The Loisaida Center is proud to announce

2016 Loisaida Artist in Residence:

CASA MÚCARO

Casa Múcaro

May 9th, 2016–May 29th, 2016

Objective

The first objective was to host and develop a three week puppet studio-laboratory, with up to 15 students, who will learn how to create puppets out of recycled and up-cycled trash, waste, and discarded found materials. The second was to add and develop a new contingent to the opening Carnival Procession (Parade) of the Loisaida Festival, an exuberant celebration of Caribbean solidarity, drawing inspiration from Afro-Caribbean mythological symbols, and the resilient creative spirit of looking backwards and forwards. It also serves as a recognition of all the lives of those that made this neighborhood alive, with those that are present today, featuring the collaboration of Garbagia Project, Braata Productions, Semi-Upright Cultural Workers Collective and Rude Mechanical Orchestra. The third and final objective was to join the street theater puppet pageant in La Plaza Cultural in celebrating the legacy of Latino community builders from the Young Lords forward, following the 2016 Loisaida Festival.

Overview

Casa Múcaro is a collaborative project on a forested mountaintop near Las Marias, Puerto Rico. They are multidisciplinary artists in pursuit of self-sufficiency for themselves and others, through “the sharing of tools, materials, and know-how.” They envision “termitopia” cities, like termite mounds in which, by means of reuse, or recycling of materials, their citizens understand the benefits of self-managing “waste” generated by their neighborhood and can actively participate in the construction and maintenance of their own city.

Completed Project

Through this residency, Casa Múcaro successfully taught community members that making art with trash is one way of reusing everyday found objects and instead of seen as a nuance, if used right, it could become an object of beautification. They hosted Low Tech, High Magic, a three-week puppet studio-laboratory for 15 participants from Monday, May 9th, through Sunday, May 29th from 5:00 PM- 8:00 PM, repeating every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. The purpose behind this workshop was to create a group of community members, or volunteers, interested in working together to be part of the 2016 Loisaida Festival as a way of bringing people together with under a similar motif, with this year centered around the Loisaida community’s societal impact as pioneers of urban ecology creative innovation. The residents made masks and big puppets, with “up-cycled,” or reused materials and full body masks and costumes, made with reusable and recyclable materials. The group reenacted the lives of those that made this neighborhood alive, with those that are present today. They presented their project as follows:

“Create puppets out of recycled and up-cycled trash, waste and discarded found materials. Learn how to transform junk into beauty! Spin straw into gold! Art with an ecological, green twist. Create your own wondrous puppet or assist in larger collaborative group puppet project. Making art with trash is one way of reusing everyday found objects and instead of seen as a nuance, if used right, it could become an object of beautification. The purpose behind this workshop is to create a group of community members, or volunteers, interested in working together to be part of a parade happening on the 25th of May and be part of a pageant, happening right after. As a way of bringing people together with under a similar motif, centered around the Loisaida community’s societal impact as pioneers of urban ecology creative innovation. We’ll be making masks and big puppets, with “upcycled,” or reused materials and full body masks and costumes, made with reusable and recyclable materials. We’ll be reliving the lives of those that made this neighborhood alive, with those that are present today. Be part of this event and help us exalt the creativity of the Loisaida community towards an ecological mindset. Trash, or daily found objects, will be our best friend for this workshop, as they are a cost-effective material filled with endless applications.”

Collaborations

Casa Múcaro’s project featured a collaboration with Braata Productions, Semi-Upright Cultural Workers Collective, and the Rude Mechanical Orchestra (RMO) with the goal of joining the talents, resources and visions of multiple theater, music, arts and culture collectives working on projects related to the people and culture of Caribbean Islands living in NYC. It produced a collection of different works to be presented at the 29th annual Loisaida Festival and Braata Production’s Caribbean Folk Festival in Jamaica, Queens, the following weekend.

Individual Profiles

Bill Birdsall is an artist refugee from Los Angels, with about 40 years of residence now in backwoods Puerto Rico. Bill went from airplanes to coffee farmers, learning survival skills along the way. He built his own home out of free, discarded fishnet and cement, using a technique he calls nylon-cement. Bill invents things and posts his inventions on Instructables.com under the name “Thinkenstein”. Search for his “nylon-cement”, PVC, and “tootophone” instructables there, among other things. Visit his website to see other things Bill does, like paintings, sculpture and music.
Pablo Varona, or “Pablillo José,” spends most his time living close to the forested mountaintops of Puerto Rico. At the time, he is a puppeteer, street performer and a supreme believer of juggling as his way through every corner he visits. He is amazed by the immeasurable value that the reuse, recycling and/or “forgotten” objects do when it comes to the transformation of urban contexts. His interests revolve around making these issues relevant and accessible to the general audience, with the hopes that some day we will all learn from its potential uses and collaborate in the creative process of experimenting with the most abundant material out there: trash. To see more of his work, visit his website here.
Daniel Polnau has created puppet parades, circuses, and outdoor theatre spectacles for over 30 years. He specializes in creating larger than life puppets out of recycled junk and up-cycled materials making the mundane become extraordinary. Projects and residencies have spanned the globe from Moscow to Bali to Juneau, Alaska to Puerto Rico. Highly collaborative, at the heart of each project he strives to demystify the creative process and quicken the innate creative abilities in all – regardless of age, abilities or arts experience. He is committed to respectfully embracing underserved and marginalized populations.

ARCHIVED POSTS

Join the amazing outdoor street-theatre puppet-pageant that follows as part of the Theater Lab inside La Plaza Cultural! Be part of this homage to the legacy of Latino community builders from the Young Lords forward in celebration of all lives that make this neighborhood alive.

Join our Giant Puppet making community workshop Low Tech, High Magic. Learn how to create masks! Parade costumes! Larger-than-life Puppets! Colorful parade floats!

A new contingent will be added to the opening Carnival Procession (Parade) of the Loisaida Festival. An exuberant celebration of Caribbean solidarity, drawing inspiration from Afro-Caribbean mythological symbols, and the resilient creative spirit of looking backwards and forwards: a recognition of all the lives of those that made this neighborhood alive, with those that are present today. (Featuring the collaboration of: Garbagia Project, Braata Productions, Semi-Upright Cultural Workers Collective and RMO.)