Art Blog - Hispanic Art Scene

Hispanic Marathon Sunday in NYC.

Pictured to the right are Dr. Elelis Pena (Politician Sato Domingo) Julio C. Nunez (Director of the Immigrant Lives Oral History Project) Dr. Arturo Alvarez (Owner of Poesia magazine and distinguished Journalist)and Jose Acosta (Artist & Journalist)at Museum of the City of New York.

This past Sunday November 7, 2010 my wife and I had the privilege of visiting NYC to enjoy viewing the Marathoners running by Central Park and also visiting the newly renovated Museo del Barrio on 5th Ave and 104th Street. I have been a member of the Museum for many years but had not visited since the renovation. The New Museo del Barrio is great I like the architecture and the new spaces including the gift shop and cafeteria. The exhibitions were great and I enjoyed the "Discovering Nueva York" exhibition created by the New York Historical Society and El Museo del Barrio. I enjoyed seeing the pictures of some of my favorite artists as we entered the exhibition including Amelia Pelaez, Rufino Tamayo, Roberto Matta and David Alfaro Siqueiros. I was also able to see paintings by these artists inside on exhibition. In another gallery I was able to enjoy the contemporary art of artists that I admire and the most impressionable ones on me were the paintings by Cuban American artists Luis Cruz Azaceta and Puerto Rican Artist Arnaldo Roche Rabell. My Wife and I enjoyed the visit and then we were off to the Museum of the City of New York next door at 103rd Street.

We visited the Museum of the City of New York to attend the Association for Puerto Rican-Hispanic Culture, Inc. Event Rafael Hernandez-Sylvia Rexach Festival. There was music by Julio Rosaly, Trio Los Platinos and Carmen D. Lucca (President of APRHC)

The Association for Puerto Rican-Hispanic Culture, Inc. celebrated 46 years of cultural activism and exchange on behalf of the Puerto Rican and Hispanic communities of this great city. The APRHC also celebrates more than thirty years of partnership with the Museum of the City of New York, who provides them with performance space three times a year. The Museum of the City of New York has helped the APRHC present over one hundred concerts to date.

The Rafael Hernandez Festival was founded by Peter Bloch the Founder and President of APRHC from 1965 to 2008 as a personal homage to Don Rafael Hernandez in 1965, the festival functioned as an open air concert until 1979 and was revived by Carmen D, Lucca in 1991 and renamed the Rafael Hernandez-Sylvia Rexach Festival.

This Festival was a Tribute to Peter Bloch (1921-2008) Peter Bloch was a writer, historian, art and music critic, musicologist, author of numerous books including "la-le-lo-lai, Puerto Rican music and its performers and Painting and Sculpture of the Puerto Ricans. Peter Bloch was the founder-President of the Association for Puerto Rican -Hispanic Culture. He created the first Puerto Rican Library and Museum in North America. And was the pioneer of Puerto Rican art exhibitions in New York.

I enjoying the Concert with my wife and was able to talk with Carmen D, Lucca at the museum café and I also asked her to autograph her book "The Sunset Watcher" for me when the concert ended. I was able to sit and talk with my good friends Dr. Elelis Pena (Politician Sato Domingo) Julio C. Nunez (Director of the Immigrant Lives Oral History Project) and Dr. Arturo Alvarez ( Owner of Poesia magazine and distinguished Journalist) before the concert.

It was a great day and I enjoyed being a part of this special tribute to my good friend Peter Bloch. Peter meant and continues to mean so much to everyone who knew him. The concert was packed to standing room only with over 180 people in attendance. I am sure Peter Bloch is happy because his legacy and hard work live on in all of those he touched with his generosity.

Cuban American Artist & Journalist, Jose Acosta

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