poet, Sherese Francis. 😎 NLE Lab: Southeast Queens Biennial, “A Locus of Moving Points,” at York College Fine Arts Gallery. #southeastqueensartists #seqaa #nolongerempty #southeastqueensbiennial #artexhibition #nyc #yorkcollegefineartsgallery #nlelab #artopening #rejinleys #artboxnyc #sociallyengagedart #contemporaryart

www.nolongerempty.org/

February 2018

NLE Lab: Southeast Queens Biennial, “A Locus of Moving Points,” at York College Fine Arts Gallery. #southeastqueensartists #seqaa #nolongerempty #southeastqueensbiennial #artexhibition #nyc #yorkcollegefineartsgallery #nlelab #artopening #sociallyengagedart #contemporaryart

www.nolongerempty.org/

February 2018

www.nolongerempty.org/

February 2018

www.nolongerempty.org/

February 2018

www.nolongerempty.org/

February 2018

www.nolongerempty.org/

February 2018

Artwork by Shervone Neckles at the opening for NLE Lab: Southeast Queens Biennial, “A Locus of Moving Points,” at York College Fine Arts Gallery. #southeastqueensartists #seqaa #nolongerempty #southeastqueensbiennial #artexhibition #nyc #yorkcollegefineartsgallery #nlelab #artopening #sociallyengagedart #contemporaryart #shervoneneckles

www.nolongerempty.org/

February 2018

Passed by my favorite neighborhood cafe, to find an art exhibit - Art for a Cause - benefiting schools in Puerto Rico and Mexico 🎨 😍 #auberginecafe #sunnyside #nyc #artforacause #artexhibit #café

http://auberginecafe.com/

February 2018

Artist, Lucrecia Novoa at Art for a Cause exhibit benefiting schools in Puerto Rico and Mexico 🎨 😍 #auberginecafe #sunnyside #nyc #artforacause #artexhibit #café

http://www.mascaraviva.com/

February 2018