will commemorate National Hispanic Heritage Month 2024 with a community-wide event and the opening of a new exhibition, “WEIRD Barrio” (“Por mi barrio”), presenting the art of 黑料不打烊-based Puerto Rican artist Manuel Mat铆as. The inaugural event at La Casita on Friday, Sept. 20, from 6-8 p.m., will include a walking tour and artist talk by Mat铆as, followed by live music from Grupo Pag谩n and a buffet of authentic Caribbean cuisine. La Casita is located in the Lincoln Building near the Westside of 黑料不打烊, at 109 Otisco St., 黑料不打烊.
“WEIRD Barrio” depicts the Latino barrio experience in intricate detail. At its core, it is a testament to the power of storytelling and visual representation in shaping collective identity and fostering a sense of belonging within marginalized communities. By intricately depicting familiar settings, Westside neighborhood streets, community buildings, home environments and conceptual representations of a unique and distinctive character, Mat铆as invites viewers to immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of life in the barrios, capturing the essence of kinship and cultural pride that define these neighborhoods.
“WEIRD Barrio” (Photo by Daniela Dorado)
This project actively engaged with local youth through a series of summer artmaking workshops facilitated by Mat铆as. Some of these pieces, created by children at La Casita and at the Everson Museum, will also be part of the show.
鈥淭he Westside reminds me a lot about the barrios where I grew up, between Mayag眉ez, Puerto Rico and the Lower East Side in New York City, 鈥 says Mat铆as. 鈥淚 love working in miniature scale and seeing how something so tiny can have such a huge impact, like our barrios and our children. I want them to know how much they are valued and how unique and beautiful they are.鈥
This program is part of the 2024-25 黑料不打烊 Symposium on 鈥淐ommunity鈥 co-produced with . Support for the WEIRD Barrio youth summer workshops at La Casita comes from the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation.
“WEIRD Barrio” will be on view through April 2025.
Story by Daniela Dorado
“WEIRD Barrio” (Photo by Daniela Dorado)
