Community Screen Printing Workshops – Class #1

Hester Street Collaborative & Loisaida Inc. presents:

Community Screen Printing Workshops


RSVP: Eventbrite - Community Screen Printing Workshop 2016


 HSC logo                                                      The Loisaida Center logo


Overview:

For a 2nd year, Hester Street Collaborative happy to announce that we are partnering with the Loisaida center to offer FREE Screen-printing workshops for immigrant, Asian and Latino communities on the Lower East Side. All skill levels are welcome, ages 16 and up.

The workshop series will reflect the neighborhood tradition of art activism and cultural preservation. Art will be the vehicle that unites members of Asian and Latino immigrant communities to discuss, create and build the artistic capacity necessary for socio-cultural change. Our goal is to create opportunities to develop important artistic skills while sharing across differences that would not otherwise be possible. 

Workshops will be focused on current social justice issues – from immigrant rights to climate change to cultural identity. We will work with participants to increase their understanding of the built environment, expose them to art/design careers, develop age-specific art/design skills, and actively improve their neighborhood’s quality of life.


Community Screen Printing Workshops – Class #1

Hester Street Collaborative & Loisaida Inc. presents:

Community Screen Printing Workshops


RSVP: Eventbrite - Community Screen Printing Workshop 2016


 HSC logo                                                      The Loisaida Center logo


Overview:

For a 2nd year, Hester Street Collaborative happy to announce that we are partnering with the Loisaida center to offer FREE Screen-printing workshops for immigrant, Asian and Latino communities on the Lower East Side. All skill levels are welcome, ages 16 and up.

The workshop series will reflect the neighborhood tradition of art activism and cultural preservation. Art will be the vehicle that unites members of Asian and Latino immigrant communities to discuss, create and build the artistic capacity necessary for socio-cultural change. Our goal is to create opportunities to develop important artistic skills while sharing across differences that would not otherwise be possible. 

Workshops will be focused on current social justice issues – from immigrant rights to climate change to cultural identity. We will work with participants to increase their understanding of the built environment, expose them to art/design careers, develop age-specific art/design skills, and actively improve their neighborhood’s quality of life.


en casa afuera

en casa afuera

June 12- 19

Opening Reception and Performances June 12 at 6:00 pm.

A live exhibit which will bring together new young artists— Mckenzie Angelo, Anthony Rosado, Jonathan Gonzalez, Yoira Santos, Adam Echahly, Lamar Stephens, Adam Rhodes, Chazz Bruce, and Stephanie Mota.


 

Curatorial Statement 

en casa afuera

Think gentrification is completely erasing the hirstory and identities of native New York residents? Think again. Amidst new developments, increasing rents, empty storefronts, newcomers in LES, Crown Heights, Washington Heights, Harlem, & Bushwick, artists are finding ways to claim their stake in the areas, tethering the old soul of these communities. A group of such artists are coming to Loisaida, Inc.’s Center, one of the remaining physical spaces serving the LES and NYC Latino and independent community, to present a series of interactive works paying tribute to the Home(s).

en casa afuera, a live exhibit which will run from June 12th to June 19th, brings together new young artists from the metropolitan New York and New Jersey region spanning the ages of mid 20’s-30’s.— Mckenzie Angelo, Anthony Rosado, Jonathan Gonzalez, Yoira Santos, Adam Echahly, Lamar Stephens, Adam Rhodes, Chazz Bruce, and Stephanie Mota. They came together to investigate the intersections of home and displacement, as well as the potential for art making to reflect and revision these relations. Loisaida Inc., as the performance hub, may then be the home or shelter that localizes this web of creative results.

The process of what initially began as a series of conversations on the shifting dynamics of New York City, the forces that will it, and what is authentic in these urban amalgamations, developed into a need to generate around these lofty queries – what is home? and what remains as the physical departs from what we know it to be? (whether by a stripping of possession or decay.) Lastly, what does this process of transition look like, feel like, for us?

Visitors and members of the community, old and new, are encouraged to the engage in and think about the daily rituals of Home(s). The series of installations range from the symbolic to the banal. One of the works, a collage in the main hallways shows a Nuyorican’s response to gentrification while another shares with audiences the everyday objects our communities use to pamper themselves. Together, all works zoom in and out of the experience of a changing neighborhood.

en casa afuera represents and shines light onto the complex process of change and gentrification in NYC, and celebrates the histories that are passed on from generation to generation and carried everywhere. Above all, they encourage artists and guests to preserving our stories and our communities will follow.

When asked what Loisaida means for them the group responded:
“Loisaida has been an iconic place-maker for both its residents and the world at large. It architecturally houses the pride and cultural breadth of a community, while transcending the energetic embodiment of LES – a location/identity in flux. These dynamics are at the heart of our creative interests and explorations en casa afuera.”


 

Invisible Loisaida – Ideas City

IDEAS CITY

Part of the Street Program 12:00 -6:00pm

Loisaida Inc: Invisible Loisaida

The booth by Loisaida, Inc. will play with the visible and invisible tensions of rescued social spaces, their cultural output, and their lack of inclusion in the mainstream story line of the Lower East Side. Through a collaborative installation by resident artists Edgardo Tomás Larregui and Alejandro Epifanio, the booth will recreate the vernacular architecture of “seclusion” and social gathering elements of the traditional casita or urban community garden. Our casita also involves a strategy to render visible the reality of Loisaida, Inc., a social-cultural-artistic community (Latino/Puerto Rican Lower East Side), whose contributions to New York City and the downtown scene have usually remained unacknowledged, absent, and invisible to the hegemonic artistic and cultural narratives of New York City’s creative myth. The presentation will feature a listening station of oral histories by Laura Zelasnic, performances by ongoing Loisaida Center collaborators and projects: the Salvage Project; Flux Theater Ensemble; the Plenatorium, which nurtures and documents the “plena universe”; and Edwin Torres, a Nuyorican poet, performer, and downtown icon, who will explore the nonappearance of “No-isaida.”


A ONGOING programming throughout the day:

1. Display and live screen-printing of the templates and prints developed and produced through our workshop: Building Community Through the Arts, a partnership with Hester Street Collaborative.

2. Listening Station featuring oral histories focused on local Latino cultural and community organizations such as CHARAS and Loisaida, Inc., by Laura Zelasnic.

3. Visual Collaborative Installation(s) between artist collaborators of the Loisaida Center. The entire booth will act as an installation and visual collaboration between visual artist’s Alejandro Epifanio and Edgardo Larregui with the support of Urban Garden Center NYC.


B SCHEDULED programming by time-slots:

3:00 pm – The Salvage Project

Story circles facilitated by the Loisaida Center’s artistic residents Flux Theater Ensemble where community members will share the stories of a precious object and have their stories transformed by professional playwrights into short monologues.

http://www.fluxtheatre.org/2015/02/flux-announces-art-residency-loisaida-center/

4:00 pm – Edwin Torres:

“Nuyorican” (New York-Puerto Rican) poet-performer-sound artist and downtown icon will present work based on the Invisible Loisaida theme. Torres’s work bridges numerous downtown and Loisaida traditions and scenes, from the Poetry Project at St. Mark’s Church to the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and beyond. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Torres_(poet)

5:00pm – PLENATORIUM:

A project initiative of the Loisaida Center focused on the nurturing and documentation of the practice of Puerto Rican plena, a genre of popular traditional music, song and dance native to the island of Puerto Rico, but related to similar Afro-diasporic expressions throughout the Caribbean and commonly present within the casita/community garden culture.

Planetarium means a space for the plena-universe of activities such as forums, workshops, performances, and other forms of plena-focused sociocultural participation.

http://loisaida.org/plenatorium/


Invisible Loisaida was made possible by: 9C Community Garden – Northeast Avenue C & 9 Street


 

“La Casita de Julia” Installation by Dey Hernández Vázquez

La Casita de Julia

A commissioned multimedia installation in homage of Julia de Burgos centenary.

by Dey Hernández Vázquez in collaboration with Gabo Lugo and Yaraní del Valle-Piñero.

Photographs by: Romina Hendlin

Currently on view at the Loisaida Center, part of the event Muchas Julias which opened November 15th 2014.
By appointment only, to schedule a viewing please call (347)296-5016 (Monday-Friday 9:00am-3:00pm) 


About the piece:

To experience both the inner poetry of Julia de Burgos’ words and the poetics of the house, the artist created a “casita” for Julia. The paper architectural installation explores the way in which the intimate space of home relates to the intimate space of poetry. It is a rhetorical object that both convinces and engages the public to respond. In “La casita de Julia”, Julia’s poetic image creates a space that lifts off from the page allowing ourselves to drift into her poetry.


Dey Hernández Vázquez

Architect, teaching artist and puppeteer, who works in a variety of media. Issues of race, identity, language, and community are fundamental to her work. She designs and facilitates art workshops wit AgitArte, a non-profit organization dedicated to artistic and popular education projects. Dey is also an artist of the radical workers’ theater collective, Papel Machete. Dey has been an artist in residence here at the Loisaida Center and she is currently based in Boston, MA.

Gabriel “Gabo” Lugo

Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Old San Juan, he is always humble doing magic behind the scenes. Gabo received a Grammy nomination for his work on Tego Calderón’s 2008 album “El Abayarde Contra-Ataca”. Still in his early 20’s Lugo’s talent, paired with a hunger to learn new things and to innovate, has him poised to fulfill the promise of his musical upbringing. Gabo’s thirst for knowledge led him to Berklee College of Music, where he continues work towards a degree in Sound Design

Yaraní del Valle Piñero

An actress and educator product of the University of Puerto Rico Drama Department, Yarani has dedicated her life to performing and developing community based art projects. She is a laboratory actor-singer-dancer who trains and works in Latin America, New York, Miami and LA. La Yara is an ensemble member of Pregones Theater/PRTT and the Education & Art Residency Manager at the Loisaida Center.

Zoetrope: Part 1 (Excerpts)

The Loisaida Center presents:

Excerpts of CABORCA Theatre Co.’s play

ZOETROPE: Part 1

CABORCA Theatre Co.

Friday, November 21st, 2014

(POSTPONED) NEW DATE WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON!

Zoetrope follows a Puerto Rican family over four decades between Lares, Puerto Rico and Harlem, New York. Divided into two plays, excerpts of part 1, the bilingual version will be presented. This bilingual version was developed during the company’s artists in residence program at the new Loisaida Center.

 

 

 

Muchas Julias

Muchas Julias / Many Julias

 The first multimedia production by the new Loisaida Center!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The new Loisaida Inc Center, in association with the Society of the Educational Arts, inc. (SEA), proudly presents: 
Muchas Julias / Many Julias as part of the Borimix: Puerto Rico Fest.  

In this multi-disciplinary event, art enlivens a space long known to harvest projects and services of great importance for the Latino community, the original Loisaida, Inc. building at 710 9th Street & Ave C, in the Lower East Side.

This time is the poetry of the great Julia de Burgos, whose centenary we celebrate this year, presented in five (5) distinct pieces representing different disciplinary approaches; in Muchas Julias / Many Julias visitors will stroll through the extensive premises of the new Loisaida Center to stop only at determined points and intimately experience the aesthetic pieces (from dance to theater, from film to installation), all inspired by the work of Julia de Burgos, one of Latin America’s greatest poets

Conceived by Yaraní del ValleMuchas Julias / Many Julias is a site-specific montage that features the participation of artists and scholars such as: Oscar Montero, Deymirie Hernández, Gabo LugoCaborca Theater,Right Minded CreationsJecaRodríguez, Veraalba Santa and Tres Tristes collective.

 Venue: 710 E 9th Street and Avenue C

Date: Saturday November 15, 2014

Time: 7:30 pm

(Presentations will begin at 8:00pm)

Price: $10 suggested donation (Help Us Grow) 


Click  to RSVP for this event.


Sponsored in part by:

Introduction to Primo Drum

Rafael Maya - Primo Drum Workshop

Click on promotion above to purchase tickets for this workshop.

Loisaida Inc. logo

 THE LOISAIDA CENTER IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE:

In partnership with Afro-Inspira and Proyecto Unión


INTRODUCTION TO PRIMO DRUM

With Master Bomba drum percussionist Rafael Maya

 (Dance interpretation and Improvisational language)


Workshop description:

This workshop will be about dance interpretation using the language and drum of Puerto Rico’s Bomba. We will be discussing what is needed in preparing for your quest into primo drum playing and will be going over basic variations and language used during improvisation. We will also be diving in hands on with examples of different forms of looking at interpreting dance. Finalizing with ways of adding your own individuality and energy to the equation. Join the Bomba community through movement and song!!!

Bring your own drum/conga/djembe

Requirements: Basic knowledge of Afro-Puerto Rican Bomba rhythms a plus! No one will be turn away for lack of skills.

Saturday October 25th, 2014 3:30pm to 5pm
Cost: $15
Residents of the Lower East Side $10
Djembes for rent $ 5.00 (first come first serve)


 

Bio:
Rafael Maya Alvarez was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico. He is the founder and director of Desde Cero and founder and director of Proyecto Union. Rafael also has participated in Bomba groups such as Majestad Negra(Member and Coreographer), Compania Folklorica De Loiza, Restauracion Cultural(VP, Co-Director), Tambuye, Tendencias(Co-Director), Carabali, Sabor a Bomba, Fiesta Bombera, Son de Plena, y Bomba Tour. Rafael is currently teaching with the project Gigantes de la Bomba who offers classes twice a week in the Plaza de Recreo of Carolina and to schools in the Municipality of Carolina. Rafael has participated as an instructor in programs such as “Vida Plena”, “Head Start,” “Upward Bound”, “Taller Fotoperiodismo”, “Instituto de Cultura Puertorriquena”, “Program of continued education”, “Early Start” and “Bomba de Oro”. Rafael also gives bilingual Bomba workshops for the Univeristy of Puerto Rico’s(Rio Piedras campus) exchange student program and is currently giving class in The U.N.E. University(Carolina). He was invited and gave his latest Master Class in Berkeley College of Music in Valencia, Spain. For several years he was one of the dance and percussion instructors for the Corporacion Pinones se Integra in Loiza an also for Arthur Murray Dance Studio is Santurce. Rafael has travelled to numerous countries providing lectures and performing, because for Rafael, the most important element in his work is cultural education.


 

El Mini Fest

Un Pasadía Familiar

El Mini Fest – Family Day

at The Loisaida Center


 With The Wonderful Musical Duo:

¡ACOPLADITOS!

Day long activities for the entire family!

Beginning Saturday October 18th 2014 from 12 to 5 pm


 El Mini Fest Schedule of Activities:

12:00pm – 1:35pm

Open Yoga for the Family & Creative Movement for the Family

 with: Jeca Rodríguez and Sandralis Ginés

_

1:00pm – 3:00pm

Screening of: 

Pura Belpré:Storyteller

Documentary on loan by the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College

 

Creative Stations will open at 1:00pm

1. Paper Puppet Creations with Rojo Coquí Robles (El Kibutz del deseo) (2hrs)

2. Upcycling Arts with Visiones Culturales

3. Bilingual Storytelling with Maestra Coral Nogueras Ortiz

 _

 2:00pm – 3:00pm

 Interactive Bomba Performance: with María Eugenia Rodriguez & TheLegendary Mic

 _

3:00pm – 4:00pm

Headliner Concert by:

¡Acopladitos! 


 Come join us! Purchase tickets below. Only $5 for one ticket or $15 for 4 tickets!



InVisible Movement: Nuyorican Poetry from the Sixties to Slam

InVisible Movement:

Nuyorican Poetry from the Sixties to Slam


 

 ¡Gracias to all who joined us for the book release!

September 17th, 2014 @ 7 PM

Poet and scholar Urayoán “Ura” Noel, an Assistant Professor of English and Spanish at NYU, presented his new book InVisible Movement: Nuyorican Poetry from the Sixties to Slam (University of Iowa Press, 2014), the first book-length critical study of Nuyorican poetry.

Discounted copies of the book are still available for sale.
 

 

unoel_bookcover

“A crucial contribution to our literary history, In Visible Movement charts the evolution of an increasingly visible movement in the literary arts, shedding light on many related poetries of the past six decades in the process. Noel proposes ‘an understanding of poetry performance as revisionism: operating across and along page and stage,’ an understanding that proceeds from the poets themselves.”

—Aldon Lynn Nielsen, author, Integral Music: Languages of African American Innovation

 

About the author:

Urayoán Noel is a poet, performer, scholar, and translator who is currently an Assistant Professor of English at SUNY Albany and Visiting Assistant Professor of English at NYU. His books include the poetry collections Kool Logic/La lógica kool (Bilingual Press, 2005), Boringkén (Ediciones Callejón/La Tertulia, Puerto Rico, 2008), Hi-Density Politics (BlazeVOX, 2010), and Los días porosos (Catafixia Editorial, Guatemala, 2012), and the critical study In Visible Movement: Nuyorican Poetry from the Sixties to Slam(University of Iowa Press, forthcoming). His other works include the performance DVD Kool Logic Sessions(Bilingual Press, 2005, with Monxo López), the multimedia project The Edgemere Letters (2011, with Martha Clippinger), and, as translator, the chapbooks ILUSOS by Edwin Torres (Atarraya Cartonera, Puerto Rico, 2010) and Belleza y Felicidad (Belladonna, 2005). He has been a fellow of CantoMundo, the Bronx Council on the Arts, and the Ford Foundationand his creative and critical writings have appeared in Latino Studies, Contemporary LiteratureSmall AxeBombFence, and in numerous national and international anthologies. Originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, Urayoán Noel earned his B.A. from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, his M.A. from Stanford, and his Ph.D. from NYU. He lives in the Bronx.