EL PUNTO Art Studio 2012 PUNTO DE CONTACTO
POINT OF CONTACT
EL PUNTO THE ARTISTS
EL SHOW
MAY 5 - AUGUST 15, 2012
LOS ARTISTAS Javier Alfonso Rasheed Anderson Lyon Beltrán Jaden Buckingham Shaday Burgos Laura Cain Reinaldo Colón Khanimambo Cossa Mara Criollo Sebastián Escribano Sol Escribano Carlos Figueroa Rosado Luis Figueroa Rosado Sheila Fonts Caeleb Fox-Lee Pedro González Gabriela Herrera Izidora Herrera Chantal Jaquez Justyn Mathis Myles Mathis Allia Mitchell Shane Pfohl Bernie Pizarro Saray Quevedo Estiven Quevedo John Rojas Paola Rojas George Rolón Rosado Nicole Rolón Rosado Kimberly Seipio Briana Serrano Mireya Torres
EL PUNTO Art Studio We become skilled at the art of seeing through a photographic lens, through writing, reading, drawing… and we embark in a route of discovery. As we begin to explore everyday things all around us in new ways, we also recognize a new world inside us. We find new connections between the two, and between each other as we share an artistic process. We discover those worlds are anything but ordinary.
Adquirimos destreza en el arte de ver a través del lente fotográfico, la escritura, la lectura, el dibujo… y emprendemos un viaje de descubrimiento. Según exploramos las cosas de todos los días que nos rodean, también reconocemos todo un mundo en nuestro interior. Encontramos nuevas conexiones entre ambos mundos, y entre nosotros, al compartir un proceso artístico. Descubrimos que esos mundos son cualquier cosa menos ordinarios.
Photojournalist Marilú López Fretts led the Art Photography seminar. She was involved from the selection of digital cameras for the kids to work with, to the curatorial work of the exhibition at The Point of Contact Gallery. Marilú began by instructing the group on the use of equipment, on the basic rules of composition and what to look for. She presented models of contemporary photography for inspiration, and soon our team began to explore unexpected angles, shadows, contrast, reflections…. The assignment was to look for the commonplace, and see how extraordinary an object can become when we find new ways to look at it; how abstractions of an object can express something other than the obvious. A new curiosity has awakened, one that may last a lifetime.
La fotoperiodista Marilú López Fretts dirigió el taller de Arte Fotográfico desde la selección de cámaras digitales para los jóvenes trabajar, hasta el trabajo curatorial para la exhibición en la galería Point of Contact. Marilú empezó por instruir al grupo sobre el uso del equipo, las reglas básicas de composición y qué buscar en sus imágenes. Se presentaron modelos de fotografía contemporánea para inspiración, y acto seguido nuestro equipo comenzó a explorar insospechados ángulos, sombras, contrastes, reflexión… El proyecto requería buscar el lugar común, y ver cuán extraordinario puede volverse el objeto cuando encontramos nuevas maneras de verlo; como la abstracción de un objeto puede expresar algo no tan obvio. Una nueva curiosidad se despierta, que bien pudiera ser para toda la vida.
This year’s photography seminar included a visit with photojournalist Efrén López, who guided the group through a tour of his exhibit at La Casita Cultural Center gallery. His show titled The Photographer as a Child, comprised a collection of images from his native Guatemala. José Miguel Hernández raised the Performance Art seminar to a whole new level in 2012. This year, the group was able to actively participate in stage production and acting workshops in collaboration with the Michael Harms Theater Festival and La Joven Guardia del Teatro Latino. Every Saturday workshop began with exercises in body movement, breathing techniques, relaxation workouts and a guided meditation. There was ample space for role-playing, literary readings, adaptation of the readings into play, and informal performances. The high point was a trip of the whole group to the Michael Harms Fest in Auburn, where our kids had a chance to experience theater in the making, followed by a performance on stage before an audience. They were able to partake in professional workshops on acting, stage design, special effects make-up, lighting, improvisation, even stage fighting! Our young members of La Joven Guardia, won the Excellence Award for Best Community Theater in 2012, among other distinctions. La Joven Guardia del Teatro Latino is a youth theater program of the Spanish Action League of Upstate NY. EL PUNTO was honored to also welcome guest artist Urayoán Noel, who made a brilliant contribution to this year’s Language Arts workshop during a one-day seminar. A poet, scholar and performer, Urayoán Noel presented a colloquium on contemporary poetry. He performed selected works from his own repertoire, and then engaged in an exercise where everyone wrote about everyday routines. The moment we see the ordinary in a new poetic light, we may learn to immensely appreciate our day-to-day realities. We are profoundly grateful for the opportunity to offer this program to our community. We hope you join us for a new edition of EL PUNTO Art Studio in 2013! Tere Paniagua
El taller de fotografía tuvo además una visita con el fotoperiodista Efrén López en la galería del Centro Cultural La Casita, donde se exhibía una colección de su obra. La muestra titulada El fotógrafo como niño presentaba fotos de su pueblo natal en Guatemala. José Miguel Hernández elevó el Taller Teatral a otro nivel en 2012. Este año, el grupo participó activamente en talleres de producción escénica y actuación en colaboración con el Festival de Teatro Michael Harms y con La Joven Guardia del Teatro Latino. Todos los talleres comenzaban cada sábado con ejercicios de movimiento corporal, técnicas de respiración, relajación y una meditación guiada. Hubo amplio espacio para ejercicios de representación, lectura literaria y adaptación de las lecturas para la puesta en escena. El punto culminante del taller teatral fue cuando todo el grupo asistió al Festival Michael Harms en Auburn, donde tuvimos una experiencia directa de lo que es el proceso de la producción teatral, seguida por la obra en escena frente a un público. Todos participamos en talleres profesionales de actuación, escenografía, maquillaje para efectos especiales, improvisación y hasta combate escénico. Nuestros jóvenes actores bajo la dirección de José Miguel Hernández, muchos de ellos miembros de La Joven Guardia, ganaron el Premio de Excelencia por Mejor Teatro Comunitario de 2012, entre otras distinciones. La Joven Guardia del Teatro Latino es un programa de la Liga de Acción Hispana de Upstate NY. EL PUNTO tuvo además el honor de recibir al artista Urayoán Noel, quien hizo una brillante aportación al taller de Artes del Lenguaje durante un seminario de un día. Urayoán Noel presentó un coloquio sobre poesía contemporánea donde leyó varias piezas de su repertorio. Luego dirigió un ejercicio de escritura en el que todos reflexionamos sobre el hogar y cosas de la rutina diaria. Una vez fijamos nuestra mirada en las cosas de todos los días a la luz poética, aprendemos a apreciar inmensamente nuestra realidad cotidiana. Nos sentimos profundamente agradecidos por la oportunidad de ofrecerle este programa a nuestra comunidad y exhortamos a que se unan a nosotros… ¡en el 2013! Tere Paniagua
photography art
Once you begin to observe things eliminating the labels that brand them, you begin to re-discover the world that surrounds you. You see the beauty of form, the colors, the textures, and you realize what these things can express. With this thought I came to El Punto Art Studio, to share with the kids the art of seeing through photography, to capture such a re-discovery. Through this experience, a group of young artists stretched out a vision of the world around them, their communities…and I was able to see the positive effect that expressing their creativity has on their self-esteem.
Una vez comienzas a observar eliminando las etiquetas que nombran a los objetos, comienzas a re-descubrir el mundo que te rodea. Miras la belleza de las formas, los colores, las texturas, y te das cuenta de lo que eso puede expresar. Con este pensamiento llegue al taller El Punto a compartir con los niños el arte de ver usando la fotografía para plasmar ese re-descubrir. A través de esta experiencia, este grupo de jóvenes artistas amplió una visión del mundo que les rodea, sus comunidades… y pude ver el efecto positivo que tiene la expresión de su creatividad sobre su autoestima.
Marilú López Fretts
EL PUNTO Art Studio kids were instructed in the use of digital equipment by art photographer Maril煤 L贸pez Fretts.
KHANIMAMBO COSSA
PEDRO GONZÁLEZ
CHANTAL JAQUEZ
GABRIELA HERRERA
ESTIVEN QUEVEDO
NICOLE ROLÓN ROSADO
BRIANA SERRANO
GEORGE ROLÓN ROSADO
CARLOS FIGUEROA ROSADO
KIMBERLY SEIPIO
RASHEED ANDERSON
LAURA CAIN
BERNIE PIZARRO
JAVIER ALFONSO
IZIDORA HERRERA
SHADAY BURGOS
MARA CRIOLLO
SARAY QUEVEDO
CAELEB FOX-LEE
LYON BELTRÁN
MYLES MATHIS
PAOLA ROJAS
SEBASTIÁN ESCRIBANO
SOL ESCRIBANO
JOHN ROJAS
ALLIA MITCHELL
MIREYA TORRES
REINALDO COLÓN
JUSTYN MATHIS
language art
At home... I don’t live in a house. I live in an apartment. Sometimes dark, but nice. Outside it’s cold. Inside, it’s cozy. I can see my neighbors play in the front yard. When I hear a fire truck, I look outside with binoculars. Usually it’s not our building. Thank God. Once I saw two bluejays. I spy on the people next door. I have a swimming pool up the hill, and a playground too, and a forest to discover things. It is not scary except one night, when a fox jumped out at my friend. There are six houses across the street. My favorite is the blue house with blue bells and the lilies, pink and orange.
During the language arts workshop with poet Urayoán Noel, participants reflected on identity, and the beauty of their everyday realities. Above, Khanimambo Cossa reads her reflection for the group at La Casita Cultural Center.
En casa... Yo no vivo en una casa. Vivo en un apartamento. A veces es oscuro, pero lindo. Afuera hace frío. Adentro está rico. Puedo ver a mis vecinos jugando en el patio de enfrente. Cuando oigo a los bomberos, me asomo afuera con binoculares. Por lo regular no es mi edificio. Gracias a Dios. Una vez ví dos bluejays. Espío a la gente de al lado. Tengo una piscina arriba de la cuesta, y un patio para jugar, y un bosque para descubrir cosas. No me da miedo, excepto una noche, cuando una zorra le saltó a mi amiga. Hay seis casas en frente. Mi favorita es la casa azul con las campanas azules y los lirios, rosados y anaranjados. Khanimambo Cossa
Poetic Reflection Award 2012 EL PUNTO Art Studio
performance art
Look around you; observe closely for an instant, all that happens. Before our very eyes people walk in a hurry, right now, children play in the sun, at a beach, as perhaps a friend is off to work. While a ballerina leaps up high across a stage, a singer rehearses at home for a concert and from his balcony causes those who walk by to shiver… everything happens before our eyes. It is life that filters through every place, without us looking. We awaken our senses to see that we too have a story parallel to others, that we are marvelously and simply alive, and that we have infinite things to say through acting, through poetry, things to see through a lens and capture in a photo. Once more, this is the invaluable experience of El Punto Art Studio. A gift from our young artists to the community. With sincere love…
Mira a tu alrededor; observa detenidamente, por un instante, cuanto sucede. Ante nosotros, gente camina de prisa, ahora mismo, unos niños juegan bajo el sol, en una playa, y quizás un amigo sale presuroso hacia el trabajo. Mientras una bailarina da un salto inmenso en un escenario, un cantante se prepara para dar un concierto y desde su balcón estremece al transeúnte de la calle... todo pasa frente a ti. Es la vida que se cuela por todos sitios, sin apenas darnos cuenta. Abrimos nuestros sentidos para ver que también nosotros tenemos una historia paralela a la de los demás, que estamos maravillosamente y sencillamente vivos y que tenemos infinitas cosas que decir a través de la actuación, la poesía, cosas que ver a través del lente y capturar en una foto. Una vez más es esa la experiencia invaluable del Taller El Punto. Un regalo de nuestros jóvenes artistas a toda la comunidad. Con cariño sincero… José Miguel Hernández Director La Joven Guardia del Teatro Latino Spanish Action League of Upstate New York
EL PUNTO Art Studio participated with José Miguel Hernández and La Joven Guardia del Teatro Latino at the Michael Harms Theater Festival in Auburn, NY. Photos by Marilú López Fretts.
Scenes from El camarón encantado, a French tale of magic by Laboulay, adapted by José Martí; directed by José Miguel Hernández.
Photos by Maril煤 L贸pez Fretts.
EL PUNTO Studio Artists JOSÉ MIGUEL HERNÁNDEZ
EFRÉN LÓPEZ
Cuban born, Syracuse NY-based actor, he is Director of the award winning youth theater troupe, La Joven Guardia del Teatro Latino, a program of the Spanish Action League of Upstate New York. Among numerous distinctions through his career, he was honored in 2011 by the Cultural Resources Council and NYSCA for his performance as a solo artist in his own monologue piece From Cuba to ‘Cuse. A local radio personality, he is also announcer and co-producer of Sabor Latino, a weekly program produced by the Spanish Action League, broadcast through Clear Channel Radio in Spanish to entertain and educate the Hispanic communities of Central New York. He was formally trained in stage acting at the Studio Theater Group, CELCIT, and in the Theatrical Arts National Union of Cuban Artists and Writers, in Havana. Under his artistic direction, La Joven Guardia received the 2012 Award of Excellence for Best Community Theater at the Michael Harms Theater Festival in Auburn, NY, a program in which his group participates every year and where they have won numerous awards in the last 10 years.
Born in Guatemala, based in Arizona, Efrén López was a student in the Military Photojournalism Program in Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications, in the spring of 2012. He is presently an aerial photographer for the U.S. Air Force and the first reservist selected to attend Newhouse’s Military Photojournalism Program. During his year in Syracuse, López presented an exhibition at La Casita Cultural Center titled The Photographer as a Child: Memories of Guatemala. The exhibit featured images captured on his return trip to Guatemala in 2009, when he visited for the first time in years, his little hometown of Petaca. Lopez has documented military theaters around the globe asn well as in Arizona and Guatemala. His work has been featured in various publications, including the book Arizona 24/7, and has been awarded distinctions, including first place in the Professional Photography category at the 2008 Arizona State Fair; an honorable mention in the pictorial category in the 2009 Military Photographer of the Year competition; and first place in the 2011 Multimedia Team 19th Annual Department of Defense Worldwide Military Photography Workshop.
MARILÚ LÓPEZ FRETTS
URAYOÁN NOEL
A native of Canóvanas, Puerto Rico, Marilú López Fretts is a photojournalist based in Central New York. Her work appears regularly in media outlets including Associated Press (AP), Gannett News, CNY Latino, Indian Country Today, Native Peoples magazine, the Smithsonian’s New Museum of the American Indian, the Syracuse Post-Standard, Utica Daily News, and the Utica Observer Dispatch. Her work with Oneida Nation has led her to document events of the Native Nations across the U.S. She has also worked extensively in the advertising industry (Saatchi & Saatchi and BBDO, among others). She has shown her work in various collective exhibitions in San Juan, and has facilitated photography workshops offered to young apprentices from the Syracuse Hispanic community. Marilú earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Communications from the University of Puerto Rico, and a Master’s Degree in Photography from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
A New York-based poet, performer, scholar, and translator who is currently Assistant Professor of English at SUNY Albany, his works include the books of poetry Hi-Density Politics (BlazeVOX, 2010), Boringkén (Ediciones Callejón/La Tertulia, 2008), and Kool Logic/La lógica kool (Bilingual Press, 2005), the performance DVD Kool Logic Sessions (Bilingual Press, 2005), and, as translator, the chapbook ILUSOS by Edwin Torres (Atarraya Cartonera, 2010). He is currently a Bronx Council on the Arts fellow in poetry as well as a Ford Foundation postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, where he is completing a book-length study of Nuyorican poetry and its performance from the 1960s to the present.
EL PUNTO is a program for young artists from our Syracuse community, designed by Point of Contact with these fundamental goals: To reach out to our youth through a contemporary arts program that is fitting with the artistic vision, concept and process of every Point of Contact project, that is essentially a visual and verbal exploration in diversity, perhaps divergence, what we often refer to as otherness. To introduce youths to contemporary international models of visual and verbal arts, mainly work by artists and writers of the Hispanic world. To open the Point of Contact Gallery space for a multicultural collective of young Syracuse artists and produce an art exhibit, a publication, and a stage production. To achieve all this in partnership with vital community centers within our city, namely the Spanish Action League and La Casita Cultural Center; and with the active participation and integration of students and faculty from Syracuse University in 8 weekly seminars leading up to the presentation of the work to the public.
EL PUNTO es un programa para jóvenes artistas de nuestra comunidad de Syracuse, diseñado por Punto de Contacto con unas metas fundamentales: Llegar a nuestra juventud mediante un programa de arte contemporáneo a tono con la visión, el concepto y el proceso artístico de todo proyecto realizado por Punto de Contacto, que es esencialmente una exploración visual y verbal de la diversidad, incluso la divergencia, lo otro, eso que llamamos otredad. View of the photography exhibition EL PUNTO: EL SHOW, at The Point of Contact Gallery.
Introducir nuestra juventud a modelos contemporáneos de arte visual y verbal de todo el mundo, principalmente obras de artistas y escritores latinoamericanos. Abrir el espacio de la galería a un colectivo multicultural de jóvenes artistas de Syracuse y producir una exhibición de arte, una publicación y una pieza teatral. Lograr esto en colaboración con centros comunitarios vitales de nuestra ciudad, específicamente la Liga de Acción Hispana y el Centro Cultural La Casita, y con la participación e integración de estudiantes y profesores de Syracuse University en 8 talleres semanales que culminarían en la presentación del trabajo frente al público.
T H E P O I N T O F C O N TA C T G A L L E RY 914 E Genesee St. Syracuse, NY 13210 Tel. 315.443.2169 www.puntopoint.org PEDRO CUPERMAN, Director & Curator TERE PANIAGUA, Managing Director Production Assistant CAROLINE EARLY EL PUNTO STUDIO ARTISTS Art Photography MARILÚ LÓPEZ FRETTS WITH GUEST EFRÉN LÓPEZ Performance Arts JOSÉ MIGUEL HERNÁNDEZ Language Arts URAYOÁN NOEL JOSÉ MIGUEL HERNÁNDEZ Studio Staff YANETSY MERINO DE GARAY Assisting Staff ROLANDO ALVARADO JONATHAN AGUILERA Exhibit Installation EDWARD REYNOLDS Graphic Design NADIA HAKIM Documentation Project by Syracuse University Students MARGGELLIN ESTEVEZ EVA JANSEN LAURA LIERA SAMADHI MORENO JOCELYN RODRÍGUEZ