East Harlem: El Barrio Diasporico by Creative Art Works

EAST HARLEM: EL BARRIO DIASPORICO AN IMMERSIVE ORAL HISTORY EXHIBIT

GALERIA DEL BARRIO

PUBLIC ART YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM, SUMMER 2023 1

East Harlem: El Barrio Diasporico Opening Reception Hope Community, Inc. Galeria del Barrio 162-1/2 East 104th Street, New York, NY Monday, August 14th, 4:00 – 6:00 PM Jaimie Warren, Teaching Artist Maham Khwaja, Teaching Artist Jonathan Hyman, Teaching Artist Assistant About the Project

East Harlem: El Barrio Diasporico is an immersive art installation about one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in New York City. This feast for the senses offers a new way to understand the lived experiences of a community and its people. Based in a one-room gallery, the exhibit combines art, photography, found objects, memorabilia, and music to create a warm and inviting space. Filmed interviews with local business owners, community leaders, artists, activists, and residents of Hope housing provide a tapestry of oral histories which, when taken together, create a profound sense of place. A collection of archival and student-created photos captures the history of Hope Community, Inc. from its inception in 1962 to the present day. Ismat Babiker, owner of Exotic Fragrances, Inc.

FROM KAREN JOLICOEUR, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Over the course of the past two short months, Creative Art Works has engaged more than 110 Youth Apprentices (YAs) in the creation of seven works of public art under the tutelage of 16 phenomenal teaching artists and our dedicated staff. These include murals for three sites in Manhattan, one in the Bronx, and two in Queens, and the installation of an ambitious oral histories project in East Harlem. It has been a joy to witness the evolution of skills, relationships, and of the artwork itself! From their initial introductions through the development of initial concepts, presentation of designs, subsequent revisions, and ultimate execution, our “YAs” have had a mammoth amount to learn—and to do—in mere weeks. This is especially impressive considering the “firsts”! For most of them, this was their first time working with CAW, and for a third it was their very first job. A surprising number have never dug this deeply into visual art before, or been called on to make a public presentation. The daunting process demands and develops patience, resilience, and creative problem solving. We are so proud of them coming through with flying colors! The exhibition “East Harlem: El Barrio Diaspora,” was inspired by the people of El Barrio, also known as Spanish Harlem. Over the course of six weeks, our team at Galeria del Barrio (an initiative of longtime CAW partner Hope Community, Inc.) recorded video interviews with members of the community, combed through archival photographs, created portraits of residents, and explored the vibrant street art of the neighborhood. The goal for these YAs was “to display the love and culture of the community.” They packed the little gallery on 104th Street with features, including a photo wall, a tribute to the music of Spanish Harlem, and two recreated spaces—a fire escape and the living room of a typical “titi” or auntie—both of which feature whimsical handmade items. Each section tells a compelling aspect of the history of this vital but changing neighborhood. We hope you enjoy the experience. Sincerely,

Karen Jolicoeur Executive Director

A Tour of the Exhibit

Titi’s Corner: Everything in Titi’s (Auntie’s) Corner was handcrafted and painted by the crew, from the transistor radio, to the books, to the flower pots. The couch is covered by a white cloth symbolizing that a person (perhaps Titi or another family member) has been forced to move due to gentrification and the high cost of living in Harlem.

Viva la Musica de El Barrio: Spanish Harlem is best known for its music and dance. Without music and dance, the cultural spirit of El Barrio wouldn’t exist. So, the team formulated a wall display applying hand crafted vinyls and photos of iconic live performances in the community. We included a record player playing vintage Latin music to fulfill the mood of the space.

El Barrio Photos: This wall displays stunning sights from the neighborhood and people of the community. Photos include archival images going back to the formation of Hope Community, Inc. as well as portraits of some of the residents that sat for interviews for film documentary.

A Tour of the Exhibit A Tribute to Hope: Hope Community, Inc. is a community-based nonprofit that rebuilds the physical infrastructure of East Harlem by creating attractive, high-quality affordable rental and owner-occupied housing. This recreated fire escape, adorned with flags from all over the world, is dedicated to Hope in honor of the many community-building services they provide to El Barrio and surrounding neighborhoods.

The Screening Room: The crew recorded vidop interviews with local business owners, community leaders, artists, activists, and residents of Hope Community, Inc. housing. When taken together, these oral histories create a profound sense of place.

Opening Reception at Galeria del Barrio, August 14th, 2023

Former Hope Community, Inc. Deputy Executive Director and former Board Chair Carmen Vasquez and CAW Teaching Artist Jaimie Warren

Youth Apprentices and Teaching Artists

YA Ariel Fonesca and CAW Board President Brian Ricklin greet Billy Mitchell, aka “Mr. Apollo.”

YAs greet visitors to the little gallery on East 104th Street. 7

Meet the Artists

Left to right: John Cobena, Pablo De Villa Caballero, Thomas Anthony Veg Alberto Fonesca, Teaching Artist Jaimie Warren, Kia Thompson, Lucas Col 8

ga, Alison Andrea Martinez, Diafe Diarrassouba, Rachel Benkovich, Ariel lon, Moses Zaiter, Teaching Artist-in-Training Jonathan Hyman. 9

Rachel Benkovich Rachel is a 22-year-old artist who’s currently a senior at Clarkson University where she studies digital arts and 3D modeling. She has been 3D modeling for a small mobile game company, but aspires to break into the film industry and 3D model for a film studio. She has been doing art all her life, and enjoys painting in all mediums, character drawing, propmaking, and cosplay. This Creative Art Works program is her first public art experience. Creating works of art on limited resources has been an interesting yet rewarding challenge, and she has improved her skills of making something out of nothing. She has learned lots of leadership and problem-solving skills. Another important skill developed here has been collaborative video editing. She has loved making connections and close friends during this summer project, and wants to continue doing collaborative art projects.

John Cobena John is 16 years old. He is of Ecuadorian decent and was born and raised in East Harlem. He is entering his senior year at Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics and is interested in studying biology and chemistry. John’s goal is to go to college and get a Ph.D. His hobbies are drawing, playing video games, and sleeping. The type of art John makes is mostly pen and paper, but he has experimented with other mediums. This is John’s first year at Creative Art Works and he has learned and improved in photography, filming, and craftsmanship. He would like to join CAW again next year.

Lucas Colón This is Lucas but most people call him Luke. He’s currently a rising Junior at SUNY Purchase as a new media major. If you don’t know what that is, it’s basically a jack-ofall-trades in digital art and design. Since Luke is halfway through college already, he has become skilled at video editing, filming, and photography, and he’s proficient at coding and that’s an achievement he never thought he would get. He’s good with most Adobe products with the exception of After Effects but most is better than none. By the end of the year he’s going to have his own website showcasing all the cool projects that he’s worked on as a way to show off how good he is at multiple forms of digital art. It’s going to be a digital portfolio to show people his special talents behind the screen.

Pablo De Villa Caballero Pablo De Villa has had a passion for video games since he was very young. While he doesn’t do much outside of school, Pablo enjoys baking and wants to learn how to code and edit better. Pablo joined Creative Art Works in order to learn how to edit better and he has been able to learn from a lot of professional editors. Pablo wants to learn coding so he can make horror games that will scare anyone who plays them.

Diafe Diarrassouba Diafe is 16 years old. He grew up on the West Side of Harlem and is an upcoming sophomore at Democracy Prep Endurance High School. He has a passion for art and is very good at sketching. He enjoys other activities such as watching TV, playing video games, and sometimes reading manga. He also likes spending time with his brothers and going out with them. This is his first year working with Creative Art Works and, so far, he is working very efficiently and enthusiastically. His dream job is to become an artist, 2D/3D animator, video game programmer, and an actor.

Alison Andrea Martinez

Alison is a rising junior at Binghamton University pursuing a double degree in English and psychology. This is her first time working with Creative Art Works and it has been a fundamentally enriching experience. Working in the multimedia group was a growing experience not only in technical and art skills, but a development of her personality as a leader. Through this summer internship she’s met a wide array of individuals, putting herself out there along with her fellow apprentices to make connections within the communities in order to weave stories together into the beautiful art that will decorate the little gallery on East 104th Street. Holding previous experience mainly in public relations and media, as well as writing both fiction and poetry, Alison can confidently say she’s developed skills from her teachers as well as the talented youth apprentices that she worked alongside, learning skills like lighting, photography, editing, exhibition design, interviewing, and screenwriting. This exhibit will showcase not only the talent of the collective but the history of the surrounding neighborhood.

Ariel Alberto Fonseca Ariel is a 21 year old multi-talented musician/songwriter with a passion for the arts, who studies at City College as a Music Psychology major. He was born in The Bronx and raised in Washington Heights. He grew up loving the performing arts, especially music. He has performed in many theater shows which led him to be cast in an Off-Broadway production. He played jazz piano at Jazz at Lincoln Center, and sang for multiple events including fundraisers to raise awareness for the POC LGBTQ+ community. In the span of a year, Ariel has been involved in filming and photography projects such as a gallery of his own called “Inner & Outer Skins,’’ a project embracing an in-depth introspection of the stigma on queer bodies & body dysmorphia. He enjoys collaborating with the multi-talented artists on his Creative Art Works team to produce an art/film exhibition celebrating El Barrio & Spanish Harlem. In the future, he sees himself doing more elaborate projects like this as a potential career.

Kia Thompson Kia is a 17-year-old who has struggled with her confidence and motivation. In elementary school, she was a bright student who got good grades and was very happy with herself, but after constant bullying from her classmates in middle school, things changed. “I lacked the motivation to get up to go to school, which badly messed up my grades and lowered my confidence,” she stated. Then the pandemic happened as she entered high-school, and her grades were damaged beyond repair and she had to go for her G.E.D. She felt like a failure and wanted to give up. She decided to join Creative Art Works because she had lived in Hope Community for nine years and knew a bit about the neighborhood. Since she started working with CAW, her confidence has been through the roof and she has become so much more motivated because of all of her supportive Teammates! “I will always be thankful for the opportunity to work with CAW and my amazing colleagues!” 13

Thomas Anthony Vega Thomas is 19 years old, born and raised in Manhattan, NY. He is a talented artist and a very creative young man who has never given up on a challenge. He is someone who always strives to challenge himself and utilize his artistic skills whenever he can. Graduating from Food and Finance High School, he is always wondering what the future has to offer. Talented and very skilled from day one, he has kept the creative flow going for the past ten years. He has been part of an art program called Publicolor for four years and is now working with Creative Art Works and Hope Community, Inc.

Interviewing East Harlem resident Richard Cruz 14

Amara Worrell Amara is a 24-year-old artist and a BFA college graduate of the New York City College of Technology. Born in Spanish Harlem, she aspires to become a concept artist, a 3D modeler or even a game developer in the video game industry. She loves the idea of seeing characters in different kinds of designs that makes them all unique in their own ways. She enjoys doing digital art during her downtime and learning other art mediums, such as animation, comics, and 3D modeling. She is also learning Japanese. She isn’t afraid of taking on a challenge that takes her out of her comfort zone, because, to her, it’s all in good fun. This is her first time working with Creative Art Works and she is enjoying the chance to learn new art mediums like film and photography. Even just making connections and new friends with other artists who have similar interests makes the experience worthwhile.

Moses Zaiter Moses was born and raised in Harlem and comes from a strong, honest, and proud Dominican heritage. He is a senior at Lehman College studying computer graphics and imaging. Moses has been in multiple clubs focusing on different media and this is his first professional art experience. He wants to use his experience with Creative Art Works to learn more about the cultures of other peoples, share them, and express his own through the stories he plans to tell. He has found working with others in this setting challenging but rewarding. Moses is hoping to use the connections he gained at CAW to help launch his art career. He is very confident in his work and focuses on illustrative character and scenario design. Future avenues he is pursuing are careers in 2D/3D animation, storyboarding, concept design, and comic design. The scope for art jobs is vast, so even now Moses is broadening his skill set and his potential options.

Jonathan Hyman, Teaching Artist Assistant-in-Training Jonathan, also known as Jon, is an aspiring illustrator and designer who embraces everything with positivity and enthusiasm. His main goal is to create illustrations and designs that will leave a lasting impact on others, providing inspiration through the means of art and its many forms. Jon is currently pursuing a B.F.A in Electronic Design and Multimedia at CUNY City College. Striving for versatility, he not only focuses on design but other mediums that will further enhance his work. Before becoming a Teaching Artist Assistant, Jon worked with Creative Art Works on the mural “Monte De Flores” at Montefiore Square in Hamilton Heights, and the interior murals “Golden Experience” and “Star Platinum” for the Savills North America headquarters in midtown Manhattan. Jon believes that creativity is more than a talent – it is a skill that can be obtained and honed with practice. He hopes to demonstrate to others through his own illustrations that art is a skill that anyone can pick up.

Billy Mitchell (aka “Mr. Apollo”) 16

Hope Community Residents Kia and Shamika Thompson

Jaimie Warren, Teaching Artist Jaimie is a multidisciplinary artist and Co-Founder/Co-Creator of the community arts project Whoop Dee Doo (www.whoopdeedoo.org). Since 2006, Whoop Dee Doo has created over 50 large-scale commissioned projects for organizations including SFMOMA, The Smart Museum (Chicago), Loyal (Sweden), The Contemporary (Baltimore), The High Line (NYC), among others. Warren is a NYFA Fellow in Interdisciplinary Arts, and she has worked with NYC public schools and with organizations including the Museum of Modern Art, the Art21 Education Department, the Museum of Art & Design, Pioneer Works, Creative Art Works, Dia:Beacon, Dia:Chelsea, BRIC, Abrons Arts Center, and the Brooklyn Arts Council SU-CASA Program for older adults. Warren has received a United States Presidential Teaching Award presented by Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. in 2013.

Maham Khwaja, Teaching Artist Maham is a Pakistani-American writer, director, and teaching artist. She received an MFA in Film & Media Arts from the University of Utah in 2015, and a BA from Emory University in Film Studies in 2010. She has experience working in feature film production, network television production, and children’s programming. In 2017, she received the New Voices Award from Lee & Low Books for a book of verse for children that is to be published in the near future. She directed a music video entitled “Woh Umeed Ki Manzil,” which was televised in Pakistan and was an Official Selection at the International Film Festival of South Asia Toronto in 2021. More recently, she directed a short documentary about the Gullah-Geechee community on Sapelo Island, Georgia, for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), GA. Currently, Maham is creating Auntie Express, an interactive, immersive, outdoor food truck theater production.

East Harlem Resident Angelica Suárez 18

About the Public Art Youth Employment Program

Public Art Youth Employment Programs give teens and young adults full-time summer jobs and part-time jobs after school to create large-scale public art and multimedia projects. Youth Apprentices are guided by professional teaching artists from the initial concept development through client presentation, to the final edit and public unveiling or premiere. Along the way, they gain tangible employment and life skills such as leadership, teamwork, responsibility and the power of taking initiative. They are empowered by the enduring accomplishment in their work of art and its positive impact on the community.

About Creative Art Works

Creative Art Works (CAW) is a 37-year-old nonprofit that empowers young people through the visual and multimedia arts. Our programs equip children, teens, and young adults with essential tools and skills; connect them with community, academic success, and career opportunities; and inspire them to reach for new possibilities. Working in underserved neighborhoods of New York City, in public schools, recreation centers, foster care facilities, parks, juvenile justice settings, and in the remote environment, CAW provides dynamic creative youth development for those who otherwise lack access. Our programs build confidence, unlock a love of learning, and teach valuable technical and socialemotional skills while creating profound connections between our young constituents, their art and their communities. www.creativeartworks.org This program was made possible by a generous grant from Charities Aid Foundation Canada.

Creative Art Works’ Public Art Youth Employment program receives support from the Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation, the Leroy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, the Find Your Light Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the Office of the Manhattan Borough President.

Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation 19

East Harlem Resident and US Veteran Warner Murry

YAs interview an East Harlem Resident

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