eMeLe-K “An Afro Latin Thing for Martin Luther King" at LATEA
Frames and Stretchers' home base, the Clemente on the Lower East Side is gearing up for eMeLe-K!
MeLe-K is a yearly project curated by Rodger Taylor and Miguel Trelles, paying cultural homage to Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy. The weeklong "thing" seeks to provide a forum for Afro-Latinos, African Americans and all who believe in Dr. King's life example and respect his memory. Artists and audiences are invited to engage in artistic exchanges while celebrating the U.S. Civil Rights movement and the tremendous contributions Afro-Latinos make to society.
The festival includes the following events:
MON / JAN 14 @ 8:00 PM
Duo: Miguel Zenón & Marcus Gilmore
TUES / JAN 15 @ 7:00 PM
Griotic performance with mbira:
“I See the Promised Land” by Arthur Flowers;
Talk: Dr. Ben Jochannan Matta,
By Dr. Georgina Falu;
Moderated by Dr. Arthur Lewin, Baruch College
WED / JAN 16 @ 8:00PM
Open Screen: Afro Latino Fest NYC presents
Selection by Mai-Elka Prado and Amilcar Priestley
THURS /, JAN 17 @ 8:00 PM
Staged Reading: La Greña
Written by Julissa Contreras
FRI / JAN 18 @ 7:00 PM
ArTalk moderated by Alexis Mendoza
8:30 PM Artists Reception: eMeLe-K
SAT / JAN 19 @ 8:00 PM
Concert: Afro Souls Sounds
THABISA and Trio
SUN / JAN 20 @ 11:00 AM
Worship: The Dewitt Reformed Church
Rev. Dr. Michael Edwards, Senior Pastor
280 Rivington Street
MeLE -K runs from January 14 -20. All events to be held at Teatro LATEA (except Sunday, Jan. 20), 2nd Floor, The Clemente, 107 Suffolk Street (between Rivington & Delancey), accessible via J/M/Z and F trains to Essex/Delancey
Artist Juan Sanchez at The Clemente in Honor of MLK
Frames and Stretchers just framed a fantastic artwork by important Nuyorican artist Juan Sanchez. We floated the print using mulberry paper hinges and created a shadow box frame with black wood molding and spacers. The signed print from an original mixed media work is being shown as part of Teatro Latea’s week-long Afro-Latin tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. The artwork will be featured in the festival’s art exhibition. “eMeLe ~ K”, opening Jan. 17. The show was produced by Frames and Stretcher’s Miguel Trelles and co-curator Alexis Mendoza.
Miguel in the studio with framed artwork by Juan Sanchez
Juan Sanchez is a major figure to emerge from the New York art scene in the later twentieth century. He was born to Puerto Rican parents in Brooklyn and his work addresses themes of Puerto Rican life in both New York and the island. Sanchez is a politically motivated artist who often includes press clippings about Puerto Rican ethnic and cultural concerns. This print is a good example of the artist’s signature style – colorful mixed media assemblage works on canvas.
Sanchez received his BFA from the Cooper Union and an MFA from Rutgers University. His work has been shown or is in the permanent collections of numerous institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, The Museum of Modern Art, El Museo del Barrio, El Instituto de Cultura Puertorriquena in Rio Piedras, PR and El Centro Wilfredo Lam in Havana, Cuba. He is currently a professor of art at Hunter College in New York.
We’re proud to have our studio in one of the Lower East Side’s premier cultural destinations. The Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center is home to numerous artist studios, galleries, and theater including Teatro Latea. The "eMeLe ~ K" event runs through Sunday, January 21. We hope you can join us for the festivities!
