Poster announcing lecture by
New York Times
June 15, 2008
Guiding Hands Help Immigrant Artists Connect
By TINA KELLEY
Something about the man in the banana costume appealed to Ricardo Miranda Zúñiga. Maybe it was the sign he wore that read, “A banana from my country can travel easier than me.” Maybe it was the fruit-wearer’s free-spiritedness as he paraded in his peel through public places. Or maybe it was the Latino roots they shared.
So when Mr. Zúñiga, 37, a graphic artist from Brooklyn who also works with new media, was looking through the portfolios of immigrant artists who were seeking mentors, he picked Hatuey Ramos-Fermín, 30, a conceptual artist from the Bronx who has made videos of himself playing Benito Banana, a character he created to reflect on migration.
The two have met at least 10 times, attending lectures and museum openings and discussing their work and the common themes within, like immigration and globalization. They are part of a mentoring program run by the New York Foundation for the Arts that helps artists from abroad gain a toehold in the city’s diverse arts community.
Mr. Zúñiga’s parents are from Nicaragua, and Mr. Ramos-Fermín was born in the Dominican Republic, raised in Puerto Rico and educated in the Netherlands.
Mr. Ramos-Fermín says that being an immigrant inspires him. “I really enjoy being in a place I’ve never been to before,” he said. “I see things differently than someone who has lived here all your life.”
Michael L. Royce, the executive director of the arts foundation, said the mentoring program began in 2007. It is an offshoot of the foundation’s New York Creates program that helps folk and craft artists, many of whom are immigrants and need to connect with established artists.
“The mentors know the galleries, what’s hot, what’s wanted, what can sell,” he said. “They can help the mentees become fully immersed in what it takes to be successful.”
The mentorship program, which this year has 15 pairs of mentors and mentees, costs about $100,000 to run, and is supported with grants from the Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation and the Independence Community Foundation. Mr. Royce said his foundation was seeking financing to expand the program, which does not inquire about the immigration status of the artists seeking mentors...
for complete NYT article click here
By TINA KELLEY
Something about the man in the banana costume appealed to Ricardo Miranda Zúñiga. Maybe it was the sign he wore that read, “A banana from my country can travel easier than me.” Maybe it was the fruit-wearer’s free-spiritedness as he paraded in his peel through public places. Or maybe it was the Latino roots they shared.
So when Mr. Zúñiga, 37, a graphic artist from Brooklyn who also works with new media, was looking through the portfolios of immigrant artists who were seeking mentors, he picked Hatuey Ramos-Fermín, 30, a conceptual artist from the Bronx who has made videos of himself playing Benito Banana, a character he created to reflect on migration.
The two have met at least 10 times, attending lectures and museum openings and discussing their work and the common themes within, like immigration and globalization. They are part of a mentoring program run by the New York Foundation for the Arts that helps artists from abroad gain a toehold in the city’s diverse arts community.
Mr. Zúñiga’s parents are from Nicaragua, and Mr. Ramos-Fermín was born in the Dominican Republic, raised in Puerto Rico and educated in the Netherlands.
Mr. Ramos-Fermín says that being an immigrant inspires him. “I really enjoy being in a place I’ve never been to before,” he said. “I see things differently than someone who has lived here all your life.”
Michael L. Royce, the executive director of the arts foundation, said the mentoring program began in 2007. It is an offshoot of the foundation’s New York Creates program that helps folk and craft artists, many of whom are immigrants and need to connect with established artists.
“The mentors know the galleries, what’s hot, what’s wanted, what can sell,” he said. “They can help the mentees become fully immersed in what it takes to be successful.”
The mentorship program, which this year has 15 pairs of mentors and mentees, costs about $100,000 to run, and is supported with grants from the Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation and the Independence Community Foundation. Mr. Royce said his foundation was seeking financing to expand the program, which does not inquire about the immigration status of the artists seeking mentors...
for complete NYT article click here
2 comments:
Here's a picture of Hatuey:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrfrankrodriguez/2668124621/
He's cool and inspirational. Immigrant art is important to this country. It reminds us that of that constant need for new blood and the vitality it can bring.
Im a Chilean young artist inmigrating soon to New York, I Be happy to recieve comments about my work, and maybe, meet and chat. My videos arte about inmigration, and globalization.
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