PRIMEROS VIERNES – OPENING CELEBRATION
Decade of Fire: Untold History of the Bronx
Afro-Latinx Experience: Philadelphia Stories
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. Philadelphia, PA – Nov. 25, 2019. Esperanza Arts Center marks the debut of our Primeros Viernes Cinema Series featuring works by two acclaimed Latina artists. Vivian Vasquez Irizarry and Sandra Andino share stories of beauty, injustice, identity, and ultimately triumph, through film and interactive photography documenting the lives of Latinos, Afro-Latinos, and African-Americans in New York and Philadelphia.
Join Decade of Fire documentary film maker, Irizarry, and Afro-Latinx Experience photographer Andino in an evening of visual storytelling and conversation followed by an opening reception celebrating the works of both artists and the individuals that inspired their work.
Decade of Fire – Resist, Remain, Rebuild
Vivian Vasquez Irizarry, filmmaker
Inaugural Cinema Series Screening
In the 1970’s the Bronx was on fire. Abandoned by city government, nearly a half-million people were displaced as their close-knit multi-ethnic neighborhood burned to the ground. While insidious government policies caused the devastation, Black and Puerto Rican residents bore the blame. Now Bronx-born, Vivian Vasquez Irizarry exposes the truth about the borough’s untold history and reveals how her community chose to resist, remain, and rebuild. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFY2QbZhPeE&feature=youtu.be
Afro-Latinx Experience: Philadelphia Stories
Sandra Andino, photographer
Photography Exhibit Unveiling
Photographer and cultural anthropologist Sandra Andino addresses the intersection of racial identity, racism and definitions of blackness among a group of Afro-Latinos in Philadelphia. In her photography exhibition, recorded excerpts of conversations offer an intimate view of the personal stories of these individuals and a collective consciousness about the connection of Latinos to their African heritage.
More information: https://www.esperanzaartscenter.us/exhibitions/
WHEN: Friday, December 6, 2019, 7:30pm
WHERE: Teatro Esperanza, 4261 North 5th Street, Philadelphia PA 19140. Free parking available in the Bristol Street lot.
- SVP Esperanza Arts Center, Bill Rhoads.
- Artists upon request
For media coverage, please contact Joy Huertas at (215) 324-0746 ext. 480, (267) 591-3394 or at jhuertas@esperanza.us
About Esperanza. Esperanza is a national community-based social benefit organization founded in 1986 by Rev. Luis Cortés and the Hispanic Clergy of Philadelphia & Vicinity with the biblical mandate to serve and advocate for “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40). Beginning with a local initiative, with programs targeted to address the unmet needs of North Philadelphia’s Hispanic community, Rev. Cortés is now sought by national and international leaders alike on issues of economic and workforce development, housing, immigration, and education. Under his leadership, Esperanza has grown from a small operation to a $50 million organization with more than 500 employees. Follow us on social media @esperanza_us on Twitter and Instagram, EsperanzaUSA on Facebook and Esperanza US on YouTube.
About Esperanza Arts Center. Guided by Esperanza’s core values of faith, integrity, and excellence, Esperanza Arts Center is the center for Latino performing arts in the Philadelphia region, spotlighting the rich spectrum of traditions from Central and South America and the Caribbean, as well as other cultures from around the world, creating positive transformational experiences for students, families, and attendees of all ages through the arts. For more information visit www.esperanzaartscenter.us
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