Next Thursday, September 5, artist Edra Soto will unveil a new sculpture of her own in Central Park. graft Series (2013–), made of Corten steel and terrazzo and inspired by the wrought iron fences often seen in front of homes in Puerto Rico. The work, which she describes as “a monument to Puerto Rico’s working-class communities,” will be the first phase of Historias – a comprehensive three-year arts and culture initiative focused on Latino narratives across New York City and led by the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center on the Lower East Side.
“It is up to us to archive our stories to preserve them and share them with future generations,” Soto said in an email to Hyperallergic“We know better than anyone what is important about us.” Born and raised in San Juan, the artist and educator is well-versed in this type of storytelling, drawing connections between her homeland and her current residence in Chicago.
This fall, the citywide Historias The project will present an extensive schedule of cultural programs, research-based projects, art commissions, and oral history presentations that aim to provide a more comprehensive and intersectional look at New York’s ever-growing and diverse Latinx population. The $2.5 million project is a collaborative effort with the LxNY Consortium, representing 45 arts and cultural groups, and a group of institutions including the Public Art Fund and the Brooklyn Public Library, and is supported by a grant from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.
Through the efforts and commitment of groups like the Cultural Equity Coalition of New York City and LxNY, the city has taken steps to increase Latino representation in its public arts and culture programs, noted Libertad Guerra, executive director of the Clemente since 2020.
Still, she stressed that “funding inequalities persist” and pointed out that programs for communities of color “are rarely expanded and are often the first to go.”
Divided into three phases, Historias will officially open the last weekend of September with an art-filled street festival on Suffolk Street in front of Clemente, which is currently undergoing costly renovations that will make many of its facilities, including exhibition galleries, an outdoor plaza and several artist studios, inaccessible. The cultural centre continues with the 27th edition of its Open Studios, which will take place on the same weekend in unaffected studio spaces as the Historias kickoff event. Those interested in learning more about additional programming this fall can visit Clemente’s website, where the organization will post a full schedule next month.
“Having a multi-year platform dedicated to building a record of Latinx perspectives through various forms of engagement is remarkable,” said Soto Hyperallergic.
“I really admire and respect the Latinx community’s commitment to culture in New York City,” she added. “It’s palpable and like nothing else… like an eternal celebration.”
