Category Archives: Photography

The 31st Loisaida Festival

by . Posted on
21 May

The 2018 Loisaida Festival

Sunday, May 27th 2018

11:00am – 5:00pm

Avenue C Corridor / Loisaida Avenue / Alphabet City.

The Loisaida Festival is the largest ethnic community pride festival in the Lower East Side. On the Sunday before Memorial Day, over 29,000 converged on Avenue C— Loisaida Avenue to participate in last years amazing street fair event. More locals, citywide, regional and global visitors pack the Avenue every year. The Loisaida Festival offers diverse manifestations of the Puerto Rican and Latino cultures expressed through music, dance, live theatre performances, cuisine, and the arts and crafts of the many artisans that are our prime vendors. Besides delivering top-notch live musical entertainment that features well-known names, the event is also a venue for local artists and emerging talent. It also serves as an important vehicle to disseminate educational, wellness and community services information to its visitors.

The Loisaida Festival, along with the colorful and expressive Artist/ Community Parade that precedes and kicks-off the day-long event, have become the annual signature Loisaida, Inc. production that brings together all cultures to celebrate the inclusive spirit of the LES. Funds raised go directly to our non-profit for programming and community services that are based out of our new Loisaida Community Center on 9th Street and Avenue C, where we now enjoy a long-term lease [50 years] for our 10,000 square foot facility. Our corporate, public and individual supporters that contribute generously to the event appreciate that the Sunday, May 27th Festival is a true culmination of a year-long community curated program of workshops, residencies, intergenerational activities and partnerships that are the foundation of, and create the energy and impetus behind the Festival.

Your support guarantees innovative cultural and community development programs in media and technology, healthy living, as well as our culinary arts component in development of our upcoming teaching commercial kitchen, plus much more, it keeps our community thriving!

From contract to cleanup, the Loisaida team aims to meet sponsor expectations at every level providing an excellent opportunity to engage thousands of festival visitors on the day, and display branding Logo throughout social media, and beyond, for many preceding and subsequent months.

CHARAS IS ALIVE ON SPACESHIP EARTH

by . Posted on
12 Apr

CHARAS IS ALIVE ON SPACESHIP EARTH

A project by: Matthew Mottel in collaboration with Loisaida Inc., La Plaza Cultural de Armando Perez and DIAP (Digital Intermedia MFA program at City College)

Programming from May 5 through May 12, 2018 from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm 

Exhibition Open by Appointment from Wednesday, May 30th onward. Contact us to schedule a visit.

The history of dome building on the LES goes back to when CHARAS built domes in collaboration with Buckminster Fuller in 1972/73. Syeus Mottel documented this effort in his photo-journalism book CHARAS THE IMPROBABLE DOME BUILDERS , first published in 1974 and now re published in 2017 by Song Cave Press & Pioneer Works.

Through a collaborative project between Loisaida Inc., La Plaza Cultural de Armando Perez and DIAP (Digital Intermedia MFA program at City College), artist and researcher Matthew Mottel (Syeus Mottel’s son) will build 2 geodesic domes (one at La Plaza and the other at the Loisaida Inc. Center’ courtyard) as an interactive art installation. In interviewing Carlos “Chino” Garcia as part of his research, Matthew was told that the domes CHARAS built functioned as both recreational activity spaces and as experimental examples of how to build disaster relief housing in non urban areas. The same functions apply now. The dome at La Plaza Cultura, will be seen from the street, with high visibility. This will bring people to the other dome in the courtyard and exhibition happening at Loisaida Center, which will feature a more detailed documentation of the original events of 1972-73.

This work highlights the achievements of CHARAS and hopefully expands the pressure on the NYC mayoral office to follow through on their promise to re-acquire El Bohio for the Loisaida community.

The week of the exhibition opening, many public performances, talks and workshops will transpire in both the Loisaida Center dome, and at La Plaza Cultural. These events will be influenced by the type of programming that happened during the 20+ years of events and exhibitions of El Bohio before being pushed out of its iconic and historic location on 9th Street, formerly known as P.S. 64.

As a sneak preview of the thesis exhibition, you can see one of the geodesic domes installed at pioneer works, today!, april 8th during their second sunday’s program!

Resources:

The Improbable Dome Builders

Matthew’s essay on the book.

The video that will be screened during the exhibition opening; CHARAS IS ALIVE ON SPACESHIP EARTH –  Wednesday, May 9 at 6:00 pm

Schedule, Programming & Activities:

  • Saturday, May 5 at 6:00 pm – Archive exhibition of the 1972/73 CHARAS Geodesic Dome opens during Fiestas de Cruz at Loisaida Center.
  • Sunday, May 6 at 2:00 pm – Dome Building Workshop where participants will assist in the building of a 12′ geodesic dome. There will also be a special screening of archival footage from Bucky Fuller. 
  • Wednesday, May 9 at 6:00 pm – Geodesic Domes unveiled with exhibition at Loisaida Center and La Plaza Cultural with performance by poet Edwin Torres.
  • Thursday, May 10 at 12:00 pm – Exhibition hours at Loisaida Center.
  • Friday, May 11 at 6:00 pm – Exhibition hours at Loisaida Center + Oral history project of the Lower East Side  featuring interview with Chino Garcia by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, with documentary screening of Matthew Mottel’s video CHARAS IS ALIVE ON SPACESHIP EARTH at 6:00 pm.
  • Saturday, May 12 at 12:00 pm – Exhibition hours at Loisaida Center + performances in the afternoon thru evening at La plaza Cultural and Loisaida Center Courtyard.

Thank You for Supporting Latinx Innovation in the LES – El Semillero Benefit Recap

by . Posted on
03 Mar

On behalf of the Loisaida team, thank you for attending the El Semillero Benefit event on February 27th. More than 100 of you gathered with us in support of our forthcoming makerspace and hub for ideas and innovation. As one neighborhood––an entire community, we celebrated our distinguished honorees, admired the talented artists whose work graced our auction wall, and shared in the excitement of the opportunities blooming soon at our Semillero/Seedbed.

Your energy and belief in Loisaida’s mission and vision played a huge role in the success of this inaugural celebration. Some of our favorite moments were recognizing our former City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, with our current Councilwoman Carlina Rivera and the incredible Latina and LGBTQ leadership strong in the LES, joining the executive team at Acacia with the vibrant community of Loisaida’s cultural producers, and dancing the night away to the tropical beats of D’Marquesina.

Your support at the artist, seedling, and germinator levels brought in a jumpstart in sustainability for El Semillero. We are especially grateful for the presenting sponsorship from the Arthur J. Gallagher & Company. Every penny goes to keeping our doors open and our programs thriving. All of this generosity will provide stewardship to the media and technology center––audio-visual recording and broadcasting, silk screening, carpentry, CNC milling, and more––available to the community at large.

We look forward to building with you as we bring El Semillero to life for our community! We can’t wait for you to come to The Seedbed and take advantage of all the programs and resources it will offer so we can cultivate our future and our selves.

On behalf of the Loisaida team, we would like to thank Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. for their generous support towards the inaugural El Semillero benefit event.

El Semillero Benefit Event

by . Posted on
01 Jan

Tuesday, February 27th 2018 – 6:30 pm

Doors open at 6:00 pm – Loisaida Inc. 710 East 9th Street New York, NY 10009

El Semillero

El Semillero is what we call the new 2018 Media & Technology component at the Loisaida Inc. Center. It is an idea-activator, a makerspace for creative cross-training, prototyping, and multi-disciplinary collaboration. The community can make use of our low and high-tech equipment and facilities in addition to the roster of workshops we’re offering for personal and professional development.

Creativity and its profound effect on our own well-being and that of the world are bound together. Therefore, art, culture, fulfillment, and productivity are interdependent. We believe that neighborhoods should act as their own cultural developers and sustainable economic engines. El Semillero is a space for our youth and elders, mentors and mentees, artists and scholars, experts and beginners. We welcome students, young professionals, local entrepreneurs, parents, and grandparents. We’re building an accessible idea incubator where all Loisaida community members can come together to dream, collaborate, and create. El Semillero is for our future-makers.

Loisaida has survived these past 38 years because of the support of the community. In this, our first ever fundraising campaign, we’re asking you to invest in El Semillero, our programs, and projects that support the resilience of our Latinx community footprint and legacy.

Purchase tickets to event:


How many tickets?



Artist Level Perks

We are here for you! As an artist-level contributor, you can gain access to the fundraiser celebration, enjoy libations and eats from local vendors, and exercise your right to party to the sounds of D’Marquesina.



How many tickets?



Seedling Level Perks

Make us grow! Dig in at the seedling level and your contribution gives you all of the “Artist” level benefits, plus a signed limited edition print by artist Adrián “Viajero” Román.

adrian viajero roman



How many tickets?



Germinator Level Perks

You are truly making us blossom! At this level, recieve all of the “Artist” level benefits, plus the first six Germinators get a pair of tickets to their choice of either Shakespeare in the Park’s Othello, Twelfth Night, or The Public’s run of Quiara Alegría Hudes’ Miss You Like Hell. All other Germinators will receive an autographed print by photographer Máximo Rafael Colón.


Silent Auction Now Live!

auction banner

EVENT HONOREES:

* After completing the PayPal/Credit/Debit card transaction to purchase tickets above, depending on pledge level, further instructions and information will be provided. Please note that no tickets will be mailed. You will receive confirmation that your contribution has been received. If you have questions about making a credit card donation, please contact or email us. If you are interested in Sponsorship Opportunities at the Presenting level or for any other questions, please fill out contact form below:
Fields marked with a * are required.

Give any amount you want!

Soul of a City – Ryan John Lee

by . Posted on
18 Dec

Loisaida Inc. is proud to present Soul of a City
Exhibition ongoing from Friday, January 19 through March 19, 2018
By Appointment. To coordinate a visit email Program and Outreach Manager; Andrea Gordillo andrea@loisaida.org

Lee is a photographer/filmmaker based in New York City. He is a longtime resident of the Lower East Side.

The soul of a city is manifested through its inhabitants: the newspaper sellers, subway riders, pavement pounders, and window shoppers. These seemingly banal routines and daily chores are what feed a city’s energy and identity. Soul of a City represents a collection of these everyday moments I’ve been fortunate enough to capture. Some are humorous or touching, while others are heartbreaking. In these photographs, I’ve aimed to transform the ordinary into something more magical and highlight the calm within the chaos of the urban landscape.

La Lucha Continua The Struggle Continues: 1985 & 2017 (EXTENDED)

by . Posted on
03 Jun

La Lucha Continua The Struggle Continues: 1985 & 2017

“Top of the list at New York Times of must-see galleries in the Lower East Side!”

Overview:

In 1985, Eva Cockcroft, founder of Artmakers Inc., gathered together 34 “artists of conviction” to create 26 political murals on four vacant buildings overlooking the then neglected La Plaza Cultural community garden. Known as La Lucha Continua The Struggle Continues, the murals addressed six political issues: gentrification, police brutality, immigration, feminism, and opposition of U.S. intervention in Central America and apartheid in South Africa. Today, the garden is thriving, the issues remain of grave concern, and only two of the murals still exist, the paint cracked and faded.

Exhibition Details:

Opening Date:
Saturday, April 8, 2017

Now Extended through July 31st 2017

Viewing Hours:
Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Noon to 6:00 pm
and by appointment.

Organizer:
Artmakers Inc.
For more info and media queries: Jane Weissman, ArtmakersNYC@aol.com, (212) 989-3006

Host Venue:
Loisaida Inc. Center
(646) 726-4715

710 East 9th Street, Lower East Side
New York, NY 10009 United States
+ Google Map
 
Email: info@loisaida.org

Past Public Programming:

April 19, 6:30-8 PM. Panel: Loisaida: Then & Now. With Chino Garcia, Maria Dominguez, Noah Jemisin, Kristin Reed, Seth Tobocman. Libertad Guerra, moderator

April 26, 6:30-8 PM. Illustrated Talk: Protest & Celebration: Community Murals of the 1970s & 1980s in Loisaida and on the Historic Lower East Side. Jane Weissman, presenter

April 30. 1 PM Gallery Talk / 2 PM Garden Visit to La Plaza Cultural at 9th & C. (Gallery remains open to 5 PM)

*SECOND ILLUSTRATED TALK, BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND*

May 11, 7:00-8:30 PM. Illustrated Talk: Protest & Celebration: Community Murals of the 1970s & 1980s in Loisaida and on the Historic Lower East Side. Jane Weissman, presenter

*May 23, 6:30-8 PM. Illustrated Talk: La Lucha Continua The Struggle Continues: 1985 & 2017. Jane Weissman, presenter. City Lore Gallery (56 East 1st Street). Also co-sponsored by Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation & City Lore

*May 27, 2 PM Gallery Talk / 3 PM Garden Visit to La Plaza Cultural at East 9th Street & Avenue C Unless noted, all events take place at The Loisaida Center (710 East 9th Street, NYC) Part of the 2017 Loisaida Festival Weekend Programming.

All events are co-sponsored by Artmakers Inc. and The Loisaida Center

*In conjunction with Lower East Side History Month

Media Queries: Jane Weissman, ArtmakersNYC@aol.org, 212.989.3006

La Lucha Continua The Struggle Continues: 1985 & 2017

by . Posted on
22 Mar

La Lucha Continua The Struggle Continues: 1985 & 2017

“Top of the list at New York Times of must-see galleries in the Lower East Side!”

Overview:

In 1985, Eva Cockcroft, founder of Artmakers Inc., gathered together 34 “artists of conviction” to create 26 political murals on four vacant buildings overlooking the then neglected La Plaza Cultural community garden. Known as La Lucha Continua The Struggle Continues, the murals addressed six political issues: gentrification, police brutality, immigration, feminism, and opposition of U.S. intervention in Central America and apartheid in South Africa. Today, the garden is thriving, the issues remain of grave concern, and only two of the murals still exist, the paint cracked and faded.

Exhibition Details:

Opening Date:
Saturday, April 8, 2017
Time: 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Viewing Hours:
Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Noon to 6:00 pm
and by appointment.

Organizer:
Artmakers Inc.
For more info and media queries: Jane Weissman, ArtmakersNYC@aol.com, (212) 989-3006

Host Venue:
Loisaida Inc. Center
(646) 726-4715

710 East 9th Street, Lower East Side
New York, NY 10009 United States
+ Google Map
 
Email: info@loisaida.org

Public Programming and important dates:

April 19, 6:30-8 PM. Panel: Loisaida: Then & Now. With Chino Garcia, Maria Dominguez, Noah Jemisin, Kristin Reed, Seth Tobocman. Libertad Guerra, moderator

April 26, 6:30-8 PM. Illustrated Talk: Protest & Celebration: Community Murals of the 1970s & 1980s in Loisaida and on the Historic Lower East Side. Jane Weissman, presenter

April 30. 1 PM Gallery Talk / 2 PM Garden Visit to La Plaza Cultural at 9th & C. (Gallery remains open to 5 PM)

*SECOND ILLUSTRATED TALK, BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND*

May 11, 7:00-8:30 PM. Illustrated Talk: Protest & Celebration: Community Murals of the 1970s & 1980s in Loisaida and on the Historic Lower East Side. Jane Weissman, presenter

*May 23, 6:30-8 PM. Illustrated Talk: La Lucha Continua The Struggle Continues: 1985 & 2017. Jane Weissman, presenter. City Lore Gallery (56 East 1st Street). Also co-sponsored by Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation & City Lore

*May 27, 2 PM Gallery Talk / 3 PM Garden Visit to La Plaza Cultural at East 9th Street & Avenue C Unless noted, all events take place at The Loisaida Center (710 East 9th Street, NYC) Part of the 2017 Loisaida Festival Weekend Programming.

All events are co-sponsored by Artmakers Inc. and The Loisaida Center

*In conjunction with Lower East Side History Month

Media Queries: Jane Weissman, ArtmakersNYC@aol.org, 212.989.3006

Walled Worlds

by . Posted on
31 Jan

Loisaida Inc. and Atomic Culture are proud to present:

Walled Worlds: Border Publics, Cultural Activism and Urban Planning.

Panel: Thursday, February 9th at 6:00 pm.
Loisaida Inc. – 710 East 9th Street New York, NY 10009

Renowned scholars, artists, cultural activists and critics–Ricardo Dominguez, Teddy Cruz, Fonna Forman and Ed Morales–ccome together to discuss their distinct yet cross-cultural perspectives on the intersections of arts and culture, activism and policy, and forced migration and community building, utilizing examples of neighborhoods including the Lower East Side.

We will consider how might our cultural activism, advocacy, and participatory planning begin working to create stronger collaborative movements and build solidarity within and beyond our multiple communities?

In the face of political uncertainties, we will also consider what tactics and strategies work to strengthen cultural equity advocacy, to influence policy and to advance equity principles as part of what should be enshrined in NYC’s cultural plan. A report-back on the discussion will be included as a set of recommendations to the New York City Council’s 10 year Cultural Plan.

FREE

Please RSVP, limited capacity!

Ours to Lose: When Squatters Became Homeowners in New York City

by . Posted on
23 Jan

Loisaida Inc. and the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation are proud to present:

Ours to Lose: When Squatters Became Homeowners in New York City

The Lower East Side in the 1980s and 90s was home to a radical squattingmovement that
blended urban homesteading and European-style squatting in a way never before seen in the
United States.

Ours to Lose takes a close look at a diverse group of Lower East Side squatters who occupied abandoned city-owned buildings in the 1980s, fought to keep them for decades, and eventually began a long, complicated process to turn their illegal occupancy into legal cooperative ownership.

In this multimedia event Starecheski will use oral histories to explore the complicated
relationships between homesteading and squatting on the Lower East Side, and in American
history.

Amy Starecheski is co-director of the Oral History Master of Arts program at Columbia
University. She received a PhD in cultural anthropology from the CUNY Graduate Center, where
she was a Public Humanities Fellow. In 2016 she was awarded the “Will the Next Margaret
Mead Please Stand Up?” Prize for public anthropological writing.

Check out video of the talk below:

The Sustainable Artist Toolkit

by . Posted on
07 Dec

We are excited to host FABNYC’s next Sustainable Artist Toolkit workshop,

Artists with Radical Visions: Shifting, Challenging, Thriving!

Before we all break for the holidays, let’s refocus our energies towards realizing our self-determined liberated life. Engage in a strategic dialogue around needs and resources and learn to work together to define boundaries, affirm goals, and stand in our power.

Tuesday, December 13, 7-9pm right here at Loisaida Inc. Center!

RSVP: http://fabnyc.org/archive/artists-rad-visions/