\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t $\"Fb-Button\"$ \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>

A Journey to Awareness When You Least Expect It: Appreciating Latino<\/b> Culture\u00a0\u00a0 by Calvin Schwartz \u00a0 \u00a0 Jan 11^{th<\/sup> 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n}

<\/p>\n

$\"Latino\"$
Ricardo Fonseca’s ‘Act of Love-Trumpet’<\/p><\/div>\n
$\"Latino\"$
Jose Rodeiro ‘Picnic at Bath Beach’<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
$\"Latino\"$
setting up at Monmouth Museum with curator Monica Camin<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
$\"Latino\"$
announcing exhibit at Monmouth Museum<\/p><\/div>\n
This article title is aptly constructed. You go through life in Central Jersey and it seems sometimes you\u2019re a million miles away from relevance and meaning. But it\u2019s the same everywhere. Five years ago, when I was just beginning my journalism career, I happened upon Tent City, a plot of forest land in Lakewood, New Jersey where up to 100 people (humans) were living in tents for up to ten years, homeless and without electricity or running water. I least expected homelessness 20 miles from my home in comfortable Monmouth County. Ocean County had no provisions for homeless. Spending time there, I was changed irrevocably; I became aware of the devastating hopelessness of homelessness. Awareness is a gift.<\/p>\n
The gifts were many as a journalist these past five years. I also learned about hunger, musicians, autism, bipolar and PTSD. Then suddenly last summer, in August, I received an email from Monmouth Museum, actually while I was reclining on a beach chair at the Dead Sea in 111-degree temperature. I was invited to attend the September opening exhibit of an emerging artist, Dion Hitchings. It was mid-September when I found myself at the museum checking out a fascinating exhibit. The artist used Cheerio and donut boxes instead of canvas. When I finished, museum public relations head, Laura Oncea, asked if I\u2019d like to see a new exhibit that was being set-up in the main hall; Neo-Latino<\/i>: Critical Mass. The curator, Monica Camin and assistant, Nicole Sardone were busy setting up. I walked in, looked to my left and saw Ricardo Fonseca\u2019s \u201cAn Act of Love -Trumpet!\u201d It was captivating and riveting and made me think. I love to think.\u00a0 My wife and I absorbed the exhibit. I was hooked and engrossed but turned down an invitation to attend the exhibit opening reception on September 16^{th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n}
<\/p>\n
$\"Latino\"$
group shot with guests at NJ Discover LIVE TV Show October 2016<\/p><\/div>\n
$\"Latino\"$
TV Show in planning stage with Monica Camin & Dr. Jose Rodeiro<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
Driving home, perhaps less than a mile from the museum, my friend, epiphany, helped me reverse my decision. I called and accepted the invitation for the reception. Epiphany reminded me that at the reception, there would be a gathering of some of the most prominent Latino<\/u> artists in the country; some were PhDs and professors; all accomplished and successful. But present, beneath my soft cutaneous surface, were old and new stereotypes, many stuck in the current political climate. I hate stereotypes and falling into traps without being open minded. I\u2019m confronted by my own lack of awareness of Latino (Hispanic) culture and that frustrated that it existed in me. I never want to be on an ignorant bus driving along a Gulf of Mexico highway. I keep seeking understanding, relevance and diversity as I go through the maturation process. In thirty years or so, minorities in America will be a majority. Isn\u2019t it a good time to absorb, appreciate new vistas of culture? \u00a0Challenge your own assumptions.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
$\"Latino\"$
with Mario Tapia, Dr Carlos Hernandez & Monica Camin at Nuyorican Cafe NYC for Poetry Anthology<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
$\"Latino\"$
with Newark’s renowned artist, Hugo X Bastidas, Monica Camin, Dr. Carlos Hernandez and Anthology moderator & poet Alan Britt.<\/p><\/div>\n
The exhibit at Monmouth Museum,\u2019 Neo Latino: Critical Mass\u2019 was conceived at this pivotal time for the Latino voice, in the midst of an historic election and would stress the Latino cultural and socio-political experience. A collective of diverse artists was created to express a Latino voice in this new century. For me, that time has arrived; long overdue. Artists with roots or ties to Argentina, Columbia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Portugal and Spain were represented. \u00a0Before the reception, I sat in the garden (It was a late summer warm night) with the collective creators and curators, Raul Villareal, Dr. Jose Rodeiros, Monica Camin and Olga Mercedes Bautista. And then my favorite lightbulb went on; their energy lit my fire and I suggested doing an NJ Discover LIVE TV Show to further bring awareness to their work, culture and art. It was agreed and we did the show in October. Here is the link to \u201cNeo Latino Artists Come to NJ Discover Live TV.\u201d Please check it out. You\u2019ll get a chance to see and hear about some of the representative art.\u00a0 It was a great show. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=fMzmocQpu5s<\/a><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
$\"Latino\"$
with Duda Penteado, multimedia artist & anthology creative force<\/p><\/div>\n
$\"Latino\"$
Iconic George Nelson Preston who founded Artists Studio in 1959 reading his poetry<\/p><\/div>\n
A few weeks later artist (his work combines design, digital manipulation, digital art illustration, photography and sometimes animation and sound) Ricardo Fonseca invited me to attend the \u2018We Are You Project\u2019 Poetry Anthology Reading on October 27^{th<\/sup> at New York\u2019s Nuyorican Caf\u00e9 on the lower East Side. Another evening, this time with some of the country\u2019s most prolific, prominent Latino poets. For me, it was a continuance of my recent journey to Latino cultural awareness. A commitment to mind expansiveness and learning. This notion securely etched in the stone of my determination. I let Woodstock in 1969 and Dr. King\u2019s March on Washington and \u201cI Have a Dream\u201d speech in August, 1963 pass me by. No more moments in life would be unattended. Even though that night produced a cold heavy rain storm, I trained into the city with Monica Camin, curator of the \u201cNeo Latino-Critical Mass\u201d exhibit.<\/p>\n}
Indeed, so well worth the drenching trip. The caf\u00e9 was alive with Latino artists and poets, dramatically reading some of their works. I had a chance to meet and chat with Dr. Carlos Hernandez, former President of New Jersey City University, Mario Tapia, President of the Latino Center on Aging and Duda Penteado, artist, poet and Brazilian-American. All three, so instrumental in putting this night together and more importantly, developing new, transcultural tools to help the emerging modern Hispanic population. Represented this night was work from the Beat Generation with George Nelson Preston. I was a happy guy. It brought me home to where\/when I came from. There was so much more words\/works that harvested emotion, diversity, passion, freedom and justice. I could write pages now about what I absorbed. I felt so elevated being there. I was alive again. I love the feeling of input and knowledge and involvement. Best if you all catch a flavor of the individual works that night, Go to:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.weareyouproject.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n
and visually journey into the culture. Their culture is part of our American culture. It\u2019s who we are; a nation of immigrants and a melting pot of diversity and creativity. I marvel at the universe for lighting my fire and bringing me here to awareness. There is a purpose to things; an order in the universe. Earlier this summer, I had a chance to interview Laurie Hernandez, a 16-year-old American- Latino gymnast just before she left for the Olympics where she won a Gold and Silver Medal. A few months ago, she dazzled America winning \u2018Dancing with the Stars.\u2019 Then in November, I went to an evening of Comedy at the Headliner in Neptune Township featuring Peaches Rodriguez, a well-known Latino comedian.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
$\"Latino\"$
early in summer with Laurie Hernandez, Gold Medal Olympian Gymnast & winner of ‘Dancing with the Stars’<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
My journey these past few months has been very special absorbing Latino culture as part of the promise of America. I\u2019ve also done serious work with education and the promise it affords our future. I feel like I\u2019m on that mountain top, looking down, beyond my long white beard which touches my knees. I understand things better now. I know education is what can help so many problems of the world. It\u2019s a gift we need to share. I\u2019m on a wonderful path. I love awareness and Latino culture. For me, it\u2019s all a wondrous beginning; a new world; and an expected lot of miles yet to travel. And so it goes.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t $\"Fb-Button\"$ \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>
<\/fb:like><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Journey to Awareness When You Least Expect It: Appreciating Latino Culture\u00a0\u00a0 by Calvin Schwartz \u00a0 \u00a0 Jan 11th 2017 Ricardo Fonseca’s ‘Act of Love-Trumpet’ Jose Rodeiro ‘Picnic at Bath Beach’ setting up at Monmouth Museum with curator Monica Camin announcing exhibit […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[417,412,416,413,414,415],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vichywater.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3515"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vichywater.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vichywater.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vichywater.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vichywater.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3515"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.vichywater.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3515\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3527,"href":"http:\/\/www.vichywater.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3515\/revisions\/3527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vichywater.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vichywater.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vichywater.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}