I’m so uber proud and grateful to be part of the exhibition, Voces y Visiones: Gran Caribe at El Museo de Barrio; Curated by Rocío Aranda-Alvarado. I simply love everything about this place: the staff, building, colors, cafe…!

VOCES Y VISIONES: Gran Caribe
Drawn from El Museo del Barrio’s wide-ranging Permanent Collection, this exhibition features works that explore the vast diversity and complexity of the Caribbean basin, as an accompaniment to El Museo’s upcoming exhibition, Caribbean: Crossroads of the World, presented in collaboration with Studio Museum in Harlem and Queens Museum of Art.

The Caribbean has been both a subject and a source for visual expression prior to its relationship with Europe. This history, marked by a constant flow of people, objects, ideas, and images into and out of the region, has affected artistic development and practices in the Caribbean basin as well as in its counterparts in the Diaspora. This installation of Permanent Collection objects takes a narrative approach to some of the themes developed in the larger exhibition, exploring the connections between personal experiences and visual expressions. The works seen here explore the human need to move from one place to another, the urge to make epic narratives from personal stories, and the desire to share one’s love for a homeland with others. As the title implies, the islands, the coastlines and the waters that unite them are all part of this study.

The exhibition explores four related themes that focus on the connections between spirituality and daily life, the shifting of people into and out of urban spaces, the persistence of abstraction as a visual language, and the constant presence of the water. Among the featured works is a large-scale painting on hand-made paper by Puerto Rican artist Rossana Martinez. This work considers islands: small, golden, irregularly shaped forms that cover the rich cobalt blue of an endless sea. Other featured objects include a selection of Haitian paintings, featuring a work by Prefet Duffaut; Puerto Rican and Guatemalan masks; sculptures by Charles Juhasz -Alvarado and Federico Ruiz; photographs by Ana Mendietaand a trio of En Foco artists, Charles Biasiny Rivera, Roger Cabán and Felipe Dante; and a costume worn by Coco Fusco in a performance as Queen Isabella, created by Pepón Osorio.

Gran Caribe considers the significance of race and ethnicity, language and dialogue, affinities and differences throughout this part of the world. Artists for whom the Caribbean is both a point of departure and a homecoming are included, as are critical voices that explore new ways of thinking about how Caribbean bodies and voices are represented.

If You Never Did, You Should
By Jessica Bellofatto

“If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good.” ~Dr Seuss

Happy birthday to Dr. Seuss (born March 2, 1904) and what a fantastic message to us all. As I prepare for our women’s Yoga and SUP retreat with my friend Gina Bradley (founder of Paddle Diva) here in Rincon, Puerto Rico, these words most definitely resonate with me.

story continues…

-Swami Veda Bharati

During yoga class, the instructor tells us to make each pose our own ⎯ and I like to apply this to art as well. As artists, we are part of a community. We constantly share ideas and look at each other’s work, but when we create, we make it ours.

Last month, I met with video artist and friend Christa Blatchford at her solo exhibition, See Around, at Artists Space. The original idea was for me to write a review. But then I realized that what I love most about art is when there is dialogue so we decided to have a conversation.

We began to talk about our projects early this year. We are both currently working with the idea of being in nature especially the ocean. Every time we saw each other around the neighborhood (we are almost neighbors and go to the same gym), we briefly exchanged thoughts and updates. I know she worked endless hours for this project and I was excited to see the exhibition.

When I met Christa at Artists Space, I experienced that magical feeling of seeing how an artist transforms a thought, an idea into something visual and concrete. I was fascinated to hear Christa talk about her ocean’s perspective as a video artist. And how she thought of every single detail to give viewers a glimpse of what she experienced during her various visits to Block Island ⎯ where she escaped from the city every time she could and videotaped for months.

Although our projects part from the same source ⎯ nature ⎯ they are very different. Christa’s four-channel video installation is about carefully seeing ⎯ noticing the small details often ignored while sitting, watching, videotaping, and then editing. In my performance/drawings, I visually translate how it feels while actively moving through nature.

After seeing her exhibition, we had a chance to talk about everything else. What defines us as artists, people and individuals. And there was magic again…learning who the artist really is and how who we are defines what we create.

Image:

Christa Blatchford

See Around, 2008

Four-channel video installation

The holiday season is the time when I enjoy my family and reconnect with nature at home in Puerto Rico. I can’t describe the feeling of seeing an intense blue ocean while running to the beach in the morning. Running home uphill is SERIOUSLY breathtaking!

While we were at the beach a couple of afternoons ago, we saw two kids playing and rolling in the sand. They were both having so much fun and one of them described the sand as beautifully warm.

Beautifully warm is truly how my heart feels after spending the holidays surrounded by the love of family and nature. And I want to keep this warm feeling inside of me as long as I can.

The year ahead already looks challenging. And I hope you all find ways to keep your hearts beautifully warm.

Photo: Iguana staying beautifully warm in the morning sun, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico