In collaboration with Macy’s, El Museo Del Barrio collaborated in setting up an exhibit titled “Around the Way”, which opened on September 23rd at 6pm. This was also an exhibit in celebration of Hispanic heritage month. In the small amount of space on the 8th floor of Macy’s, curators Trinidad Fombella and Rocio Aranda-Alvarado cover a large ground of works. The exhibit features works by Latino and Latina artists: Firelai Baez, Priscilla de Carvalho, Jason Villegas and Las Hermanas Iglesias, to name a few. The pieces range from painting, sculpture, to video works and explore themes of social and cultural bonds to the places where they were born or raised. The exhibition also illustrates the everyday acts of people in their communities. Although these painters are Latino, most of them grew up or immigrated to New York.
Jason Villegas, who created Crocodile Pile, works in Brookyln now. He spoke about his obsession with finding tiny objects and used clothes and using everyday materials to create beast sculptures. His installation is permeated with little LV and Lacoste logos, from which he derives the alligator head. This work was built on-site:
Firelai Baez, born in the Dominican Republic, created a beautiful series of pencil mixed with gouache drawings, called the Natural Grooming Series. Within her work are themes of gender, culture, mixed with personal narrative. She explained at the opening reception that the women depicted in her series are “culturally ambiguous.”
The exhibit will stay on until Friday, October 15. Be sure to check it out!!
artwirth.com 