Folk Art and Fine Art from the Puerto Rican Diaspora: Individuation, Cultural Preservation, and Resistance
PDF

Keywords

anthropology
art
education
Puerto Rico
Latino

Abstract

Puerto Ricans in north Philadelphia experience marginalization in the larger culture, but also incorporation into the multiple ethnicities that have historically made up Puerto Rican identity. Both of these experiences are reflected in the art of Taller Puertorriqueño, an arts education program for children and youth in the area. Taller permits social and cultural mobility as well as freedom of artistic expression by constantly pushing boundaries, allowing students to represent more authentic reflections of their values as a means of dealing with cultural ambiguity. In addition, they rewrite their oppressive history by leveraging human and cultural values embedded in their artistic language. Taller is a mission-oriented institution that uses art for social transformation in the community and for celebrating a fluid ethnic and social identity.  Though not a religious institution, Taller’s art reflects the religious commitments of the Puerto Rican community, enacts the liturgy of art in ways that contribute to God’s transformative kingdom, and thereby helps to promote good stewardship throughout the community.

https://doi.org/10.18251/okh.v2i1.22
PDF
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright (c) 2018 Erika K Land