Eastside Explorations

“ El Barrio” meaning neighborhood in  Spanish Harlem…… is awesome !!!

Our first stop was El Museo del Barrio …featuring an exhibition of the Caribbean of the Worlds.  It is a museum that fosters the Spanish culture and educates the young of the neighborhood.

Originally for the Puerto Rican community and now includes all of Latin America (BG,p.376).

Started in 1969by Raphael Montiego Ortiz in one room in a public school

It is a home for artist and educators to use their art to involve the community, to do art with the community.

Public art is important in this community, for political consciousness and is displayed in the neighborhood in public spaces so as to try to keep hold of the culture.

Lucas (artist educator) our poet proudly talked and showed us about his neighborhood, it’s culture, the people, and the food.

Julia de Burrgos  a poet born in Puerto Rico, she was an advocate for Puerto Rico's independence. She collapsed on the streets of Spanish Harlem and died in the hospital. Not having any ID on her she was given a pauper's burial. Later her family and friends were able to trace her remains and claimed her. They brought her back to the Island's where she received a hero's burial.

It has to be from here,

right this instance,

my cry into the world.

My cry that is no more mine,

but hers and his forever,

the comrades of my silence,

the phantoms of my grave. 

-Julia Burrgos wrote her last poem while she was in the hospital.

James De La Vega an artist that plastered is art all over the neighborhood (Spanish Harlem). Each piece tells a story often incorporating the community to help with his work. 


For lunch we  stopped for Dominican food…. yummy.....ox tail, rice and beans, yucca and roasted chicken... I will definitely be going back there to eat.

The Museum of the City of New York a must go especially if you are a New Yorker!

The main exhibit is The Grid- a layout of Manhattan from the beginning to now. We saw a 25 minute film that gives a quick overview of the city’s growth from the Dutch Colony to its present state.

At the Museum there was also an exhibit called The Stories on the Street... it was perfect to watch and see people going about there everyday life.

Once again braving it out in 90 plus degrees we walk through Central Park and around the Resovoir to debrief about what we are experiencing and what is our impression of NY now as compared to when we first started..... ahh!!! I don't want the class to end.....