Historias is excited to partner with MCNY to present a conversation on Printing Nueva York with author Kelley Krietz. Krietiz’s groundbreaking study maps the vibrant world of nineteenth-century Spanish-language print culture in New York, tracing networks of Cuban émigrés, political exiles, and Puerto Rican intellectuals who used newspapers, pamphlets, and literary journals to shape public discourse and assert self-representation.

Using Printing Nueva York as a historical anchor, the conversation will reflect on the longer continuities of Latinx knowledge circulation in New York—from nineteenth-century print networks to contemporary digital humanities projects such as Nueva York Chronicles. Kelly will be joined by Alana Casanova-Burgess, host and producer of WNYC’s NPR podcast La Brega. 

This conversation is moderated by Monxo López, MCNY’s Curator of Community Histories with an opening performance by Urayoán Noel, a writer, translator, and performer based in the Bronx who also is an Associate Professor of English, Spanish and Portuguese at New York University.

Tickets are limited, reserve yours here.

Cristina Candela is a Spanish flamenco dancer and multidisciplinary artist based in New York City. With nearly twenty years of professional experience, she has performed internationally across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. She was a headliner at the Ankara International Flamenco Festival and has appeared at renowned venues including Los Tarantos in Barcelona, Café Flamenco Zyriab in Madrid, and Alegrías at La Nacional in New York. She is the director and lead dancer of the Candela Flamenco Ensemble and creator of Flamenco Jazz Jam and the contemporary performance NANA, bridging traditional flamenco with improvisation, live music, and cross-cultural collaboration.

Reserve tickets here.

Limited seating.

Teatro LATEA, under the direction of Miguel Trelles, proudly presents the Festival de la Francophonie—a vibrant, electrifying celebration of the French language and the rich diversity of Francophone cultures from around the world!

Now, in 2026, history is being made as Teatro LATEA hosts the Festival for the very first time! This landmark edition, curated by Carole Alexis, bursts to life with a bold and dynamic program featuring French-language cinema, engaging conferences, dazzling dance, live concerts, theatrical performances, vibrant discussions, and so much more.

This is more than a series of events—it is an immersive cultural journey. Audiences connect with Francophones and Francophiles alike, participate in meaningful community-building experiences, and feel the pulse of a language and culture that continues to inspire the world.

And as the Festival reaches its grand finale, the celebration rises to its most joyful height—ending in a spirited party filled with music, movement, laughter, and connection. Artists and audiences come together, cultures mingle, and the night sparkles with festivity and shared joy. It is a radiant, unforgettable celebration that keeps the spirit of Francophonie alive long after the final note fades.

Reserve seating here.

Limited seating.

Teatro LATEA, under the direction of Miguel Trelles, proudly presents the Festival de la Francophonie—a vibrant, electrifying celebration of the French language and the rich diversity of Francophone cultures from around the world!

Now, in 2026, history is being made as Teatro LATEA hosts the Festival for the very first time! This landmark edition, curated by Carole Alexis, bursts to life with a bold and dynamic program featuring French-language cinema, engaging conferences, dazzling dance, live concerts, theatrical performances, vibrant discussions, and so much more.

This is more than a series of events—it is an immersive cultural journey. Audiences connect with Francophones and Francophiles alike, participate in meaningful community-building experiences, and feel the pulse of a language and culture that continues to inspire the world.

And as the Festival reaches its grand finale, the celebration rises to its most joyful height—ending in a spirited party filled with music, movement, laughter, and connection. Artists and audiences come together, cultures mingle, and the night sparkles with festivity and shared joy. It is a radiant, unforgettable celebration that keeps the spirit of Francophonie alive long after the final note fades.

Reserve seating here.

Limited seating.

Teatro LATEA, under the direction of Miguel Trelles, proudly presents the Festival de la Francophonie—a vibrant, electrifying celebration of the French language and the rich diversity of Francophone cultures from around the world!

Now, in 2026, history is being made as Teatro LATEA hosts the Festival for the very first time! This landmark edition, curated by Carole Alexis, bursts to life with a bold and dynamic program featuring French-language cinema, engaging conferences, dazzling dance, live concerts, theatrical performances, vibrant discussions, and so much more.

This is more than a series of events—it is an immersive cultural journey. Audiences connect with Francophones and Francophiles alike, participate in meaningful community-building experiences, and feel the pulse of a language and culture that continues to inspire the world.

And as the Festival reaches its grand finale, the celebration rises to its most joyful height—ending in a spirited party filled with music, movement, laughter, and connection. Artists and audiences come together, cultures mingle, and the night sparkles with festivity and shared joy. It is a radiant, unforgettable celebration that keeps the spirit of Francophonie alive long after the final note fades.

Reserve seating here.

Limited seating.

Havanafama Theatrical Co. and Teatro LATEA are proud to present two plays by the esteemed cuban playwright, Hector Santiago: 

Saturday, 14th of March @ 8:00pm: La Diva en la Octava Casa, a farce with vampiric overtones in which a legendary diva maintains, year after year, her eternal beauty and irresistible power. To achieve this, she summons secretaries with particular qualities: young, brilliant, and capable of imitating her perfectly. But when the new secretary discovers the secret hidden behind her immortal charm, the power game takes an unexpected turn.

Sunday, 15th of March @ 5:00pm: Balada de un Verano,  an intimate and deeply familial human story. Santiago returns to his childhood home after years of absence, confronting his sister Teresa and the memories of a past marked by rejection and silence. Among hidden letters, irreparable losses, and old wounds, the siblings reunite at a moment when pain gives way to forgiveness.

Both plays are performed entirely in Spanish. After Sunday's performance, we invite you to a special reception celebrating the career of  Héctor Santiago. There will be food and beverages, and the opportunity to share and connect with fellow artists and friends of the latin american theater community.

Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at https://teatrolatea.org/events/  or at the door the day of the performance.

Havanafama Theatrical Co. and Teatro LATEA are proud to present two plays by the esteemed cuban playwright, Hector Santiago: 

Saturday, 14th of March @ 8:00pm: La Diva en la Octava Casa, a farce with vampiric overtones in which a legendary diva maintains, year after year, her eternal beauty and irresistible power. To achieve this, she summons secretaries with particular qualities: young, brilliant, and capable of imitating her perfectly. But when the new secretary discovers the secret hidden behind her immortal charm, the power game takes an unexpected turn.

Sunday, 15th of March @ 5:00pm: Balada de un Verano,  an intimate and deeply familial human story. Santiago returns to his childhood home after years of absence, confronting his sister Teresa and the memories of a past marked by rejection and silence. Among hidden letters, irreparable losses, and old wounds, the siblings reunite at a moment when pain gives way to forgiveness.

Both plays are performed entirely in Spanish. After Sunday's performance, we invite you to a special reception celebrating the career of  Héctor Santiago. There will be food and beverages, and the opportunity to share and connect with fellow artists and friends of the latin american theater community.

Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at https://teatrolatea.org/events/  or at the door the day of the performance.

Tributo a la obra de Héctor Santiago

Teatro, memoria y poesía se unen en este homenaje especial al dramaturgo Héctor Santiago, presentado por Havanafama en LATEA NYC.

A Tribute to the Work of Hector Santiago

Theater, memory, and poetry unite in this special homage to playwright Hector Santiago, presented by Havanafama at LATEA NYC.

Reserve online here.

Limited seating.

Carole Alexis: Ballet des Amériques

Saturday

02.28.2026

Reserve Online

Limited Seating

Here

First Show: 3:00 PM

Second Show: 6:30 PM

$35 / Online (General Audience)

$40 / Door (General Audience)

$25 / Online (Students & Seniors)

$30 / Door (Students & Seniors)

$53 / Online (VIP)

*Prime Seat + 1 Complimentary Drink

Friday, 02.27.2026

Doors: 7.15 PM

Show: 7.30 PM

Reserve online

Limited Seating

Here!

Colette Michaan & Friends

An Evening of Afro-Cuban/ Latin Jazz/ World Music

Colette Michaan - Flute

Arthur Luis Alvarez Torres - Piano

William Spaceman Patterson - Guitar

Jorge Bringas - Bass

Yusnier Sanchez Bustamante - Percussion

Keisel Jimenez Leyva - Drums

Kevin Nathaniel Hylton - Mbria, Shekere

Join Teatro LATEA for an evening of various Afro-Brazilian dance styles, a screening of ORI, and a post-screening discussion.

Schedule:

Doors: 3:30-3:45 PM

Screening of ORI and post-screening discussion: 4:00-6:00 PM

Capoeira w/ Mestre Omi: 6:15-7:00 PM

Samba Reggae w/ Mambembe: 7:05-7:45 PM

Folkloric Show: 8:00-8:45 PM

Afro Brazilian Dance: 8.45-9.15 PM

ORI 

Director: Raquel Gerber

Producer: Raquel Gerber

While giving an overall look at the documented history of black movements in Brazil (during the 70s and 80s), ORI tells the story of a woman, Beatriz Nascimento, activist and historian, who searches for her identity through research into the history of "Quilombos" as warrior establishments and focuses of cultural resistance, from 15th-century Africa to Brazil in the 20th century. 

Reserve tickets here.

Limited Seating.

Wednesday, 02.25.2026

Doors: 6:00 PM

Show: 7:00 PM

Reserve online

Limited Seating

Here!

Leaves by Victor Vauban Júnior

(Award-winning Playwright-Director)

A man is caught up between three sisters’ dreams of fame and fortune. As teenagers, Muriel and her two sisters had dreams of becoming the new musical sensation just like, “The Supremes” but blame it on their so-called-good-for-nothing-brother-in-law.

Starring:

Alexis Braxton

Benjamin Rowe

Patricia Fields

Joy Foster

Obi Nwako

and more…

Michael Fadugbagbe: E Be So! (It is true!)

Experimental Short Film

02.24.2026

Reserve Online

Limited Seating

Here

A Nigerian-American artist visits Nigeria for the first time since his parents’ emigration 22 years prior and offers questions about the state of Nigeria past, present, and future by interweaving archival material, found footage, and memoir with an Afrobeat score.

Awarded:

Jessup Prize, Highest Recognition in Art at Wesleyan University

Actor, writer, and comedian Marisé “Tata” Álvarez brings her stand-up film Nunca Digas Nunca (Never Say Never) to the BoriCorridor Tour. Recorded live at the historic Teatro Shorty Castro in San Juan, the special now reaches the big screen with Álvarez’s sharp humor and unmistakable honesty. She reflects on life in Los Angeles, the realities of sharing a home, why she doesn’t want to be a mother, and her relationship with her father, Pito Álvarez.

Get tickets here!

Join artist Carlos Jiménez Cahua for a hands-on, intergenerational Andean facepainting workshop grounded in decolonial thought. Inspired by designs from the artist's internal reference archive of face-painting styles on ancient Andean artifacts, participants will "reactivate" the visual language through contemporary face painting. Following a demo by the artist showcasing various techniques and traditional aesthetics, attendees will have the opportunity to work on their own creations in pairs—a poetic and participatory way to embody historical aesthetics.

The event will also encourage participants to reflect on memories, material culture, and personal and communal practices that maintain and adapt Andean tradition in the diaspora. Attendees will be invited to contribute to the Clemente’s growing archive of 20th Century Latinx New York City, sharing Andean spaces, embodied practices, and movements that have shaped the city.

This workshop is intended for participants who have Andean Diasporic heritage, as well as individuals who would like to learn more about Indigenous Andean culture and traditions.

RSVP here.

The fall season concludes with the fifth edition of Remesas y Sobremesa: ¡Qué rico sancocho! The Resistant Corporeal Joy of Latinx Everyday Poetics in Nueva York. Scholar and educator Arnaldo Cruz-Malavé and participatory artist Lizania Cruz will be joined by scholar of U.S. Latinx cultures Dr. Cristina Pérez-Jiménez for an evening of shared food, poetry, and collaborative poster-making. Special guest Carmelita Tropicana will perform, adding her legendary humor and diasporic poetics to the event, while Cocotazo serves their signature sancocho in both beef and vegan versions, complemented by coffee and mini quesitos for dessert.

Unfolding in the spirit of sobremesa—the Latinx tradition of lingering at the table for conversation—the program will explore the joyously creative ways New York Latinxs transform everyday life. Through dialogue, collective action, and inspiration from visual artists and poets, participants will consider how open-ended practices of cultural mixing reimagine social space and reenvision community.

As part of The Clemente Historias initiative and coinciding with an exhibition by LA ESCUELA___ at MoMA PS1, this event combines storytelling, poetry, music, and hands-on art-making.

Space is limited. RSVP here to reserve your spot!

Presented by The Clemente and the Latinx Arts Consortium of New York (LxNY)

Hosted by The Museum of Modern Art, Public Engagement Department

Saturday, November 22, 2025 | 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM | Cullman Education Center MoMA

RSVP here!

The Clemente and the Latinx Arts Consortium of New York (LxNY) are thrilled to announce CRUCES: Youth Summit, a daylong forum celebrating the next generation of storytellers, culture bearers, movement builders, and the youth programs that inspire them.

Hosted by MoMA’s Public Engagement Department, the Summit brings together youth, Latinx educators, and cultural leaders from across New York City for a vibrant day of presentations, performances, workshops, and networking.

Participating organizations include: Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI), Flushing Town Hall, Teatro SEA, Calpulli Mexican Dance Company, The Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP), Pregones / Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, R.Evolución Latina, YA-YA Network, The People’s Theater, LxNY, El Puente, and UpBeat NYC.

MC: Yazmany Arboleda, Founder, The People’s Creative Institute

About CRUCES

CRUCES (Spanish for Crossings) is a signature series within Historias, The Clemente’s multi-year initiative dedicated to re-centering Latinx narratives in New York City’s cultural landscape. These multigenerational convenings foster dialogue, solidarity, and collaboration across disciplines and communities.

The Youth Summit, the second iteration of CRUCES, focuses on empowering the next generation of cultural workers, scholars, and organizers – those shaping the future of storytelling, research, and advocacy around Latinx histories and social justice in the city.

At its heart, Historias seeks to rescue, amplify, and reimagine Latinx narratives. The Youth Summit asks:

• How can we build a collective and empowered vision for the next generation of storytellers, journalists, educators, and historians?

• What role can youth and youth educators play in ensuring that Latinx narratives need not be “rescued” again?

• How do we prepare young people to carry forward the enduring impact of Latinx communities on our city’s civic and cultural life?

What to Expect

The CRUCES: Youth Summit highlights innovative youth programs led by LxNY members and partner organizations across the city. Through on-stage presentations, hands-on workshops, and creative showcases, participants will share their experiences and strategies for storytelling, leadership, and community engagement.

The day also offers opportunities to meet peers, educators, and mentors, and to take away practical roadmaps for strengthening youth-led cultural work.

SCHEDULE (subject to change)

9:30 AM – Attendee Check-In:

Visit organizational tables and connect with participating programs.

10:00 AM – Welcome Remarks:

Opening words from The Clemente and MoMA’s Public Engagement Department.

10:15–10:35 AM – The People’s Theater:

Education Director Abe Johnson and young artists Genesis Perez and Dannalee Arias introduce The People’s Theatre Academy, a multi-year leadership and social justice program for immigrant youth and youth of color in Upper Manhattan. Learn how devised theater becomes a tool for advocacy and community-building through a brief interactive exercise.

10:40–11:00 AM – El Puente

Organizers Joe Matunis and Jorge Berrios share the story of the El Puente Cycling Club, a youth leadership and environmental justice program in Williamsburg. Joined by youth members Raymond Moreno, Karly Rosas, Miseal Ante, Debora Folgar, and Asli Mendez, they’ll reflect on biking as a form of healing, empowerment, and civic engagement.

11:05–11:25 AM – CCCADI

Team members Tamara Thomas, Sabine Blaizin, and Jordan Martins present CCCADI Youth Pathways, featuring youth representatives from For the Culture, Sankofa Young Women’s Leadership Program, and Sou Sou! Saturdays. Expect photography and spoken word showcases exploring how mentorship and cultural exchange inspire creative leadership.

11:35–11:45 AM – LxNY: Latinx Arts Consortium of New York

Eva Mayhabal Davis, LxNY Project Manager, introduces the network’s citywide youth initiatives and collaborative opportunities connecting arts, education, and civic engagement.

11:45 AM–1:00 PM – Lunch + Workshops

Grab a complimentary brown-bag lunch, visit the info tables, and choose from interactive workshops:

Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP): “Make Your Mark! Printmaking for Youth-Led Activism” With teaching artist Katie Loos, explore how art and design can visualize civic issues and create change through collaborative printmaking and collage.

Flushing Town Hall / Calpulli Mexican Dance Company Led by co-founder Alberto Lopez, this participatory workshop celebrates Mexican dance and music traditions. Learn zapateado footwork and faldeo skirt movement while exploring their cultural roots.

Teatro SEA: “The Colors of Frida / Los Colores de Frida” A bilingual performance and interactive session introducing educators and youth to storytelling, music, and visual art as tools for creative expression and bilingual learning.

1:00–1:30 PM – UPBEAT NYC

Recharge with a performance by the UpBeat NYC Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble – young musicians from the South Bronx rooted in Afro-Latin and Black American musical traditions. Following their performance, learn more about UpBeat with brief introductions from leadership and young ensemble members.

1:35–1:55 PM – YA-YA Network

Education Director Divine Ndombo and youth members present YA-YA’s programs in social justice education and leadership. Learn about narrative-building around identity in activism and the power of redefining ourselves outside hegemonic narratives through storytelling and poetry.

2:00–2:20 PM – Pregones / R.Evolución Latina

Leaders Arnaldo J. López, Ph.D., and Denisse Ambert showcase the Raúl Juliá Training Unit & Beyond Workshop Series, featuring a musical performance from youth alumni and cast members of BARBA, a new Brazilian musical.

2:30–3:00 PM – Closing Reflections

Participating organizations and youth presenters share final thoughts and next steps for collaboration.

Participating Organizations

Rooted in Washington Heights and Inwood, The People’s Theatre (formerly People’s Theatre Project) makes theatre with and for immigrant communities to build a more just and equitable world. The People's Theatre is Manhattan’s largest performing arts organization north of Harlem. Through ensemble-based, multilingual, and multigenerational programming, our unique brand of theatre is a powerful artistic platform for immigrants and members of the Latine, Black, and Queer communities.

El Puente is a human rights institution founded in 1982 with a mission to inspire and nurture leadership for peace and justice. Based in NYC and Puerto Rico with national and international impact, El Puente directly serves approximately 12,000 individuals annually from nine youth Leadership Centers across the Southside of Williamsburg and Bushwick, Brooklyn, and Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico.

The Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) is an arts, culture, education and media organization that advances cultural equity, racial and social justice for African descendant communities. We envision a global landscape where African descendants achieve cultural equity, racial and social justice. CCCADI's programs serve children/youth, families, young professionals, elders, local and international artists, and practitioners of African-based spiritual traditions. Through our work CCCADI offers a collective space where African descendants honor the contributions of the global African Diaspora through exhibitions, performances, conferences, educational programs, and international exchanges.

Center For Urban Pedagogy envisions a world where all people—regardless of identity, ability, or migration status—have the agency they need to participate in civic life and shape their communities’ futures. Our mission is to use the power of art and design to increase meaningful civic engagement in partnership with marginalized communities.

Calpulli Mexican Dance Company’s mission is to celebrate the rich diversity of Mexican and Mexican-American cultural heritage through dance-based programming, including live music. To this end, the organization produces professional performances via its touring company, designs arts-in-education programming, and provides low-cost, high-quality arts-in-education programming throughout New York City, most notably its program Calpulli Community.

LxNY | Latinx Arts Consortium of New York is an intersectional network of Latinx-serving cultural organizations based in New York City. Our mission is to foster knowledge exchange, resource-sharing, and collective action towards systemic change. We envision a New York City where Latinx arts and culture are fully funded, deeply valued, and celebrated as an integral part of the city’s diverse and vibrant cultural fabric.

The mission of Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts (FCCA) is to present multi-disciplinary global arts that engage and educate the global communities of Queens, New York, and New York City, New York, in order to foster mutual appreciation. As advocates of arts equity since 1979, we support local, immigrant, national, and international artists, developing partnerships and collaborations that enhance our efforts. As a member of New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), we serve as stewards of Flushing Town Hall, restoring, managing, and programming the historic 1862 landmark on behalf of the City of New York.

The Society of the Educational Arts (Teatro SEA) is dedicated to empowering and advancing the education of Latinx/Hispanic youth and the immigrant community through arts and cultural programming. As NYC’s and the nation’s only Latinx Bilingual Children’s Theater, we offer multidisciplinary arts instruction, cultural festivals and events, online educational programming, and bilingual educational publications. Our mission is to elevate self-esteem, reinforce cultural identity, and promote educational success for Latinx children and youth.

UpBeat NYC uses the pursuit of musical excellence and ensemble performance to bring about positive change in the lives of South Bronx children. UpBeat NYC is an open-door community music center in the South Bronx that offers free, comprehensive music education to students of all backgrounds. Our teaching artists—accomplished working musicians from across New York City—provide instruction and mentorship from students' first encounters with music through to advanced ensemble performance and paid internships.

The YA-YA Network advances youth organizing as a strategy for youth development and social transformation. Through training and leadership experience, YA-YA prepares participants to become the next generation of activists in the movement for social and economic justice. We build young people's capacity to influence policy, improve institutions, and change systems that directly impact youth, their families, and the communities they live in.

Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (aka Pregones/PRTT) is a multigenerational performing ensemble, multidisciplinary arts presenter, and owner/steward of bilingual arts facilities in The Bronx and Manhattan. Our mission is to champion a Puerto Rican/Latinx cultural legacy of universal value through the creation and performance of original plays and musicals, exchange and partnership with other artists of merit, and engagement of diverse audiences.

R.Evolución Latina is an organization that activates individual and collective human growth through artistic experiences for transformation and social change. A Revolution of Evolution, Making a difference through the Arts.

Based in New York City, The People’s Creative Institute serves as a gymnasium for the imagination—an incubator where underserved and immigrant communities grow ever more resilient through interdependence, collective visioning, shared artistic practice, and leadership training. Developed with the people themselves, The Institute nurtures a program of fellowships to enable the creation of public-facing artwork and thereby realize beautiful urban spaces through shared cultural knowledge and expertise. We foster new knowledge, develop capacity ,and forge strategic alliances across the arts and other sectors. We work to develop arts leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation; expand career pathways; and demonstrate the economic and social value of the arts. Critically, because we are focused on supporting the immigrant communities in New York, we are also intent on developing a pathway to citizenship through our programs.

Yazmany Arboleda is a Colombian-American artist based in New York City. An architect by training, Yazmany activates communities through large-scale art projects that foster heartfelt connections and meaningful relationships. He is the Founder of The People’s Creative Institute.

At a time when journalists and comedians face "cancellation" for opposing authoritarianism and rising ultra-nationalism, where are the artists? "Cancel This Show!" addresses this question by gathering works that defiantly protest xenophobia, racism, urban militarization, classism, queerphobia and attacks on democratic institutions. Drawing inspiration from historic activist exhibitions—from 1967's Angry Arts Week to the 1984 Artists Call Against US Intervention in Central America—this exhibition challenges contemporary artists to reclaim their role as social critics through anger, humor, and parody. Participating works visualize current injustices while fostering dialogue about art's responsibility in times of political crisis.

An evening of screenings and conversation exploring Domino Table Talks—a signature Historias series from The Clemente that reimagines storytelling around the domino table. The program highlights migration, cultural memory, and the power of collective storytelling.

Following the screenings, OHMA alum Samantha Sacks, Libertad Guerra, and Sofía Reeser del Rio will discuss how oral history methods move from the classroom to the field, centering community engagement and the democratization of archives through play—treating the stories we carry as living archives, shared in non-linear, intergenerational, and communal ways.The evening concludes with an open Q&A and a possible live domino activation with The Clemente’s Micro-Residents Capicú and NuevaYorkinos.

This program is connected to Nueva York Chronicles and Historias (Embodied Heritage); grounded in collective memory and public history, recovering narratives that continue to shape our common story.

RSVP here!

Panellists:

Libertad O. Guerra is an urban anthropologist, curator, and cultural organizer/producer with extensive experience in arts management, particularly during the startup and strategic phases of community-based cultural organizations. Since 2020, she has served as Executive Director and Chief Curator of The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center, guiding its growth and earning significant grants and recognition. She is Chief Curator of the Historias initiative, a citywide, multi-year project that reimagines Latinx cultural history through public programs, research, and commissions. She is also deeply engaged in environmental justice and cultural equity work—as a co-founder of South Bronx Unite, a board member of Mott Haven/Port Morris Community Land Stewards, and a founding member of the Latinx Arts Consortium LxNY and the Shape of Cities to Come Institute.

Samantha Sacks is the Oral History and Research Fellow at the Clemente Center and a company dancer with the New York Theatre Ballet. An alumna of the Columbia Oral History Master of Arts (OHMA), her ongoing research uses oral history to ask how the body expresses and transmits memory through dance, with a focus on the Cuban ballet diaspora.  She has cultivated relationships with artists across New York, Cuba and Puerto Rico, collaborating on research, writing, and public programs with a range of arts institutions. Samantha was born and raised in Chicago. 

Sofía Reeser del Rio is Associate Director of Programs and Curator at The Clemente and a Visiting Assistant Professor at Pratt Institute. She is curator of the Historias initiative and its signature series. Her practice bridges pedagogy and public engagement, reimagining archives as living, participatory spaces. She is a 2024 A&L Berg Foundation Fellow and has held additional fellowships and awards supporting her curatorial and scholarly work. She is also a founding member and collaborator with Mujeres de Islas, a grassroots organization in Culebra, Puerto Rico. Her recent publications include an essay on Joiri Minaya in Contact Sheet (Light Work, 2023) and The Shadow That Shelters You on Edra Soto’s public art (Upstate Art Weekend, 2025).

MexFest 2025  
Opening Night | Noche de Apertura 
English Version | Versión en Español abajo

Come celebrate with us and learn about the Mexican tradition of Día de los Muertos—all are welcome!

MexFest—an arts festival celebrating Mexican culture in NYC—presents a multidisciplinary art exhibition honoring Día de los Muertos (Day of The Dead) in the Flushing Town Hall Gallery. This year’s theme, Rituales de Resiliencia (Rituals of Resilience), centers memory, cultural ritual, and ancestral connection.  

Opening Night Programming - 6-7:30 PM 
Free admission with RSVP

On November 1, festival visitors are invited to enjoy a multidisciplinary art exhibition, and to celebrate and honor Mexican culture with an evening of community and connection that will include sharing a community ofrenda (altar) to honor lost loved ones, a Papel Picado Workshop, a Writing Workshop, and a gathering of stories and testimonials.  

The evening’s programming will feature a collaborative artistic process focused on remembrance and resilience. The central altar will be curated and co-created by artists Aurelia Fernández, Arantxa Araujo, and Xtian Ávila, and will be part of a larger participatory mural, serving as a space for communal storytelling.

Attendees can enjoy the work in our Gallery and join the workshops free of charge. All are welcome.

Global Mashup: Celebrate Mexico! - 7:45 PM
Linda EPO Meets Mariachi Tapatio de Alvaro Paulino
A ticketed event - General Admission: $25 Adults / $5 Children 12 and under

MexFest attendees are invited to join us for our paid, culminating event: Global Mashup: Celebrate Mexico! Linda EPO Meets Mariachi Tapatio de Alvaro Paulino.

Bringing together two distinct New York-based Mexican music bands, attendees will enjoy:

• A short dance lesson for all audience members

• A dedicated set from each band

• A 15-minute intermission for food and drinks

• A combined jam session where both bands perform together

Whether you're familiar with Día de los Muertos or experiencing it for the first time, come celebrate with us and enjoy this beautiful tradition—all are welcome! 

MexFest Artistic Directors

Arantxa Araujo is a queer Mexican artist whose central axis is performance art, branching into video, photo, installation, and sculpture. Influenced by neuroscience, their multisensory, movement-based work has been presented at the Brooklyn Museum, Leslie-Lohman Museum, Queens Museum, and internationally at Illuminus (Boston) and Nuit Blanche (Canada). Recipient of the Franklin Furnace Fund and other grants, Araujo also co-organizes MexFest 2025 and serves as Program Manager at the Foundation for Contemporary Arts. Araujo is Co-Artistic Director of MexFest.

Xtian Ávila, (he/they) is a Mexican-born theatremaker (theater director, producer, curator, playwright, and actor) Drama League Fellow, teaching artist, and arts administrator. Ávila currently works as Executive and Artistic Associate at Flushing Town Hall and is founder and Co-Artistic Director of MexFest.

MexFest Artists

Queens native Linda EPO is a dynamic singer, pianist, and whose transcendent performances blur cultural boundaries. She is known for her vibrant energy and stage presence. Her ability to sing in multiple languages, including English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Kreyòl, enables her to connect with audiences worldwide, creating captivating cross-cultural experiences. Fresh off her attention-grabbing performance for NYC's SummerStage 2025 season, where she shared the bill with the legendary Puerto Rican salsa powerhouse La Sonora Ponceña, Linda EPO continues her rapid ascent in the live music scene.

Aurelia Fernandez is a Mexican-born artist who has lived in the United States for twenty-seven years. Through her traditional papier mâché artwork, Aurelia has helped assure that the cultural traditions of Mexico add a new layer of richness and vitality to New York City's cultural life. Her art has been exhibited in museums such as the Queens Museum of Art, the Museum of the City of New York and The National Arts Museum of Chicago. She has shown work and engaged with multiple libraries, public schools, and the Mexican Council in New York City. Additionally, Aurelia has demonstrated outstanding leadership in her community by volunteering in various churches and helping in the documentation of Mexican migrants. She was also part of the Mano a Mano Organizing Committee at the Center for Traditional Music and Dance, NY. Aurelia has been honored seven times for her work and her contribution to society by important cultural institutions in the United States and Mexico. Book a workshop with Aurelia.

Mariachi Tapatío de Alvaro Paulino 
Alvaro Paulino Jr. (Musical Director, Mariachi Tapatío de Alvaro Paulino) is a fifth-generation mariachi musician, continuing the legacy of his pioneering father who brought the tradition from Puebla, Mexico, to New York City in 1983. Proclaimed by the State of New York as "The Northeast's Finest Mariachi," Paulino Jr. is dedicated to ensuring this vibrant Mexican folk music thrives for future generations. He preserves the art form while strengthening cultural ties across New York’s multicultural landscape, with celebrated performances at venues like Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden.

This event is presented in partnership with Historias, a transformative citywide effort led by The Clemente that re-centers Latinx cultural narratives in New York City through exhibitions, performances, oral histories, and digital storytelling.

RSVP here!

Celebrate Día de los Muertos with El Museo!

El Museo’s annual Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Celebration returns on Saturday, November 1 with a full day of family-friendly, free programming. Honoring the lives of loved ones who have passed, this beloved tradition invites visitors of all ages to come together and experience the vibrant cultural traditions surrounding Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

Enjoy live music and dance performances, art-making workshops, calavera (skull) face painting, and a communal altar.

Community Altar: Ofrenda de Nuestra Herencia

In collaboration with The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center, El Museo del Barrio debuts the 2025 Día de los Muertos Community Altar, designed by renowned visual artist Nitza Tufiño. With over five decades as a muralist, printmaker, and public artist, Tufiño is celebrated for her transformative contributions to community-based art in New York, Puerto Rico, and beyond.

The altar will invite the public to honor their own ancestors, and will become a transformative space of remembrance, resilience, and collective healing. It will be on view at El Museo from mid-October through November 21, 2025 during open hours (Thursday through Sunday)

Highlights of the Day Include:

12:00 PM – 1:15 PM (Meet at El Museo del Barrio) – Join Atl Tlachinolli, a Conchero dance group, for a procession from El Museo del Barrio to Central Park’s Harlem Meer. The group will return to perform in El Museo’s courtyard before blessing the communal altar.

1:00 PM – 4:30 PM – Explore the communal altar Ofrenda de Nuestra Herencia by artist Nitza Tufiño. The altar honors East Harlem Latine community artists and activists and highlights Afro-Mexican and Caribbean spiritual traditions. Join the artist and museum educators to learn more about the symbolic elements of the altar and to add a dedication to your loved ones who have passed.

1:00 PM – 4:30 PM – Join Calaveritas Creativas workshop, to design your very own colorful sugar skull mask.

1:00 PM – 4:30 PM – Inspired by Nitza’s Ofrenda de Nuestra Herencia altar, use mixed media to create a banner commemorating a loved one who has passed. Participants are encouraged to bring a photo of their loved ones to include in their artwork.

1:00 PM – 4:30 PM – Enjoy traditional face painting inspired by vibrant calavera (skull) designs.

1:00 PM – 4:30 PM – Capture the moment with La Catrina y el Catrín in our festive photo booth.

1:45 PM – 2:05 PM – Ballet Folklórico Mexicano de Nueva York (BFMNY) presents a vibrant performance that celebrates Mexico’s cultural richness through a fusion of traditional dances.

2:30 PM – 2:45 PM – Experience Danza de Tecuanes San Gabriel (Dance of the Jaguars)—a powerful story of villagers uniting to capture a fierce jaguar, symbolizing a history of resistance and communities defending their land.

3:15 PM – 3:30 PM – Experience the lively sounds of Mariachi Sol Azteca from NYC, renowned for their energy, passion, and authentic Mexican spirit.

3:45 PM – 4:00 PM – Feel the energy of Danza de los Diablos, an Afro-Mexican tradition from Guerrero and Oaxaca that honors African roots through vibrant masks, lively rhythms, and powerful dance.

4:15 PM – Follow the sounds of Mariachi Sol Azteca from NYC as they invite you into El Teatro for our culminating performance.

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM – End the day with a captivating performance by Oaxacan singer Nylzher and Mazarte Dance Company blending folkloric music and dance from various regions of Mexico.

Sponsors and Partners:

This program is generously supported by Morgan Stanley. This program is supported by a grant from the Lily Auchincloss Foundation, with additional support from U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and NYC Council Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala. Special thanks to The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center for partnering on this year’s altar.

We are also grateful to partner with the Central Park Conservancy on this special event.

Standing On The Corner is for sale once again.

Come and get a slice.

Instructions: Follow the fire into the door. Meet the Mouse who runs the market. 

In partnership with Kinfolk Tech, The Clemente presents Cigar Workers’ University, an augmented-reality public artwork by artist Molly Crabapple, developed with archival research and contributions by scholar Monxo López. Join us to celebrate the launch of this new initiative at the beloved El Barrio landmark, La Marqueta, and hear from the artist-historian team themselves about the creation of the monument, inspired by writer and workers' rights advocate Bernardo Vega’s acclaimed memoirs. The monument will be accompanied by a limited-edition zine and self-guided walking tour.

The work memorializes Puerto Rican and Cuban cigar rollers, as well as the enduring history of La Marqueta, a community marketplace that has been active since the early 20th century. Crabapple’s AR monument honors Vega and the cigar workers he described—reading poetry, news, and political tracts aloud to one another as they rolled cigars—capturing a moment when labor, learning, and collective life converged.

Cigar Workers' University marks the launch of Historias in Motion, a new Historias signature series of virtual monuments and neighborhood site clusters that bring Latinx histories into the public sphere through digital and place-based storytelling. The inaugural edition focuses on East Harlem/El Barrio, viewed through the lens of writer and labor organizer Bernardo Vega and his chronicles of 1930s New York.

Cigar Workers’ University will remain accessible at La Marqueta via the Kinfolk App. This project is the first in a planned series of five monuments and walking tours to be launched across New York City through the fall of 2026.

RSVP here!

Remesas y Sobremesa: An archive immune to dispossession / Un archivo inmune a la desposesión

📅 Date: Saturday, October 18, 2025
🕕 Time: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
📍 Location: Flamboyán Theater, The Clemente Center

Remesas y Sobremesa makes dialogue a meal, carrying memory through food, storytelling, and shared ritual. The series reimagines the academic panel through the conviviality of the table. Taking its name from the remittances that sustain diasporic bonds, it transforms public dialogue into shared tradition.

For the fourth edition, Sofía Gallisá Muriente and Natalia Lassalle-Morillo will curate and host the evening, engaging in dialogue with peers they have invited and guiding an intimate conversation over a communal meal prepared by chef Pao Lebrón.

The evening invites participants to reflect on intangible archives and memories that cannot be possessed, shared among folks with diverse migration experiences to New York.

This event is part of the Historias Initiative, under the thematic track Material Culture & Memory: Diasporic Objects and Archives.

Hosts & Culinary Experience

Hosts: Sofía Gallisá Muriente & Natalia Lassalle-Morillo
Culinary Experience by: Pao Lebrón
Guest Participants: To be announced closer to the event.

About the Hosts

Sofía Gallisá Muriente and Natalia Lassalle-Morillo are visual artists living and working in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Their collaborative practice is grounded in research-based moving image projects that bring their distinct artistic methodologies into dialogue.

Their first collaboration, Foreign in a Domestic Sense, is a 4-channel film that weaves together the testimonies and imaginaries of Puerto Ricans who migrated to Central Florida following political and environmental disasters in the archipelago. The piece won the Audience Award for Best Experimental Film at the BlackStar Film Festival and has been presented at Third Horizon, the Flaherty Seminar, and as immersive installations at the Contemporary Art Museum at USF, the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, Dazibao in Montréal (CA), and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taiwan.

Their most recent work, Unruly Subjects, engages with two Puerto Rican collections housed at the Smithsonian, exploring their histories of accession into the imperial archive and how indigenous and folk art objects exist within the institution. The project proposes and mediates forms of return to the people and places these objects belong to. Unruly Subjects was recently showcased in New York as part of the 2024 Vera List Center Forum and the Smithsonian Design Triennial at the Cooper Hewitt Museum.

Sofía and Natalia have been Smithsonian Artist Research Fellows and artists-in-residence at Headlands Center for the Arts together. They also continue pursuing their individual practices and other collaborative endeavors.

🔗 www.natalialassallemorillo.com | www.sofiagallisa.com
📸 IG: @natalialassallem | @hatoreina

RSVP

This is an intimate gathering with limited seating. RSVP here!

Accessibility & Dietary Notes

• Please let us know in advance of any food allergies or dietary restrictions when registering.

• The Flamboyán Theater is not wheelchair accessible; if you require additional accommodations, please contact us so we can best support your participation.

 We look forward to sharing this evening of food, memory, and collective reflection with you.

The event will be preceded by "From Which We Descend," a hands-on archival and oral history workshop exploring memory, family, and legacy, led bycultural preservationist Djali Brown-Cepeda, founder of NuevaYorkinos. The workshop will be held on the fourth floor in Studio 406 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

Join Djali Brown-Cepeda, Cultural Preservationist and Founder/Curator of NuevaYorkinos, for a day of oral history and archiving.

What does home mean? What does it look like? When was the last time you looked through photo albums with your loved ones? Spoke with your families about your personal histories?

In this workshop, Djali Brown-Cepeda walks us through her process of listening, sharing, and archiving as a cultural preservationist and community archivist. Bridging oral history and personal family photographs and ephemera, we ensure the survival of our lineages and legacies.

In this workshop, we'll:

• discuss the importance of oral history

• pen our own stories

• scan and digitize photos and ephemera

• walk away with tools on how to be our family's archivists

Please bring:

• family photo albums

• a notebook, or laptop

• an external hard drive (USB/thumb drives are great!)

How can we honor our pasts by using the tools we have access to today? How can we reframe the way we look at our day-to-day lives as budding archivists? How can we begin cultivating memory? And from this cultivation, how can we begin to activate our relationships to memory as a vehicle for grounding, self-preservation, and understanding?

RSVP here.

Djali Brown-Cepeda is a Capricornian cultural preservationist and visual storyteller. Rooted in the tenets of reclamation and rematriation, her work as a film and television producer centers oral tradition and lived experiences as a tool of cultural restoration. The founder of NuevaYorkinos, an oral history archive dedicated to documenting and preserving NYC's Latine and Caribbean culture and history through family photos, oral history, and ephemera, she is a book worm and self-taught public historian, with a penchant for all things red, black, and green. An Olorisha Yemayá, memory worker, alchemist. A steward of remembrance. A Mother to a Sun. An eldest daughter and vinyl collector of Caribbean, Afro Native, and Southern heritage. Fifth generation Gullah Geechee from unceded Wecquaesgeek territory in Lenapehoking (Upper Manhattan, New York City). She enjoys tending to her altars and conspiring with the Universe for all good things. You can find her annotating her books sipping on wine she usually can’t afford, or any pilsner or lager. Prefers a cup of dark roast coffee, speaking to spirit, and being barefoot on the grass. Wherever she goes, so do her ancestors.

(This is held in conjunction with La Incubadora, which is exhibited in the same location. You are encouraged to come and view the exhibition before or after the workshop!)

The Clemente will partner with eleven community organizations to co-present the International Indigenous Hip-Hop Festival (IIHHF), a four-day gathering rooted in the origins of hip-hop culture, which emerged in the wake of displacement caused by the construction of the Cross Bronx Expressway. Linking this history to the experiences of Latinx diasporas and Indigenous communities, the festival examines contemporary struggles against the erasure of Indigenous languages and the ongoing impact of environmental disaster.

Festival components to highlight include a Grounding Ceremony and Community Care Workshops, centering Indigenous and diasporic practices of restoration, alongside the afternoon Workshops series. The Clemente contributes to Territory & Land Reclamation in the Face of Displacement, led by Monxo López, Libertad O. Guerra, and Oscar Oliver-Didier of South Bronx Unite (SBU), The Clemente, and the Shape of Cities to Come Institute (SCCI). This session traces the Bronx’s history of dispossession and community-led reclamation.

RSVP here.