Mother, Bethel, Harlem, USA Symposium

Saturday, September 29, 2018

1:30pm - 7pm, Reception to follow day’s events

Hunter East Harlem Gallery
2180 3rd Ave at 119th Street
New York, NY 10035

Organized by the IMA MFA student artists, the symposium is a day full of speakers, poetry, and artists discussing and presenting projects addressing themes of Mother, Bethel, Harlem, USA.

1:30-2:30PM: Adrian "Viajero" Roman

Artist talk featuring Adrian "Viajero" Roman, whose work focuses on issues of race, migration and the Puerto Rican identity, will discuss his latest two installations: Picking Up The Pieces and Caja De Memoria Viva III: Sobrevivientes. Both provide an intimate view of life post-Maria, and reflects the unfortunate “new normal” being lived by the Puerto Rican people. Roman will discuss the process in creating both installations and will share videos and images of both works during the making off and the finished works.

The discussion is organized and moderated by Melissa Z. Montero.

2:30-3:30PM: Kathleen Benson

Kathleen Benson from East Harlem Preservation and Landmark East Harlem will talk about the Nuyorican Mural Culture in East Harlem, East Harlem Preservation and the mural arts of El Barrio. 

This program is organized by Cynthia Groya.

3:30-5:30PM: Taina Traverso, David Calvert, Rebecca Eddy, Tim Eddy and Oreste Cueller to discuss activism in East Harlem from the 50s to now.

Taina Traverso, Spiritual Activist & Artist

David Calvert, Activist and co-founder of Youth Action

Rebecca Eddy and Tim Eddy, daughter and son of activists Norman and Margaret Eddy

Oreste Cuellar, Senior Babalawo Priest and his translator Louis Marchi

This event is organized by Jacqueline Wade.

5:30-7:00PM: Young American Muslims share spoken word poetry about identity struggles related to being Muslim, Bengali and American. 

Artists: Kristoff Modeste, Himesh Maharjan, Mohammed Wasi, Tasnim Ahmed, Eva Jahan, Tazmin Haque, Romana Rubyy, Shahara Ahmed, Sayed Bhuiyan, Nusrath Nisha and Janis Mahnure.

This program was organized by Janis Mahnure.

Theater of the Oppressed Workshop with Gail Burton

Digital Diaspora PS (155) Class Reunion

Theater of the Oppressed Workshop

Thursday, September 27, 2018
6 - 8pm

Hunter East Harlem Gallery
2180 3rd Ave at 119th Street
New York, NY 10035

Attendees are invited to share photos and the stories/memories based on Thomas Allen Harris’ Digital Diaspora Family Reunion methodology in dialogue with Image Theater methodology in a workshop with specialist Gail Burton.

Biography

Gail Burton is a Joker of Theater of the Oppressed (TO) and member of the Theater of the Oppressed Laboratory Collective (TOPLAB) in NYC.  She is honored to have trained extensively with Augusto and Julian Boal and members of her collective. She has facilitated workshops since 2007 through TOPLAB and independently; and has trained TO practitioners in the U.S. and West Africa.  Burton has taught extensively at Emerson College, Roxbury Community College, Bunker Hill Community College, Trinity College and Harvard College and trained teachers for 10+ years taught the Masters of Theater Education program and the Institute for Urban Teaching at Emerson College and later at the Civil Rights Educators Institute that she co-created and facilitates in Little Rock, AR for the national historic site.