El Museo del Barrio…Reopens!

I woke up this morning with a little list of things to do today. But the one thing on my list, the one thing circled in a big red circle on my calendar was the reopening of El Museo del Barrio.

Back in the day, when I was a young women in college and single…and childless, I spent many quiet afternoons walking through the Museo. I was madly in love with the Latino art I saw there.  It was a wonderful place for me to visit and reconnect with my culture and discover other sides of it through the art of the many Latinos celebrated there. It was the only place in New York City where I could find such a collection. No one was really celebrating Latino artists collectively like this at the time, and in great part that is exactly the reason why the Museo came to be in the first place.

Founded by artist and educator Raphael Montañez Ortiz and a coalition of parents, educators, artists, and activists 40 years ago, El Museo for me and for many has always been our refuge, our source of pride, our bragging right. A jewel of El Barrio, a New York City treasure, it’s doors sadly closed last year to undergo renovations.

There was talk that maybe the Museo was disconnecting from it’s home, no longer a representation of the Barrio, no longer a member of it’s community.

But today before I even entered the Museo I could hear the sounds of the tambores filling up 5th Avenue with the “tat-tat-tat” of Latin beats. I saw a women who resembled my Abuelita, dressed in simple attire, walk in with a younger man who helped her through her steps, her eyes and smile widening as she entered. I saw members of my generation, now grown, many with kids, standing in the white tent set up for the occasion, pride on their faces as they stopped to have their photos taken for the website.

And when I walked in I couldn’t believe my eyes. It wasn’t the same little Museo..but then again, we are no longer a “little” community…and our voices are no longer as unheard as before.  We deserve this, our community deserves this, and so  does our beloved city.

Regardless of what others may say, this will always be El Museo DEL BARRIO. Walk through the display and you see our history, our voices, our images there. Some may argue that it is too “upscale” and I then ask, “Too upscale for whom?” Certainly not for this proud Dominican/Nuyorican! Certainly not for the members of the community. Certainly not for the many New Yorkers who would enjoy coming here, Latino or not.

My family and I enjoyed a beautiful story time through stage performance of Estrellita Se Despide De Su Isla in the Theater (all three of my boys LOVED this), the wonderful exhibits, including Nexus New York, and danced to the sounds of El Zon del Barrio and Yerbabuena.  Unfortunately, because I was with my little ones who grew tired of all the excitement way before we did, we missed seeing Soledad O’Brien’s special preview of Latino in America (but I got the book from the gift shop!).

I invite you to visit El Museo del Barrio, and even become a member.  Support its efforts and the artists it welcomes there.  It remains a source of pride for me, I am beyond thrilled that its doors are once again opened. No matter what your heritage, what your background, this is a piece of revived New York history you won’t want to miss!

You also won’t want to miss ¡Super Sabados! Target Free Third Saturdays, giving you and anyone you know an opportunity to enjoy all the Museo has to offer and experience Latino Culture through an array of workshops, exhibitions, activities, and more.

For more info check out El Museo del Barrio online.

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Tags: El Museo del Barrio, family activities, kid friendly, Latino Culture, nyc, Raphael Montañez Ortiz
Posted in Adventures, Cool Finds, Museums/Science Centers/Tours | 6 Comments »