Reference 1: Hurray for The Riff Raff – Pa’lante
Puerto Ricans Don’t Pay for Treats With Pennies, is an installation piece that highlights the self sacrifices a group Puerto Ricans have made in order to survive the challenges of everyday life. This project addresses how the existence of a colonized people comes with a cost that is prompted by unjust social systems and generational trauma. The importance of this project lies in its ability to spotlight hardships that displace and disrupt “self”. It attempts to rid the societal judgment that may be attached to these experiences and uplift those that may feel inclined to compare their stories with those that are deemed more “worthy” or “successful” through the lens of society.
Audiences: Villa Victoria Community in the South End, Boston, Puerto Ricans, immigrants
Venues: Dorchester Art Project, Latinx Project at NYU
Reference 2: “Badge of Honor” – Pepón Rosario
https://www.moma.org/magazine/articles/679
When Will I Be Able To Step Out Into the Sky Again?, is an installation piece that highlights the desires and dreams of children within marginalized communities. This project addresses the limitations that marginalized youth have put on them by society and by themselves that make it almost impossible for them to enter institutional spaces that are different from what has been presented to them. The importance of this project lies in its ability to explore self-love, grief, and trauma, initiate a conversation around youth self-perception, and attempt to encourage youth to reimagine their futures without limitation.
Audiences: Villa Victoria Community in the South End, Boston, Youth Art Education Programs such as Cacique y Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion, Raw Arts, Artists for Humanity, ICA Teen Art Council
Venues: Dorchester Art Project, Latinx Project at NYU, ICA Boston
When We Make It – By Elisabet Velasquez
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/665231/when-we-make-it-by-elisabet-velasquez/
“What if making it happens everyday”, is a video performance piece that celebrates the small wins or everyday life that would otherwise be taken for granted, overlooked and never rewarded. This project addresses breadths of hope and successes, as the most “microscopic accomplishments” are worthy of being applauded. It represents the idea of “being your own biggest fan” and how that might manifest through the lens of Puerto Rican culture. The importance of this project lies in its ability to create joy, gratitude, and community by solidifying one’s everyday worth through music, dance, and creative ways to celebrate self.
Audiences: Villa Victoria Community in the South End, Boston, Puerto Ricans, immigrants, everyone that struggles to get up in the morning
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