Puerto Rican Community Education Posters: 1947-1990 - Exhibit Opening

English 

After WWII and a decade of experience with New Deal programs, Puerto Rico was on it’s way to becoming a modern industrial society. Art was placed at the center of a massive public education campaign aimed at teaching the rural population about community self-reliance, democracy, public health, education, conflict resolution and the appreciation of Puerto Rico’s cultural traditions. 
     Artists, writers, and filmmakers joined the social experiment, carried out by means of the creation of popular books, movies, posters, and a variety of educational programs.  Stateside artists and writers like Robert Gwathney, Edwin Rosskam, and Jack and Irene Delano joined local Puerto Rican artists like Lorenzo Homar, Julio Rosado del Valle, Rafael Tufiño, Eduardo Vera Cortés, and José Meléndez Contreras.  Together they produced a heritage of graphic art pieces, considered among the best in America.

On April 25th at 6:00 PM at Holyoke’s Open Square Gallery Mill 4, the Puerto Rican Cultural Project will open the doors to Puerto Rican Community Education Posters: 1947-1990, four-week exhibit showcasing some of these noteworthy works of art that have become national treasures. This exhibition of works bearing the DivEdCo (Division of Community Education of Puerto Rico) collection signature is part of the Points of View series of art and cultural events taking place during April 2013 in venues throughout Holyoke’s Arts Innovation district.
     Admission is free. Points of Views is sponsored by the Holyoke Public Library and the City of Holyoke Office of Economic Development. For more information call the Library (413-322-5640) or visit the facebook page of the Puerto Rican Cultural Project.

Map with directions to Open Square Mill 4  

Español
                                                                                                   
Después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial y tras una década de experiencia con los programas del Nuevo Trato, Puerto Rico se aprestaba a convertirse en una sociedad industrial. Como parte del esfuerzo de modernización, las artes se colocaron en el centro de una masiva campaña de educación pública para instruir a la población rural en asuntos de auto-gestión, democracia, salud pública, educación, resolución de conflictos y apreciación de las tradiciones culturales.
     El experimento social se valió de libros populares, películas, carteles y diversos programas educativos.  Este esfuerzo juntó los nombres de artistas y escritores como Robert Gwathney, Edwin Rosskam y Jack e Irene Delano con los de artistas de la isla como Lorenzo Homar, Julio Rosado del Valle, Rafael Tufiño, Eduardo Vera Cortés y José Meléndez Contreras. A ellos se les acredita la producción de un acervo de obras de artes gráficas consideradas entre las mejores de América.
     El 25 de abril a las 6:00 PM en el Open Square Mill 4 de Holyoke, el Proyecto Cultural Puertorriqueño inaugura la exhibición Carteles de Educación a la Comunidad de Puerto Rico: 1947-1990 una muestra de este valioso legado cultural conservado bajo la rúbrica de la División de Educación a la Comunidad (DivEdCo). La exhibición es parte dePoints of View, serie de eventos artísticos y culturales presentados durante el mes de abril de 2013 por la Biblioteca Pública de Holyoke y la Oficina Económica de Holyoke.
     La entrada es libre. Para más información llame a la Biblioteca (413-322-5640) o busque la página del Puerto Rican Cultural Project en Facebook 

Mapa con instrucciones 

Jeff Kust (right) plays cuatro accompanied by José González in the guitar. 

The place was packed with an audience from Holyoke and the Valley. The music was superb. This was a historical multicultural event for the Holyoke people of all national backgrounds. Keep in touch for next coming events.

Thanks to all who helped this become a memorable evening.

!Feliz Navidad! Merry Xmas!

From La Montaña to Main St: The Cuatro Concert

Kick-off Christmas bicultural concert Concierto para el saque navideño

* 1 de diciembre / December 1st: 2012 7 PM
* Our Lady of the Cross Parish Hall / Salón Actividades de la Parroquia Our Lady of the Cross 

The Puerto Rican cuatro will be the star instrument in a Christmas music concert by American-born Jeff Kust and Puerto Rican-born José González. The concert is a production of the Puerto Rican Cultural Project with the Holyoke Public Library and is sponsored by Baystate Health.  Kust and González will play a reportoire of traditional and modern American and Puerto Rican Christmas music. /  El cuatro puertorriqueño será el instrumento principal en el concierto de música navideña a cargo de Jeff Kust, de Chicago y José González, de Amherst, producido por el Puerto Rican Cuatro Project con la Biblioteca Pública de Holyoke y auspiciado por Baystate Health. Kust y González ofrecerán un repertorio de música navideña tradicional y moderna tanto americana como típica de Puerto Rico. 

Jeff Kust is a world renown composer and guitar player living in Chicago, who have recenlty adopted the cuatro as his signature instrument.  The cuatro is a small 10-string instrument credited with being the Puerto Rican iconic instrument.  José González living in Amherst is a composer, guitar player, and cuatro virtuoso. / Jeff Kust es un compositor reconocido a nivel mundial y guitarrista de Chicago, que recientemente adoptó el cuatro como su instrumento musical. El cuatro, un instrumento pequeño de diez cuerdas, es reconocido como el instrumento nacional de Puerto Rico. José González, natural de Puerto Rico y residente de Amherst, es un guitarrista y compositor quien también es virtuoso en el cuatro. 

From La Montaña to Main St: The Cuatro Concert will be held on Saturday, December 1st, 7 PM at Our Lady of the Holy Cross Parish Hall (23 Sycamore St, Holyoke, MA 01040- between Dwight and Appleton). Parking provided on premises. Admission: Adults $10 | Children 3-12 $3 | Under 3 Free. Tickets at Holyoke Public Library, temporarily housed by Holyoke City Hall, and at the event. For info call María Pagán, Library Director: 413-322-5640. See a maphere. / El concierto se  llevará a cabo el sábado, 1 de diciembre, a las 7 p.m. en el salon de actividades de la iglesia Our Lady of the Cross, anteriormente Holy Cross, entre las calles Dwight y Appleton, de Holyoke. Estacionamiento disponible en la parte posterior del local. Admisión: donación sugerida Adultos $ 10 | Niños entre 3 y 12 años: $3 | Menores de 3 años gratis. Boletos disponibles en la Biblioteca Pública de Holyoke, localizada en el segundo piso de la alcaldía de Holyoke. También a la entrada del concierto. Para más información, llame a María Pagán, directora de la Biblioteca Pública de Holyoke: 413-322-5640. Ver mapa aquí.

* * *

On the cuatro players / Sobre los artistas invitados: 

Jeff Kust is a successful composer and guitar player who have been presented throughout the USA, Europe, and Brazil, both as a soloist and as guest player with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Kust is also frequently invited to play with rock bands and for life theater productions, and movie soundtracks. He has B.A. and M.A. degrees in classic guitar and a B.A. in music education. His most recent CDs are Illumination, and a Cuatro Christmas, the first CD ever by an American music player performed entirely with the cuatro. / Jeff Kust es un guitarrista exitoso que ha realizado giras por los Estados Unidos, Europa y Brasil tanto como  solista, así como artista invitado de la Orquesta Sinfónica de Chicago. Kust es, además, un asiduo invitado de bandas de rock para producciones de teatro y bandas sonoras. Posee un bachillerato y una maestría en interpretación de guitarra clásica y un bachillerato en educación musical. Sus dos CDs más recientes son Ilumination y A Cuatro Christmas, primer CD de un músico americano ejecutado en su totalidad con el cuatro puertorriqueño. 

José González is a first order composer and player of contemporary Latin music living in Amherst, MA.  He has been acclaimed for his traditional, classic, and popular music compositions featuring the cuatro. González was music director for Holyoke Public Schools and director of Criollo Clásico, a music ensemble enjoying great popularity in the Pioneer Valley.  His music have been included in three Putumayo World Music collections and in the soundtrack for the TV series Visions of Puerto Rico by PBS.  He graduated from the University of Puerto Rico and from Puerto Rico Music Conservatory.  José González es un artista de primera categoría de la música contemporánea latina,  aclamado por sus composiciones que cuentan con el cuatro en la música tradicional, popular y clásica.  Fue director de música de las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke y director del popular conjunto musical regional Criollo Clásico. Es graduado de la Universidad de Puerto Rico en humanidades y música, graduado del Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico, ha recibido varios premios, incluyendo la Hispanic Excellence in Music Award (2006) de la Hispanic Professional Network. Su música ha aparecido en tres recopilaciones Putumayo World Music y en la banda sonora de la producción Visions of Puerto Rico de la cadena PBS.

Film Series on Puerto Rican Folk Music to Continue Next Thursday, November 1st 2012

Photo Manuel Frau

William Cumpiano speaks to a group of Holyokers ahead of the screening of the film The Puerto Ricans and Their Stringed Instruments, Vol I. Cumpiano shared information on the Cuatro Project and the making of the only documentary on the Puerto Rican cuatro.

Miguel González "Pico de Oro"

From Cidra To Springfield: Miguel González, The “Golden Beak” (Wilfredo Echevarría)
The film follows the life and career of Miguel González, a traditional jíbaro décima singer who was the past Grand Marshall of the New York City Puerto Rican Day Parade. Transplanted from his family home in Cidra, Puerto Rico, to Springfield, Massachusetts—where he has lived most of his life—González has continued the old ways of décima troubadours and still performs on stages across the State. (25 minutes, Spanish with English subtitles)

The Puerto Rican Décima (Myriam Fuentes) (Info in Spanish)
On the 400th anniversary of Don Quixote, a group of renowned décima troubadours came together to pay homage to the most eminent work of literature in the Spanish language and to revive the “Mesa Redonda” or Round Table: a challenging competition among the best décima poets who are expected to compose verses on the fly. (25 minutes, Spanish with English subtitles)

Posted 30th October 2012 by Alonso

Puerto Rican Music Film Series in October and November 2012

Puerto Rican Music Film Series in October and November

In partnership with ENVISION DEPOT SQUARE HOLYOKE, Puerto Rican Cultural Project is presenting a three-day video documentary series focusing on Puerto Rican music and culture.

       

What is Envision Depot Square Holyoke?

A series of public venues to learn more about new opportunities for economic and community development in the Depot Square district in the city of Holyoke, where passenger train service is returning.

Activities include public dialogues with community leaders on History and Culture, Economic Development, and Health and Wellness.  There will be demos, food, music and dancing.  Screening of documentaries on the cuatro and jíbaro music will take part at Rosary Towers. All films have English subtitles.