Amigos Del Museo Del Barrio

TO PRESERVE, INTERPRET, AND PROMOTE THE ARTISTIC HERITAGE OF PUERTO RICANS AND ALL LATIN AMERICANS IN THE UNITED STATES BY MEANS OF EXHIBITIONS, PUBLIC PROGRAMS, PUBLICATIONS, AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES.

CURATORIAL AND EXHIBITIONS: CO-CURATED BY RODRIGO MOURA AND JULIETA GONZALEZRADICAL GESTURES ARE AT THE CORE OF RAPHAEL MONTAEZ ORTIZ' LIFE AND WORK. RADICAL GESTURES THAT PROPOSE DESTRUCTION IN ART AS AN ANTIDOTE TO THE HEGEMONIC NARRATIVE OF EUROCENTRISM, CAPITALISM, AND PROGRESS. RADICAL GESTURES THAT SEEK OUT THE HEALING POTENTIAL IN ART AND THE RETURN TO ANCESTRAL AND INDIGENOUS FORMS OF KNOWLEDGE.THIS EXHIBITION PRESENTS SIXTY-FIVE YEARS OF THE ARTIST'S TRAJECTORY, INCLUDING HIS RADICAL GESTURE OF FOUNDING EL MUSEO DEL BARRIO IN 1969, THE INSTITUTION THAT NOW PRESENTS THIS EXHIBITION, HIS FIRST MAJOR PRESENTATION HERE SINCE 1988. BORN IN BROOKLYN, THE ARTIST'S FORMATIVE YEARS WORKING IN NEW YORK AND HIS ACTIVISM FOR THE PUERTO RICAN COMMUNITY OFFER A STARTING POINT FOR THE EXHIBITION'S NARRATIVE, PRECEDING HIS EVENTUAL RELOCATION TO NEW JERSEY WHERE HE EXPANDED HIS PHILOSOPHICAL THINKING, BECAME A MENTORING PROFESSOR TO NEW GENERATIONS, AND CONTINUED TO EXPERIMENT WITH NEW MEDIA.IN HIS PHD THESIS DEFENDED IN 1982, MONTAEZ ORTIZ ELABORATED ON THE NOTION OF "AUTHENTICATING ART" AS THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR HIS PRODUCTION. THIS SINGULAR CONCEPT TAKES ON A RANGE OF INTERCONNECTED MEANINGS IN HIS PRACTICE AND INCLUDES THE HEALING POTENTIAL OF IMAGINATION, THE COMMUNION BETWEEN PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES, AND A MULTIETHNIC APPROACH THAT IN THE ARTIST'S PARTICULAR CASE DEALS WITH HIS PERSONAL HISTORY AND DIVERSE BACKGROUND. TAKING THE CUE FROM ANTHROPOLOGIST EDWARD SAPIR'S 1924 ESSAY CULTURE, GENUINE AND SPURIOUS, MONTAEZ ORTIZ USES THE TERM "AUTHENTICATING" AS ONE THAT IS CHARACTERISTIC OF ANCESTRAL CULTURES, WHEREAS THE "SPURIOUS" RESIDES IN THE ALIENATION BROUGHT ABOUT BY MODERN INDUSTRIALIZATION AND CONSUMER CULTURE. IN THIS SENSE, HIS THINKING AND ARTISTIC PRACTICE CAN BE READ AS A DIALECTIC BETWEEN THE AUTHENTICATING AND THE SPURIOUS, WHICH IN TURN ORGANIZES THE THEMATIC SECTIONS IN THE EXHIBITION AND INFORMS THE CONTEXTUAL RELATIONS BETWEEN ORTIZ AND HIS PEERS, WORKING NOT ONLY IN NEW YORK, BUT IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD. TODAY, WE WITNESS A POST-CARTESIAN TURN IN FIELDS SUCH AS ART, PHILOSOPHY, AND ANTHROPOLOGY. THIS NEW MOMENT ENCOURAGES US TO REEMBRACE MAGICAL THINKING, ANIMISM, AND A SYMBIOTIC RELATION TO NATURE IN ORDER TO COUNTERACT THE POTENTIALLY LETHAL EFFECTS OF UNFETTERED "PROGRESS," ITS CONCOMITANT DESTRUCTION OF OUR ENVIRONMENT, AND THE CONVIVIAL RELATION BETWEEN HUMANS AND OTHER SPECIES. IN THIS CONTEXT, A REVISION OF RAPHAEL MONTAEZ ORTIZ' WORK IS MORE RELEVANT AND NECESSARY THAN EVER.RAPHAEL MONTANEZ ORTIZ: A CONTEXTUAL RETROSPECTIVE IS PRESENTED BY [PRESENTADA POR] LEADERSHIP SUPPORT IS PROVIDED BY TONY BECHARA. MAJOR SUPPORT IS PROVIDED BY THE TERRA FOUNDATION, ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION, AND ROCKEFELLER BROTHERS FUND. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IS PROVIDED BY THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS (DCLA). DOMESTICANXOCTOBER 27, 2022 MARCH 26, 2023CURATED BY SUSANNA V. TEMKINDOMESTICANX BRINGS TOGETHER SEVEN LATINX ARTISTS WHOSE PRACTICES ADDRESS HOME, DECORATION, SPIRITUALITY, AND HEALING. THE SHOW IS INSPIRED BY DOMESTICANA, AN IDEA FIRST CONCEPTUALIZED BY ARTIST, SCHOLAR, AND CRITIC AMALIA MESA-BAINS. ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN A 1995 ESSAY THAT IS TODAY CONSIDERED AN ESSENTIAL TEXT IN CHICANO/A/X AND LATINO/A/X ART HISTORY, DOMESTICANA OFFERED A RESPONSE TO THE MALE-DOMINATED RASQUACHISMO, AN EARLIER TERM COINED BY SCHOLAR TOMS YBARRA-FRAUSTO. PROPOSED FROM A FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE, DOMESTICANA SHIFTS THE DEFIANT AND MAKE-DO INVENTIVENESS THAT CHARACTERIZES RASQUACHE VERNACULAR SENSIBILITY TO THE SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE OF WORKING-CLASS WOMEN. DRAWING FROM MESA-BAINS'S OWN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT "TERMINOLOGIES MUST REMAIN POROUS, SENSIBILITIES NEVER COMPLETELY NAMED, AND CATEGORIES SHATTERED," DOMESTICANX EXPANDS THE ARTIST'S INITIAL THEORY THROUGH THE LENS OF QUEERNESS AND INTERSECTIONALITY.ENCOMPASSING PAINTING, TEXTILE, CERAMICS, PHOTOGRAPHY, AND INSTALLATION, THE EXHIBITION FEATURES A RANGE OF MEDIA BY ARTISTS WHOSE DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS EXTEND THE ORIGINAL CHICANA EMPHASIS OF DOMESTICANA. IN ADDITION TO MESA-BAINS, NITZA TUFIO AND MARIA BRITO, FELLOW VETERANA ARTISTS FROM THE SAME GENERATION, ARE REPRESENTED BY BOTH HISTORICAL AND RECENT PIECES. THEIR WORK IS DISPLAYED ALONGSIDE NEWLY CREATED ART BY AMARISE CARRERAS, CIELO FLIX-HERNNDEZ, JOEL GAITAN, AND MISLA, ALL MAKING THEIR MUSEUM DEBUT. EXPLORING SUCH SUBJECTS AS THE ALTAR, FAMILY, SELF-FASHIONING, AND THE DOMESTIC SPHERE, THE EXHIBITION IS ORGANIZED IN IMMERSIVE DISPLAYS DEVELOPED IN CONVERSATION WITH THE ARTISTS. TOGETHER, THESE PRESENTATIONS OFFER A CROSS-GENERATIONAL DIALOGUE THAT REFLECTS THE EMANCIPATORY AIMS OF MESA-BAINS'S EXHORTATION FOR DOMESTICANA AS EXPRESSION TO "UNDO THE WOUNDS OF PATRIARCHY AND COLONIZATION."DOMESTICANX IS SUPPORTED BY THE ROCKEFELLER BROTHERS FUND, WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDING PROVIDED BY THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL.JUAN FRANCISCO ELSO: POR AMRICAOCTOBER 27, 2022 MARCH 26, 2023CURATED BY GUEST CURATOR OLGA VISO IN COLLABORATION WITH SUSANNA V. TEMKINJUAN FRANCISCO ELSO (B. 1956-1988, HAVANA) EMERGED AS AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ARTIST IN CUBA AND MEXICO DURING THE 1980S. USING NATURAL, EARTHEN MATERIALS, HIS SCULPTURAL PRACTICE EXAMINES THE COMPLEX FORMATIONS OF CONTEMPORARY CUBAN, CARIBBEAN, AND LATIN AMERICAN IDENTITIES. IN ELSO'S CONCEPTION, THESE PRISMATIC SUBJECTIVITIES ARE GROUNDED IN RICH, INDIGENOUS HISTORIES THAT HAVE BEEN MATERIALLY SHAPED BY CENTURIES OF COLONIAL OPPRESSION AND THE TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE. AS REFLECTED IN HIS WORKS THAT CONTEST AND RECONCEIVE INHERITED NARRATIVES AND MYTHOLOGICAL TRADITIONS, ELSO'S AMRICA IS A TRANSNATIONAL AND TRANSHEMISPHERIC CULTURAL IMAGINARY THAT REMAINS UNFINISHED AND IS STILL EVOLVING. BASED IN HAVANA, ELSO WAS PART OF THE FIRST GENERATION BORN AND EDUCATED IN POST-REVOLUTIONARY CUBA. HE BRIEFLY LIVED IN MEXICO CITY IN THE YEARS LEADING UP TO HIS UNTIMELY DEATH FROM CANCER AT AGE 32. YET, THE ARTIST'S MODEST ARTISTIC OUTPUTSOME THIRTY EXTANT SCULPTURES AND WORKS ON PAPER PRODUCED BETWEEN 1978 AND 1988HAS CONTINUED TO HAVE A GLOBAL RESONANCE. HIS BEST-KNOWN SCULPTURE, POR AMRICA [FOR AMERICA] (1986), IS CONSIDERED AN ICON OF LATE 20TH CENTURY LATIN AMERICAN ART, AND AN IMPORTANT PRECURSOR TO TODAY'S POST- AND DECOLONIAL PERSPECTIVES IN CONTEMPORARY ART.DESPITE ELSO'S INFLUENCE HIS ARTISTIC PRODUCTION HAS HAD VERY LITTLE EXPOSURE IN THE US SINCE THE EARLY 1990S. THE EPHEMERAL NATURE OF HIS PRACTICE, COUPLED WITH THE COMPLEXITIES OF USCUBAN POLITICAL RELATIONS, HAS MADE THE LOAN AND DISPLAY OF HIS WORK A CHALLENGE. DESPITE SUCH LIMITATIONS, THIS EXHIBITION BRINGS TOGETHER NEARLY ALL OF ELSO'S MATURE OEUVRE FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE HIS SOLO EXHIBITION IN HAVANA IN 1982, INCLUDING NEWLY DISCOVERED DRAWINGS AND WORKS PREVIOUSLY BELIEVED LOST. PRESENTED THROUGH A CONTEXTUAL RATHER THAN MONOGRAPHIC APPROACH, ELSO'S PRESCIENT WORK IS POSITIONED AT THE CENTER OF A MULTIGENERATIONAL DIALOGUE OF ARTISTS ACTIVE IN THE CARIBBEAN, AND THROUGHOUT NORTH, SOUTH, AND CENTRAL AMERICA. ORGANIZED INTO SEVERAL, INTERRELATED THEMATIC SECTIONS FEATURING 45 WORK BY MORE THAN 30 ARTISTS, THE PRESENTATION OFFERS VITAL CROSSCURRENTS BETWEEN ELSO'S ART AND THE CREATIVE OUTPUT OF BOTH CLOSE COLLEAGUES AND OTHERS WHO, DESPITE HAVING NOT KNOWN HIM, DEMONSTRATE PARALLEL AFFINITIES. TOGETHER, ELSO AND THESE POLYPHONIC VOICES REFLECT A REORIENTATION OF WESTERN HEGEMONIES AND OPEN NEW POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES ROOTED IN THE AMERICAS AN AMBITION WHICH ECHOES EL MUSEO DEL BARRIO'S OWN FOUNDATIONAL ETHOS AND CONTINUED COMMITMENTS. JUAN FRANCISCO ELSO: POR AMRICA IS ACCOMPANIED BY A BILINGUAL PUBLICATION, CO-PUBLISHED BY EL MUSEO DEL BARRIO AND [NAME] PUBLICATIONS.THE EXHIBITION IS MADE POSSIBLE THANKS TO MAJOR SUPPORT FROM THE ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTS. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IS PROVIDED BY TONY BECHARA; CELSO GONZALEZ-FALLA; CRAIG ROBINS; STEVEN AND JUDY SHANK, AND JOHN THOMSON. COMMISSIONS ARE MADE POSSIBLE BY VIA ART FUND AND THE ELIZABETH FIRESTONE GRAHAM FOUNDATION. SUPPORTED IN PART WITH PUBLIC FUNDS FROM THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL.METHUSELAHREYNIER LEYVA NOVO'S METHUSELAH IS A DIGITAL ARTWORK THAT VIRTUALLY REPRODUCES THE OVER 6,000 MILE TRANSNATIONAL MIGRATORY JOURNEY OF A SINGLE MONARCH BUTTERFLY. THE PROJECT FOLLOWS A BUTTERFLY AVATAR AS IT TRAVELS FROM SOUTHERN CANADA, ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, AND INTO MEXICO, AND BACK, AS PART OF THE ANNUAL REPRODUCTIVE CYCLE OF THE SPECIES. THIS EPIC JOURNEY IS HOSTED AND REPRODUCED IN REAL TIME ON A DEDICATED WEBSITE, MOBILE APP, AND A MIXED-REALITY INSTALLATION ON VIEW IN EL MUSEO DEL BARRIO'S ROOM 110.

MUSEUM/THEATRE OPERATIONS: MUSEUM OPERATIONS: EL MUSEO IS OPEN THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY FROM 11 AM TO 5 PM. IN ADDITION TO EXCITING EXHIBITIONS, EDUCATIONAL AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS, IT OFFERS VISITOR AMENTITIES SUCH COAT CHECK AND MUSEUM SHOP. GUEST ARE ENCOURAGED TO RESERVE A TIME TICKET IN ADVANCE AND WALK-INS ARE ALLOWED AS SPACE PERMITS. VACCINE CHECKS WERE REQUIRED MOST OF FY22. MASK WEARING WAS REQUIRED ALL OF FY22.THEATRE - THE HISTORIC AND BEAUTIFUL TEATRO IS THE ONLY THEATER OF ITS KIND IN THE UPPER EAST SIDE OF MANHATTAN. CONSISTING OF A PROSCENIUM ARCH STAGE WITH AN ORCHESTRA PIT AND SEATING FOR 572 GUESTS, IT HAS BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED AS A LANDMARK QUALITY INTERIOR VENUE FOR ITS REMARKABLE SERIES OF 30-FOOT MURALS AND STAINED-GLASS ROUNDELS. EL TEATRO IS IDEAL FOR AWARD SHOWS, LECTURES, CONCERTS, OPERAS, MEDIA EVENTS, FILM/PHOTO SHOOTS, GRADUATIONS, CONFERENCES AND MORE. RIVERSIDE SYMPHONY FEATURED A CONCERT AT EL TEATRO WITH LEAH BRZYSKI, SORPRANO, ZACH FINKELSTEIN, TENOR AND DIETER HENNINGS, GUITAR ON MARCH 6, 2022 THAT BROUGHT IN 241 PEOPLE. BLUE HILL TROUPE, LTD, PRESENTED GILBERT & SULLIVAN'S "THE SORCERER" FROM APRIL 27, 2022 TO APRIL 30, 2022 THAT BROUGHT IN 1,186 PEOPLE. OPERA LAFAYETTE'S INAUGURAL NEW YORK FESTIVAL CELEBRATES THE ERA OF MARIE ANTOINETTE, REDISCOVERED FROM JUNE 7-9, 2022, A THREE-DAY EVENT FEATURING BAROQUE MUSIC PERFORMED BY INTERNATIONAL MUSICIANS THAT BROUGHT IN 439 PEOPLE. MANHATTAN EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY CENTER (MEOC) HAS THEIR GRADUATION ON JUNE 16, 2022 THAT BROUGHT IN 268 PEOPLE. HYDE LEADERSHIP CHARTER SCHOOL-BRONX CELEBRATED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION ON JUNE 2, 2022 THAT BROUGHT IN 305 PEOPLE.

COMMUNICATIONS:THE MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT IS CENTRAL TO THE MUSEUM'S ABILITY TO PROMOTE ITS EXHIBITIONS AND PROGRAMS TO OUR COMMUNITY OF NEIGHBORS, ARTISTS, VISITORS, AND SUPPORTERS. ALL MEDIA RELATIONS, ADVERTISING, WEB AND SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS, AS WELL AS PRINT MARKETING AND BRAND DEVELOPMENT IS CONDUCTED BY THE DEPARTMENT. IN ADDITION, THE DEPARTMENT IS ALSO THE FIRST POINT OF CONTACT FOR ANY PRESS RELATED MATTERS PERTAINING TO EL MUSEO. IN FY22, THE DEPARTMENT PUBLICIZED ALL EL MUSEO DEL BARRIO'S EDUCATION AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS FOUR EXHIBITIONS: ESTAMOS BIEN - LA TRIENAL 20/21; EN FOCO: THE NEW YORK PUERTO RICAN EXPERIENCE, 1973-1974; POPULAR PAINTERS & OTHER VISIONARIES; AND RAPHAEL MONTAEZ ORTIZ: A CONTEXTUAL RETROSPECTIVE. THE DEPARTMENT MANAGED ALL MEDIA INQUIRIES AND REPRESENTED THE MUSEUM IN INTERVIEWS AND INFORMATION REQUESTS. IN ADDITION, THE DEPARTMENT MAINTAINED AN ACTIVE PRESENCE THROUGH EL MUSEO'S WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS.