Learning to See

el punto art studio 2014 punto de contacto

- point of contact

a contemporary arts program for young artists presenting its fourth exhibition

MAY 3 - JUNE 27, 2014

LEARNING TO SEE APRENDIENDO A VER p o i n t o f c o n ta c t g a l l e r y

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Front Cover Image Credit: Sasha Loayza, 2014

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el punto art studio 2014

LEARNING TO SEE APRENDIENDO A VER POINT OF CONTACT GALLERY Syracuse, New York May 3 - June 27, 2014

This program is designed by Punto de Contacto-Point of Contact, offered in collaboration with La Casita Cultural Center, the Spanish Action League of Upstate NY, The Near Westside Initative, and PAL Project. Supported by grants from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Coalition of Museum and Art Centers (CMAC) at Syracuse University, and the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA).

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The artist within does not just look at things‌ The artist within has the capacity to see.

El artista interior no solamente mira las cosas‌ El artista interior tiene la capacidad de ver.

Frederick Franck

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THE ARTISTS | LOS ARTISTAS Julia Antoine Naidelyn Arias Diaz Sheila Arias Diaz Anasy Barrios Avva Borovjerd Yrisneida Brea-Marte Carlos Cirino Ciariel Cirino Alex Cruz Natalie Delyn Robert Dietz Jacobeb Fernandez Michelle Freeman Esteban Fuentes Denzel Garcia Desiree Garcia Moises Gracciano Darius Hayes Adalisha Lind Alexander Loayza Sofia Loayza Sheila Maldonado Narayan Milton Suanellys Milton Armina Nejat Aryana Nejat

Hiedi Ogando Alihanys Ortiz Hiedi Pauta Victoria Pauta Jaydia Peny Minelsa Pizarro Kayla Ramon Ruben Ramon Axel Rivera Isabella Rivera Jani Rivera Joshua Rivera Jylecia Rivera Luis Rivera Sophia Rivera Paola Rojas Ernesto Rosa Kimberly Seipio Amaya Thaler Elijah Thaler Tatiana Thaler Yamilex Torres Jayna Vega Mikaj Weaver Marquis Williams

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POINT OF DEPARTURE Over the course of six weeks between March and April 2014, Punto de ContactoPoint of Contact opened a space for 70 talented youths to engage in the practices of photography, video art, and performance.

The focus of the program was on simple, commonplace things that we normally pass by and even look at, perhaps, but rarely ever see. In the process we discovered unexpected points of view, angles, shadows, contrast, geometries, words, reflections, expressions of ourselves‌ 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; when we actually see it. Abstractions of an object can express something other than the obvious. A new curiosity awakens, one that may shape a person’s entire life. As we begin to explore our surroundings in new ways, we also recognize a whole world inside us. We find new connections between the outer and inner worlds, and between each other. We learn that our world is anything but ordinary.

The entire progression from the first workshop to the culminating exhibit of the work completed, which opened at The Point of Contact Gallery in May, was extensively documented by Syracuse University graduate and undergraduate students from various disciplines including Arts Education, Transmedia, Engineering, Communication Sciences, Civic Engagement and Languages. They too were learning to see. The observations and interpretations found in dozens of weekly reports by these formidable collaborators show new understandings about how children learn and how artistic practices can enhance their capacities.

We are immensely proud of the work produced by El Punto Art Studio this year, and we hope you join us again in the spring of 2015!

Tere Paniagua Executive Director Cultural Engagement for the Hispanic Community College of Arts and Sciences Syracuse University

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EL PUNTO DE PARTIDA En el transcurso de seis semanas, entre Marzo y Abril del 2014, Punto de Contacto—Point of Contact abrió un espacio para setenta jóvenes talentosos poder desempeñarse en prácticas de fotografía, arte visual y actuación.

El enfoque del programa estaba dirigido hacia cosas simples y ordinarias del diario vivir que normalmente damos por sentado, que quizás las vemos pero en realidad no las miramos. En el proceso descubrimos puntos de vista inesperados, ángulos, sombras, contrastes, geometrías, palabras, reflexiones, nuestras expresiones… La tarea era localizar lo simple, ordinario, y observar cuan extraordinario un objeto se puede cuando descubrimos nuevas maneras de mirar; cuando en realidad lo vemos. Las abstracciones de un objeto pueden expresar algo mas allá de lo obvio. Una nueva curiosidad se despierta, una que quizás pueda dar forma a la vida entera de una persona.

Al comenzar a explorar nuestros alrededores en nuevas maneras también reconocemos todo un mundo en nuestro interior. Encontramos nuevas conexiones entre el mundo exterior y el interior. Aprendemos que nuestro mundo es todo excepto ordinario.

La evolución completa , desde el primer taller hasta la exhibición culminante del proyecto realizado, que fue presentado en la galería de Punto de Contacto en Mayo, fue extensamente documentada por los estudiantes del bachillerato y escuela graduada de varias disciplinas de la Universidad de Syracuse, incluyendo educación en arte, transmedia, ingeniería, ciencias de comunicación e idiomas. Ellos también estaban aprendiendo a mirar. Las observaciones e interpretaciones encontradas en docenas de informes semanales por estos formidables colaboradores muestran nuevos entendimientos de cómo los niños aprenden y como prácticas artísticas pueden cómo las prácticas artísticas.

Estamos extremadamente orgullosos del trabajo desempeñado por el Estudio de Arte El Punto—El Punto Art Studio—este año, y esperamos que te unas a nosotros nuevamente en la primavera del 2015!

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GOALS | METAS EL PUNTO is a program for youths 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 live performance.

• 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 6 weekly seminars leading up to the presentation of the work to the public.

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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.

• 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 un “performance” en vivo.

• 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 6 talleres semanales que culminarían en la presentación del trabajo frente al público.

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photo description photo description

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PHOTOGRAPHY FOTOGRAFÍA

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"This was a journey along a path of re-discovering our surroundings. Through fun visual exercises the children and I focused on newly found shapes, shades, the often overlooked beauty of our surroundings as we were learning how to see.

Their enthusiasm and excitement at each finding; their transformation, imagination and sense of awe when they viewed their work at every slideshow that was part of the seminar, were very contagious, expanding my own passion for photography.

Teaching young students and guiding them though this path of learning how to see has been a rewarding experience. Once again, EL PUNTO fulfilled its mission providing a space for creativity and re-discovery of the immediate world around and inside us."

Maril煤 L贸pez Fretts

Denzel Garcia

Jacobed Fernandez 12

Isabella Rivera

"Esto ha sido un viaje a lo largo de un camino de redescubrimiento de nuestros alrededores. A través de divertidos ejercicios visuales, los niños y yo nos enfocamos en nuevas formas encontradas, sombras, la belleza que a menudo es pasada por alto de nuestros alrededores cuando estamos aprendiendo a ver.

Kayla Ramon

Aryana Nejat

Su entusiasmo y emoción con cada descubrimiento; su transformación, imaginación y sentido de admiración cuando vieron su trabajo en todas las presentaciones de diapositivas que eran parte del seminario, eran muy contagiosos, expandiendo mi propia pasión por la fotografía.

Enseñar a estudiantes jóvenes y guiarlos a través de este camino de aprendizaje de cómo ver ha sido una experiencia gratificante. Una vez más, El Punto cumplió su misión proveyendo un espacio para la creatividad y redescubrimiento del mundo inmediato alrededor y dentro de nosotros."

Marilú López Fretts

Sophia Rivera

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Alihanys Ortiz

Alex Cruz

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Marquis Williams

Amaya Thaler

Hiedi Ogando

Axel Rivera 15

Sasha Loayza

Ciariel Cirino

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Ruben Ramon

Jylecia Rivera

Avva Borovjerd

Carlos Cirino

Armina Nejat

Michelle Freeman

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VIDEO Vﾃ好EO

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"Perseus, terrified, knows that his only option is to confront the most terrible of beings: Medusa. A monster so atrocious that only its stare transforms into stone anyone that looks. But Perseus has a plan: use the shiny shield provided by Athena as a mirror, that would allow him to see the horror of the Gorgon without dying petrified. Cinema is a bit like this, a shiny screen that reflects reality and allows us to look at it without fear of it turning us into stone. When I think about the El Punto Cinema Workshop I cannot help to remember Perseus’ story. A unique and different Perseus in each youth.

A child Perseus and adolescent Perseus.

A group of youths that wielding the video camera for the first time, discover that reality changes depending on the point of view of the observer and that each of them have something to tell. Just like that, almost like a game and unexpectedly, each of the workshop participants starts approaching that elusive and complex objective which is learning to see. The videos displayed here are the result of a six-week process, in which, as an initiation ceremony, these young artists gave their first steps in the cinematographic process.

Their efforts should be motive of praise for our community."

Alex MĂŠndez

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"Perseo, aterrado, sabe que su único camino es enfrentarse al más terrible de los seres: Medusa.

Un monstruo tan atroz que su sola mirada transforma en piedra a quien lo ve. Pero Perseo tiene un plan: usar el brillante escudo provisto por Atenea, como un espejo que le permita ver el horror de la Gorgona y no morir petrificado. Un poco así es el cine, una pantalla brillante que refleja la realidad y nos permite mirarla sin temor a que ésta nos convierta en piedra. Cuando pienso en el taller de cine de El Punto, no puedo por menos que recordar la historia de Perseo.

Un Perseo único y diferente en cada joven. Un Perseo niño y un Perseo adolescente. Un grupo de jóvenes que empuñando por primera vez la cámara de video, descubre que la realidad cambia dependiendo del punto de vista del observador y que cada uno de ellos tiene algo que contar. Así, casi como un juego y de manera inesperada, cada uno de los participantes del taller se va acercando a ese esquivo y complejo objetivo que es aprender a ver. Los videos aquí exhibidos son el resultado de un proceso de seis semanas de duración en donde, como en una ceremonia iniciática, estos jóvenes artistas dieron sus primeros pasos en el proceso de la creación cinematográfica. Sus esfuerzos deben ser motivo de elogio para nuestra comunidad."

Alex Méndez

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PERFORMANCE ACTUACIÓN

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"I feel really close to the world of children. I think it is important that they develop their own creativity. That is why I have especially dedicated myself to design games for them and present a new method to stimulate their capacities. It is important to take anything, of those adults think are of no use and throw away carelessly. For example, a deteriorated painting, a flower, a bunch of rocks or an old costume. And transform it into anything useful to stimulate our children’s imagination. For me this has been El Punto Workshop 2014."

JosĂŠ Miguel HernĂĄndez

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"Me siento muy cerca del mundo de los niños. Creo que es importante que desarrollen su propia creatividad. Por eso me he dedicado especialmente a diseñar juegos para ellos y proponer un nuevo método para estimular sus capacidades. Es importante tomar cualquier cosa, de esas que los adultos consideran que no sirven para nada y que tiran despreocupadamente.

Por ejemplo un cuadro bastante deteriorado, una flor, un montón de piedras o un vestuario viejo. Y convertirlo en cualquier cosa útil para estimular la imaginación e nuestros niños. Esto ha sido para mi el taller El punto 2014."

José Miguel Hernández

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TEACHING ARTISTS/ARTISTAS EDUCADORES José Miguel Hernández Artistic Director & Actor The Young Guard of the Latin Theater A Program of the Hispanic Action league of Upstate NY 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

Marilú López Fretts Photojournalist Advisory Board Member, La Casita Cultural Center, Syracuse, NY 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,

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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.

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.

Alex Méndez Giner Assistant Professor Transmedia/Film College of Visual and Performing Arts, Syracuse University B.A in Mass Communications at Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Venezuela, completed a M.F.A in Film at Syracuse University, N.Y. His film career has been divided between the direction of TV spots and the making of his own film and video projects. He has obtained several awards in his country and abroad, has been a finalist in the Festival Iberoamericano de la Publicidad and in The New York Film Festivals. He has directed four shortfilms, two video-art pieces, and one short documentary “On the Back of the Whale” (2008). He was awarded the Caracas City Hall Shortfilms Award in the Best Film, Best Directing and Best Editing categories for the shortfilm “Rehearsal” and Best Sound for the shortfilm “Seamstress”. He has been official selection in the 13th Videobrasil International Festival in Sao Paulo and in the

V Pirelli Festival for Young Artists in Caracas.

He has participated in the 1st International Biennial of Video-Art of Israel, in the “Ve-Corto Ve-Largo 2008” Venezuelan film exhibition in Barcelona and in the 1st Latinamerican Film Congress in Mexico. He was founder artist of the Multimedia Center for the Arts in the Contemporary Museum of Caracas and recently his short film "It Rains" has been part of several international film festivals.

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GUEST ARTISTS | ARTISTAS INVITADOS

Colleen Kattau

Singer/songwriter

Juan Cruz Visual Artist 28

Danita Emma

Artistic Director, International Ballet Intensive

VOLUNTEERS/ VOLUNTARIOS Adrienne Muss Alessia Cecchet Amanda Tamilia Andrea Garcia Andrea Lopez Andres Rivera Anthony Torres Ashley Rivera Boris Gresely Chloe Ma Daniela Lopez Elaine Solon Elmer Moreno Josh Tuthill Kelly Bayne Marjan Chazvini Nathan Mendez Q Park Raymond Moran Roberto Ramos Rumina Fuentes Rosie Herrera Sarah Akin Sarah Lawler Taino Palermo Yovanny Duran

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF/ PERSONAL ADMINISTRATIVO

Tere Paniagua Executive Director of Cultural Engagement for the Hispanic Community College of Arts and Sciences Miranda Traudt Managing Director Punto de Contacto/Point of Contact Monica McLean Programming Coordinator of Cultural Engagement for the Hispanic Community College of Arts and Sciences Lizet Fuentes Administrative Coordinator La Casita Cultural Center Luz Encarnaci贸n & Yanetsy Garay Youth Programming Coordinatiors Thomas Montague EL PUNTO Art Studio Education Coordinator

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point of contact

punto de contacto Warehouse Building 350 West Fayette Street Syracuse, NY 13202 315.443.2169 www.puntopoint.org

OPEN HOURS: monday - friday 12 p m - 4 p m or by appointment

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