78 thoughts on “El Museo is under close community scrutiny and criticism. How are other Puerto Rican cultural institutions doing in relation to the community?”
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Schomburg and Caribbean Cultural Center
This is a VERY important question indeed.
I do not know all the facts and details of the history of the Schomburg Center–except, of course, that Arturo Schomburg himself was Puertorican–but anecdotally that it is perceived to be a case study of a “Puertorican institution that got “taken over” by the African Americans”….something that was a betrayal to our community and never to be repeated again, EVER.
Anyone can enlighten us on this?
RE: Schomburg and Caribbean Cultural Center
This discussion about the role of our institutions is having a benefial effect of opening some of the fissures in our cultural tapestry.
The moment Arturo Schomberg’s name is mentioned, the spectre of racism in the Puerto Rican community moves to stage center. He was certainly Puertorriqueno “de Pura Cepa” (wellll…Teuto-Negro-Boricano), but of dark enough pigmentation — although his features betrayed plain European genes — to classify him plainly as a Black man. Wasnt it his experience as a Black man in Puerto Rico what lead him to research his African origin. Cant we reasonably assume that he was expulsed by Puerto Rican society because of his Blackness.
Who embraced him when he arrived in New York. He certainly had the admiration in White and Black American society of the time. Where was the New York based Puerto Rican intelligentsia. Where they interested in the Blackness of Puerto Rican culture.
As Arturo/Arthur amassed his collection, he was gathering the support of intellectuals of all kinds. As the New York Public Library took a concrete interest, and Black Americans supported and promoted his labor, where were we. If the Puerto Rican leadership had ‘owned’ this formidable Puerto Rican scholar, wouldnt there have been a good chance that the Schomburg Center would be a Puerto Rican institution today — one based on the collection of a Puerto Rican scholar. Clearly, Puerto Rican society of the time was not interested in ‘conserving’ or ‘promoting’ the Black aspects of Puerto Rican culure.
While I firmly believe that local instiutions should reflect the changing chaaracter of the communities they serve, I also believe that the DNA is set by the founding community.
El Museo has its first non-Puerto Rican director. El Taller has been Puerto Rican run from day 1. The foundations of both these organizations are solidly Boricano. The leadership may change, but that does not mean that the Mission needs to change. In fact, it would be almost impossible to change it; certainly, with the vigilance of the surrounding community.
A good example of this is the Barnes Foundatin I used as an example in an earlier Post. It was founded by a White man who collected the very finest European art and bequeathed it to [Black] Lincoln University. Over the years there have been struggles to modify the admissions policy and change its location to, in the views of some, improve its solvency.
To date, Barnes’ Mission obtains. The chances are that it will have to move to a location that would ensure its financial survival, but its Mission will not change. The Founder is still running the show.
If you quantified the programs and permanent collection of both El Museo and El Taller since their inception, I doubt that you wiould find that Puerto Rican culture has been ignored or secondary in importance — just the opposite.
The thing to watch for, regardless of the race or ethnicity of the leadership, is whether all of Puerto Rican culture is embraced by our institutions.
Schomburg
Very informative the above post is.
It raises in my mind one question:
What were the wishes/directives/instructions put down in writing by Mr. Schomburg himself regarding his collection?
If, from Day 1, he did not make any provisions/stipulations/requests that his collection be solely focused on the African-Puertorican experience, THEN we cannot impose them on the institution he left behind….after the fact.
IF, on the other hand, he did specify the issue of Puerto Rico, Puertoricanness, etc. and somewhere along the line, after his death, there was some gradual shift in focus to what it is today THEN we can re-claim it.
We ought to set the record straight so that we do not perpetuate the claim that somehow The Schomburg Center WAS a Puertorican cultural institution that “got away” and that it was “taken over” by another group.
puerto rican cultural institutions
Yeah, we need to convey this message to the Taller leadership: Let Go….so that it can GROW.
Amen
RE: Schomburg
The Schomburg Center was not a Puerto Rican institution that went astray or was taken away. He was a collector of the story of Black people outside of Africa — the ‘diaspora’ if you will pardon my use of that word.
The question you raise may be at the crux of what we are trying to get at: it isnt so much whether he left explicit instructions on precisely where his collection should be housed. More, it is whether the intelligentsia and monied Puerto Ricans (Los Patrones, as it were), saw what he was doing and said, “wait, this man is a Puerto Rican. I want to ‘own’ what he is doing in the name of my culture” I dont think that was the case.
People who accomlish major feats as Schomburg did, are more concerned with finding resoources to support acquiring properities that fit into their Vision. These are fanatically focused personalities.
He might well have thought that the value of what he was doing was so patently clear to the world, or would become so, that the idea of pinning it down to one culture would be an alien concept. In fact, anyone who sets about such a task would be more of an internatinalist than a nationalist.
I would want to own Arthur Schomburg in the same way I own de Burgos, Albizu, Betances — all of them! by the mere fact that they are Puerto Ricans. I dont care where they are; who they live with; who they marry…
I dont care whether he left ‘instructions’ (how curious — it almost sounds like looking for an excuse to disassociate oneself from him). Let us assume for a moment that he would have wanted his collection to be hosted primarily by a Puerto Rican institution, was our intelligentsia of a mind at the time to embrace this Black man.
(Barnes left instructions, but on the other hand, he was a tycoon, well accustomed to having his decisions go unchallenged)
What is a Puertorican Cultural Institution?
–What constitutes a Puertoorican Cultural Institution?
–Which institutions are Puuertorican in nature and ought to remain so?
–Besides el Museo, Taller Boricua, Julia de Burgos Center, WHAT other Puertorican cultural institutions exist?
We could start right there at the beginning.
Is Taller Boricua a Puertorican Cultural Institon?
If the Taller Boricua is suppossedly a Puertorican Cultural Institution then WHY does it not use that word in its Official Mission Statement nor in its Official History.
If the Taller Boricua were to have a non-Puertorican as Executive Director, would it still be a Puertorican cultural Institution?
If the Taller Boricua diminishes the number of Puertorican artists it presents does it stop being a Puertorican cultural institution?
Depending on how the above questions get answered, the conclusion would be that the Taller Boricua is ONLY Puertorican in NAME and nothing more.
And, by the way, if the Taller Boricua were to be relocated to another location/neighborhood would it stop being a Puertorican cultural institution?
What if, suddenly, the overwhelming majority of the population of el Barrio became Chinese/Taiwanese/Japanese , would el Taller still serve THAT community? Would IT be relevant to THAT community?
Taller Boricua
No matter what funding climate exists for Latino institutions versus non-Latino institutions THAT, in of itself, does not EXEMPT them from criticism.
If Taller is not doing its job–and that is the criticism–it does not matter whether their budget is $20,000 or $200,000….
Taller has become, whether you like it or not, a marginal and irrelevant Puertorican cultural instituion. I happen to think that it is precisely because of people like the current leaders who are stuck in 1960’s mentality.
info.
plase send me information. por favor mandenme por email mas informacion sobre lo que es “quarto que ne pon” i need to find out . thank you very much
RE: TUFINO Goes to El MUSEO
Here is the MEDIA attention in PR:
EL VOCERO
Tufiño en Casa Blanca y en el Museo del Barrio
María Suazo
Por: Jorge Rodríguez
Redactor ESCENARIO
Muchas cosas buenas inciden en la persona y obra del maestro Rafael Tufiño, como el homenaje que le celebran el Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña y la Legislatura de Puerto Rico, este próximo miércoles 30, a las 7:00 p.m., en los jardines de Casa Blanca, en el Viejo San Juan, así como el anuncio hecho por Andrés Marrero de Galerías Prinardi, su representante, y la directora del Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (MAPR), Carmen Teresa Ruiz de Fischler, de que su exposición retrospectiva “El pintor del pueblo” se instalará en el Museo del Barrio de Nueva York en marzo de 2003.
“La presentación de Tufiño en el Museo del Barrio será en marzo de 2003 y aunque la vamos a curar en el MAPR, debo decir que el catálogo —que ya está agotado— no podrá ser publicado completo como que tampoco se exhibirán todas las piezas expuestas aquí. No van a poder ser todas pero lo que se escoja, se constituirá en una gran proyección de ella”, dijo Ruiz de Fischler en ocasión de comentar la próxima exposición temática del MAPR en torno a la figura de Roberto Clemente.
Exponer una exhibición retrospectiva de alrededor de 300 piezas entre pinturas, dibujos, grabados, retratos, apuntes y todo tipo de memorabilia para algunos artistas puede parecer un descubrimiento, un retorno al pasado o la compilación de toda una obra para que se pueda apreciar en perspectiva, pero para el maestro Rafael Tufiño esta exposición titulada “Rafael Tufiño: Pintor del pueblo”, cuya curaduría ha estado a cargo de Teresa Tió, es sinónimo de la revelación de su diario íntimo.
“En mi caso, las obras mías las hacía y salían de mi casa para otra casa; y de esas, muchas, el público no las ha visto. Y yo, al verlas expuestas después de tanto tiempo me sentí como que estaba poniendo las páginas de mi diario que andaban sueltas, que ahora están todas unidas y se ven como más completas. Me alegró verlas y me sentí bien feliz porque ver todo el trabajo de uno junto es, qué se yo, una totalidad como que uno se ve. Me alegro por el pueblo de Puerto Rico porque muchas cosas que no se conocían, las vieron, y en Nueva York también, donde trabajé con el Taller Boricua de Lexington”, ha declarado El Tefo.
Un punto muy importante de la obra de Tufiño es que en Galerías Prinardi del condominio El Centro de Hato Rey se encuentran unas ediciones limitadas de aquellas planchas primigenias de Tufiño guardadas por el propio artista y su hija, entre las que se encuentran las originales de las series “El Café”, “La Plena”, “Hombre cortando caña”, “La carreta” y aquellas del Taller Boricua de Lexington, Nueva York tituladas “Bárbara I”, “Arruyo” y “Café Cyrano”. La mayoría de estos grabados, 41 en total, no sólo formarán parte de la retrospectiva en el Museo del Barrio sino que estas copias se pueden conseguir en esta localidad.
“Lo próximo del MAPR es la exposición ‘Home: una celebración del espíritu gigante de Roberto Clemente’, una exhibición de la figura de este puertorriqueño que trabajamos como héroe. Presentaremos su contribución no sólo al deporte sino que resaltaremos su imagen al darse a conocer por sus propios esfuerzos a nivel internacional fuera de Puerto Rico. Se le venera recordando sus hazañas porque queremos rescatar a esta figura heroica a 30 años de su desaparición, con todo su perfil humanitario a través de las imágenes fotográficas que presentaremos así como su memorabilia”, dijo la Directora, quien anunció que la exposición abre el sábado 14 de diciembre.
URL or address of web site
Go to the following
http://cuarto.quenepon.org/
URL or address of web site
Go to the following
http://cuarto.quenepon.org/
That’s not the case at all
Julia de Burgos develops programming mostly through the Taller Boricua. However, it also has a computer lab and runs a variety of workshops and provides space for artists and community groups either conduct their activities or run workshops.
the Puerto RIcan traveling theater allows the prtt to runs its actors training program through them. their theater engages several Puerto Rican and latino artists. this website ran its nuyorican cinema film program there. and there are also periodic screenings and festivals. so that the julia de burgos is indeed a cultural institution by providing space and opportunities to other community groups as well as sponsoring and running a variety of cultural activities.
the comparison to the hecksher building falls short since julia debBurgos is not simply a “shell” as the hecksher building is. julia de burgos explicitly states it is a “latino cultural center,” and is therefore focussed on bringing forth and maintaining latino talent.
RE: info.
if you cannot get to cuarto.quenepon.org on your Address bar, try going to WEPA.com and search it there. Youll get a page with the same address. Click that & itll take you right there.
RE: RE: info.
O, i see…the forward / at the end completes the address.
Bring back el Museo postings
It seems that the “old” postings regarding el Museo del Barrio need to be brought back by the Web Administrator….THAT subject has more discussion to go… people are going elsewhere to find the latest on el Museo…
Where are they going?
I’m off to the hospital. where are they going? I’d like to know.
Also, what is going on with the Museo now?
Where are they going?
all the previous postings regarding el Museo were removed some weeks ago–it was a different subject altogether.
BUT it seems to me that in connection with Taller Boricua, and since Mr. Salicrup WAS a candidate to the position of Director at el Museo, the postings ought to be brought back.
This wasy we can have a comprehensive, integrated discussion.
CHARAS and En Foco
Is CHARAS a Puerto Rican institution? Where is it now? And what about En Foco?
RE: Where are they going?
I am surprised to learn that FS was a candidate for the directorship of El Museo.
What does it mean to the integrity of El Taller if its principal sought a position with the institutions whose policies significantly contributed to the creation of El Taller.
RE: RE: Where are they going?
Red Planet has his history upside down.
El Taller was alive and kicking way before the Museo del Barrio. In fact Taller members served as midwives for El Museo´s birth.
Fernando Salicrup (FS) is a prize winning artist whose hands are full directing El Taller. He has shown no interest in the directorship of El Museo.
At the same time, like all of us who have supported El Museo thru the years, FS is fully committed to maintaining its grass roots, preserving its Boricua identity while offering a world class venue for the multi cultural artistic wealth of our big apple.
In conceiving the first community based museum in New York City, El`Museo del Barrio created a whole new dimension in the museum biz.
What other community in our city is so identified with the museum down the street to be be willing to fight over its vision?
That why is el Museo is the leading edge of “Museum Mile”.
RE: RE: Where are they going?
pastel didn’t say fs sought it. he said he was being considered.
question
how do you define the “community?” where are they?
i think of the Puerto Rican community as being in El Barrio, The Bronx, Los Sures, wherever there are Puerto Ricans — outside of Puerto RIco. i cringe at the thought of having Puerto Rico considered a “barrio,” it is a nation. so that el Museo del Barrio is the same as saying the People’s Museum. the people being puertorriqueños, el pueblo.
el Museo & Taller
Let’s get some things straight:
FACT: Nitza Tufin~o does not live nor work in el Barrio. I understand she either lives in New Jersey or Connecticut. Ms. Tufin~o was BORN in Mexico to a Mexican mother and a PR father.
FACT: Fernando Salicrup submitted his CV & credentials for the position of Executive Director of el Museo del Barrio. He was interviewed for the position. The position was filled by someone else.
FACT: According to the “official history” of Taller Boricua–check out their web page–it was founded in 1970. According to the “official history” of el Museo del Barrio, it was founded in 1969.
FACT: TODAY the largest group within the Hispanic population of EAST HARLEM, according to the US Census Bureau, are THE MEXICANS. The percentage of Puertorican IN el Barrio has and continues to DECLINE.
FACT: Given the opportunity of either showing the work (a retrospective) of Rafael Tufin~o at el Museo del Barrio early next year…..OR cancelling the show entirely as a sign of protest: Ms. Tufin~o CHOSE to keep the show at el Museo del Barrio.
a JOB is a JOB is a JOB
Red: The job at el Museo was a job like any other job. What is wrong with Fernando Salicrup applying for it?
He too has a mortgage/rent to pay like everybody elese and he is not getting any younger, like all of us.
I would like to say that so much of the discussion involves NOSTALGIA….”el Barrio used to be like this”…and so on.
THAT WAS THEN, this is NOW. What and who is el Barrio, RIGHT NOW. I see lots of Mexican taquerias, Dominican check cashing-money transfer stores. The Puertoricans grew UP and MOVED on…to pursue the American dream…they moved to the suburbs.
Puertorican ARE NOT arriving in WAVES to el Barrio TODAY…the Puertorricans are moving to ORLANDO, FL in huge droves…I heard a new museum of Puertorican culture is being started THERE!
The Civil Rights movement PASSED! THE WAR was WON! Affirmative Action, Contract set-asides HAVE BEEN IN PLACE FOR 30-40 YEARS!!!!!
RE: a JOB is a JOB is a JOB
I dont fault FS for seeking that position at all. (I dont agree that a job is a job, but I do feel that the older generation of community ‘fighters’ are entitled to positions that can offer stability and living salaries. Im not ready to say that institutions that are constantly suffering severe cutbacks necessarily offer the security we seek, but thats another story)
What I really meant was that in light of some notions that the two organizaitons are different enough to demark their place and role in the community (certainly as expressed in this forum), that FS applying for that position appears to belie the automonous posture being assume here.
It is not uncommon for the CEO of one corporation becoming the CEO of a competitor after leaving his postion. Is that what we are talking about.
Personally, I think FS would have made a great director of El Museo, but along with that it suggests that the two institutions are fusible.
Bogus issues surrounding “FACTS”
What is your point or points? — If any. The fact that Nitza Tufiño lives outside of El Barrio is meaningless. Are only those who live in El Barrio to speak about PR institutions and their role in the US? I agree with another posting that El Barrio really is a symbol for all of us who were born or reside in the US.
And what if FS did apply for the position? Who knows what motivated it? Do you? There might have been many reasons for applying.
And why should NT cancel the Tufiño exhibition. There are issues, certainly, but by no means have constructive engagements been exhausted.
Are you implying that NT should have pulled the exhibition? What of the contractual agreement to have it and the sponsors, etc. I don’t see any value in raising this. It as well as your other points are bogus issues.
FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES
It seems that you interpret facts as being opinions….they are most certainly not.
As I said at the outset certain things need to be set straight at the outset:
The opinions of NT need to be seen in the context of those facts. What YOU make out of it is fine, others may see something else: hypocrisy, double standards, “loud bark but little dog”, etc. to mention a few I have come across.
The above applies to others as well, including FS, MD, etc.
You may not know this but NT DID THINK LONG AND HARD OF CANCELLING THE SHOW.
NOW THAT would have taken guts to do and would have sent a big and serious message…..instead she waffled.
You may find facts bogus, but the truth is they ADD another dimension to the discussion…it throws light in places others may not want.