Journal #6: The Eastside “Este Lado” I think?

            So the sun is out, the birds are chirping, but man is it hot! As Maria and I waited for the train to arrive, we made sure we had enough cold water for the day. I knew it was going to be boiling hot, when I was sweating just standing still. Even though it was going to be a sweaty day, you push on and make the best of it. After breakfast, we made our way over to where the class meets every week. Mike and Damian discussed how we were going to go to Spanish Harlem. Interesting! So after our “hellos” were said and done, we were off!

            Our first stop was the El Museo Del Barrio. From my last encounter with Harlem, I knew not to have any preconceived notions about an area. When I walked into the museum I was in awe. It was up to date, modern, and aimed towards the Hispanic culture. This museum is dedicated to Puerto Rican, Caribbean, and Latin American culture. The museum was founded in 1969 by community activists, teachers, and artists. It was first located in a classroom in a public school, then moved to several store fronts, and finally ended up in its home building (BG, 376). When I walked into the galleries there were art forms of all different kinds. I even watched a movie on this Hispanic man who chewed on tree bark to get the water from inside. It was interesting, definitely opened my eyes to the different methods of art. The museum’s collection includes pre-Columbian artifacts, traditional Caribbean and Latin American arts, 20th century prints, drawings, paintings, sculptures and installations, photography, documentary films, and videos (BG, 377). Surprisingly, I found out that the children who are part of this school also get to show case their art. I feel that this is essential for the community. Children can express their feelings, attitudes, and emotion through all different forms of art. The show case at El Museo Del Barrio helps them to dig deep into inspiration so that their work is “perfect” by the time they want to share it with the public. I can only think of how proud I would be of myself to have one of my pieces show cased as a kid. Now it was time to have a walking tour of Spanish Harlem. We met out tour guide Louis. He was charismatic, captivating, and had so much love for the community he was part of. He started off my saying “Diversity if Wealth.” I could not agree more with him. First we visited the graffiti wall of fame. It was started in 1968 by stingray. Louis explained how it is the folk art of New York. It is part of the world wide culture of Hip Hop. Essentially, graffiti was born here around the same time that Hip Hop evolved out of New York. Louis explained how Italian muralists get paid to do graffiti and New York graffiti artists just want a place to express their passion. He explained how artists usually draw over billboards, such as Cocoa Cola. These artists feel that their art is just as important, if not more important than the message the soda company is trying to convey. There is a sense of inequality for these people who just want their master pieces to be portrayed.

We then learned about Manny Vega. Louis told us that his pieces are seen all over East Harlem. His art is mostly based off of West African Spirituality. He has the up most respect for his African roots. We saw one of Manny Vegas pieces called Julia De Burgos Mural. Julia De Burgos was a poet that was destined to be the greatest poet of the Americas. She was a Puerto Rican nationalist and activist for women’s rights. His art piece magnifies exactly what Julia De Burgos stood for and shows how much respect he has for her. We then saw this dove piece that Manny Vega constructed. It is unique, because people can draw their own doves and put it on the wall. People are able to show how they represent and contribute themselves to the community through this piece. We then walked into their beautiful garden where there was a fountain running. Louis told us that the piece represented fallopian tubes. It was kind of funny, but I guess the artist was showing women pride. They were the most beautiful and unique fallopian tubes I have ever seen (hahahah)!  

We then made our way to the Spirit of East Harlem. This was established in 1974 with the help of Manny Vega. There’s a closeness that is represented in the picture, because there is so many people is such a small amount of space. Louis explained how culture can be passed down as simple as just sitting on the stoop. There is a piece of the picture with older brothers and younger sisters. Family had to fend for one another. This piece truly captivated what the vibe of East Harlem truly was. Louis then bought us to a gallery where we could see pictures of gang life and how corrupt the city could be. Before entering the gallery, he narrated one of his own poems. The passion he had in his voice and the words he spoke were inspirational.  When I entered the room of pictures, I was amazed.

There were pictures of drug deals, fathers teaching their babies how to use a gun, and tattoos of all kinds. It’s crazy to think that these types of events still take place. We ended the tour at this little herbal shop owned by Jorge Vargas. He explained how he has been on 104^th street since 1954. When I looked around I saw old fashioned remedies, medicines, and scents to heal the sick. He explained how all of the remedies are based off his culture. Jorge is trying to base his shop off of pure culture but it is getting hard as the years pass. Because of the event that took place on 9/11, he can no longer import goods from his home country. As for Gentrification of East Harlem, he stated they would have to physically carry him out of his store. The community has been so good to him, he would never close. At this point the tour had ended and we said our good byes to Louis. I would definitely recommend taking a tour with him. His passion for the community makes it that much better!   

            At this point, it was lunch time. I was so excited for Mexican! I absolutely love Mexican food. So Dan, Maria, and I all headed down to the corner to grab a bite to eat at this cute little Mexican place. The steak burrito was to die for. The burritos were the size of a small baby! The guacamole, salsa, and beans were made to perfection. For eights dollars, you left with a full tummy and a smile on your face!

            Our next stop was the Museum of the City of New York. This was a place where exhibitions were displayed that showed the city’s history from as early as the Dutch Colonial to the present time. The museum was founded in 1923 and contains more than 3 million artifacts (BG, 376).  We then were able to watch a movie that gives a summary of the city’s development through the years. The movie starts out by saying “Our streets are calendars, continuing who we were and who we will be next.” That statement could not be truer. As we talk to more and more people in the community, they always express how they became the people they are because of their community. After the movie, I went into a room where I saw the different designs of a living room through different time periods. The “period rooms recreate interiors from the homes of prominent New Yorkers, notably John D. Rockefeller Sr. (BG, 376).”

 Before I left the museum, I went into Activist New York. This room explores the activism of New York City from the 17^th century to present time. I thought the activism on the mosque being built near the World Trade Center site was interesting. It was fascinating to see activism during the 2000’s. Because 9/11 is so dear to my heart, I liked to read up on both views and see what is being done these days to resolve these disputes. One day I would like to come back and visit the toy collection. There are over “100,000 dolls, books, soldiers, trains, boats, and puppets from the colonial period to the present time (BG, 376).”

            Now it was time to walk through the Conservatory gardens, through central park. This part of the park is split up into 3 smaller gardens. Each has a very individual style: French, Italian and English. The Conservatory Garden is an “officially designated Quiet Zone and offers a calm and colorful setting for a leisurely stroll, and intimate wedding, or an escape with a good book.”  The park was scenic. It looked like a picture out of a book, it was gorgeous. My feet were burning by this time, but you have to suck it up and keep walking. Just like the rain, the heat was not going to stop me from getting all that I wanted out of this trip.  

            When I heard that we would be vising the Five Pointz Graffiti Park, I immediately became excited. People from all over the world come and create their master pieces on 200,000 square feet of building. Mike explained to us how artists can come and paint over one another’s pieces. I thought that was kind of sad and wished that there was another place that graffiti artists can display their work. Mike also told us that the building they “create” on is up for sale. I can only hope that a person who approves of Five Pointz will buy it. There is so much history and creativity within this building, I can’t see it going to waste. This park has changed my entire perception of what graffiti is. I always thought graffiti was just a sign of what gang a person belonged to. This park taught me that graffiti is a form of art, expression, and ultimately a talent that people acquire. I can only pray that this park will stay open for many years to come.

            We then made our way to Long Island City! Once a place of factories and garbage, it has now evolved into a focal point for modern art (BG, 495). We saw condos that are going for millions of dollars and the pier was absolutely stunning. There was music playing, people dancing, and it was overall an entertaining experience. At one point in time it was a loading dock, now it has evolved into one of the most vibrant part of queens!

            I had an absolute BLAST today! I did more in the city today, then I ever did in my life time. We adventured, explored, and most of all were educated about what East Harlem has to offer. As the weeks progress, I want to take in all that the city has to offer. I know now more than ever, that you never stop learning with the city. Every step you take there is another site, sculpture, or building to learn about!