New York, NY – March 13, 2025 – The Clemente Soto Vélez Center and LxNY, a consortium of over 50 Latinx serving nonprofits throughout New York City, are excited to announce the Spring 2025 programming for Historias, a major three-year initiative showcasing the role of the Latinx community in shaping New York City.
This season is marked by a continuation of the theme Historias Sembradas (Sown Histories), the first of three phases that have seen vibrant events across Manhattan and the Bronx since the Fall of 2024. Through exhibitions, performances, workshops, and discussions, Historias sows the seeds of future programming and explores art, storytelling, and shared knowledge. Historias Sembradas features the release of the second installment of Domino Table Talks, short videos of intimate, multicultural, and intergenerational conversations held at domino tables; the public presentation of two in-progress theatrical works; two exhibitions born from years of collaboration; and a continuation of the Remesas and Sobremesas series, intimate roundtable discussions emulating conversations held over a shared meal. The season will culminate with the participant-driven Thinking in Public Forum, an “unconference” to shape future Historias phases.
All events are open to the public, and many are free of charge. RSVP will be available through The Clemente’s newsletter and on the Historias landing page.
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April 16: Remesas y Sobremesa: Tequio (Mutual Aid) in an Era of Deportation and Borders
Performance Space New York
150 First Avenue, 4th floor, New York, NY 10009
Time: 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Presented in partnership with Performance Space New York, artist and anthropologist Cynthia Santos-Briones will host an intimate discussion over shared food and drink about mutual aid, her recent border trips to Mexico, and NYC’s migrant services.
She, along with academic Michel Castañeda, journalist Paola Ramos, and photographer Natalia Mendez, will discuss mutual aid as a vital response to anti-immigrant policies and how to provide immediate and long-term relief to fractured communities. The conversation will highlight the role of artists as cultural bridges—preserving and sharing knowledge through their work.
April 5– May 31: Historietas: Latinx Comics as Alternative Histories
The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center, 4th floor
107 Suffolk Street, New York, NY, 10002
On-view Tuesday – Sunday 10am – 6pm
Opening reception and Comics Slideshow: Sunday, April 6 at 2pm
On the occasion of ABC No Rio’s 45th anniversary, The Clemente—home to ABC No Rio as a resident organization—presents Historietas, an exhibition affirming Latinx comic art as a radical form of storytelling, community memory, and self-reliance. Rooted in the ethos of alternative cultural spaces like ABC No Rio and The Clemente, the exhibition showcases comics as a dynamic medium for documenting underrepresented histories and challenging dominant narratives.
Curated by Peruvian cartoonist and educator Carlo Quispe, Historietas brings together seven contemporary Latinx comic artists—Ivan Velez Jr., Sandy Jimenez, Carlo Quispe, Sharon De La Cruz, Ivan Monforte, Medar De La Cruz, and Daisy Ruiz—whose work explores themes of survival, resilience, and coming-of-age from the Bronx to the Lower East Side.
Following in the tradition of WW3 Illustrated—the radical socio-political comics magazine founded in 1979—and its long-standing connection to ABC No Rio, Historietas underscores the power of comics as a tool for cultural resistance and historical preservation.
The exhibition is free and open to the public.
April 25–May 25: ¡Te Amo Porque S.O.S Pueblo!
Bronx Art Space
700 Manida Street (Entrance on Spofford Ave.), Bronx, NY 10474
Opening Thursday, April 24, 2–6pm
On-view Thursdays and Fridays from 2–6pm and Saturdays 12–5pm
Co-curated by Maria Ponce, Marco Saavedra and Blanka Amezcua, ¡Te Amo Porque S.O.S Pueblo! will present works by immigrant artists who came to the country as undocumented minors and artists with a family history of crossing borders. The exhibition features the works of 38 artists whose last names will be kept anonymous to ensure their safety: Abelardo, Alejandra, Aurelio, Blanka, Cinthya, Cristian, Daisy, Daniel, Dialekto, Elena, Eric, Francisco, Frank, Gabriel, Guadalupe, Hilario, Itzy, Jose, Jose Luis, Juan Carlos, Katherine, Kosme, Les-lie, Letty, Marco, Maria, Mary, Miguel, Monica, Netza, Niceli, Odalys, Rigo, Ronny, Roy, Ruddy, Una Daisy, and Yoloxochitl. Their work explores the meaning of sanctuary, tying together themes of nourishment, care networks, and ancestral spiritual practices to emphasize love and community in response to the current climate of hate, racism, deportations, and terror.
Opening and closing events will include food provided by La Morada Restaurant. Local organizations, including Rapid Response, NYFA’s Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program, the National Latina Institute, and Mixteca will also provide informational pamphlets and legal advice on immigration and deportation.
The exhibition is free and open to the public.
April 7–May 17: Esto No Tiene Nombre – Micro-Residency + Workshop Productions
The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center
107 Suffolk Street, New York, NY, 10002
April 7–18, Studio 406
May 5–17, Teatro LATEA (2nd floor)
Public Workshop Productions: May 15, 16 & 17, Doors at 6:00 pm
The Clemente will host artist, writer, and performer Denice Frohman; director and co-creator Alex Torra; and projection and set designer Nia Benjamin in a micro-residency to produce Esto No Tiene Nombre, a one-woman show that chronicles the oral histories of Latina lesbian elders. Curated by Jacqueline Woodson, renowned author and 2020 MacArthur Fellow, the play presents a tapestry of vignettes exploring Latina lesbian activism, expression, and desire, from pre-Stonewall police raids in Philadelphia to first kisses. The title is inspired by Esto No Tiene Nombre, the first Latina lesbian magazine founded in the 1990s by Colombian poet and activist Tatiana de la Tierra.
This work is rooted in archival interviews conducted by Frohman as part of I See My Light Shining: Oral Histories of Our Elders, a year-long project featuring more than 20 oral history interviews from Latina lesbian elders in New York City.
May 3: Section: New York – A Preview Workshop of Splitting/Absence
The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center
Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center (2nd floor)
107 Suffolk Street, New York, NY, 10002
Time: 6:00 – 7:00 pm
The Clemente Center and LxNY Member New Latin Wave present Section: New York, a preview workshop of Sokio’s opera Splitting/Absence, currently in development with National Sawdust. This multiphase operatic work explores the life and legacy of artist Gordon Matta-Clark, whose radical interventions in the 1970s redefined urban spaces.
Composed by Sokio, with words by Natasha Tiniacos, Splitting/Absence blends electronic and classical elements to create an immersive operatic experience, bringing Matta-Clark’s transformative vision to life through music, architecture, and storytelling. The opera offers a deeper exploration of Matta-Clark’s impact on contemporary art and urbanism.
On May 2, Sokio will also participate in Latine Visions in Art and Music, a discussion hosted by the MET and part of Nuestros Sonidos, Carnegie Hall’s 2025 citywide festival. The event will be hosted in Gallery 901 from 6:30 – 7:30 pm.
May 19: Remesas y Sobremesa: Through Their Eyes: Generations of Storytelling in Film
Performance Space New York
150 First Avenue, 4th floor, New York, NY 10009
Time: 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Inspired by the 1970s Young Filmmakers Foundation of the Lower East Side, the Clemente/Historias Youth Film Club empowers teenagers to document their realities through mobile filmmaking. This screening, presented by artists-leaders Gabo Camnitzer and Justin Denis of the 2024/2025 Youth Filmmakers cohort alongside special guests from the original Young Filmmakers Foundation, bridges generations through film. Featuring both new works and archival gems, the screening will be followed by a conversation exploring storytelling as a powerful tool for self-representation and intergenerational dialogue.
The Remesas y Sobremesa series is presented in partnership with Performance Space New York.
June 7: Pre-National Puerto Rican Day Parade
Location and Time TBC
Co-organized with the National Puerto Rican Day Parade Committee, this year’s pre-parade celebration marks the 130th anniversary of the Puerto Rican Flag with live performances, special guest speakers, and cultural programming. As part of Historias, the event celebrates the resilience of the Puerto Rican diaspora with a special tribute to Clemente Soto Vélez—honoring his literary contributions and his coalitional, experimental approach to community-building across and beyond New York.
June 14: Historias Sembradas: Thinking in Public Forum
The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center
107 Suffolk Street, New York, NY, 10002
10am–5pm | Celebration/Afterparty begins at 6pm
At a moment of heightened systemic erasure of culture-specific histories, the Thinking in Public Forum invites a collective reimagining of knowledge and its role in shaping the future. This open, community-led gathering convenes Latinx artists, cultural leaders, and scholars to shape the next phases of Historias through dialogue, collaboration, and action. Designed as an “unconference,” the forum fosters democratized scholarship, community-based research, and collective thinking by allowing participants to drive discussions, workshops, and activations across six key thematic tracks. More than a convening, it is a space for knowledge justice—where cultural workers engage in public storytelling, memory work, and shared authorship to shape narratives that reflect and sustain lived experiences.
Confirmed Keynote speakers include Johanna Fernández, renowned historian, educator, and author of The Young Lords: A Radical History in dialogue with artist, designer, and educator Chat Travieso, celebrated for his contributions to New York’s public space activism and participatory design practices that interrogate urban histories. The Keynote conversation will seed ideas of democratizing scholarship, community-based research, and collective thinking. Artist Shaun Leonardo will lead a participatory performance in the afternoon.
Conversations from the forum will be documented for future publication online to preserve critical insights and shaping future programs. Space will be provided to self-organize around additional issues relating to Historias. The day will culminate in an evening celebration featuring live performances.
Further details will be announced soon. For more information about Historias, please visit www.theclementecenter.org/historias.
The Clemente is proud to be in the process of a major capital project to bring our historic building into ADA compliance for greater accessibility for all. In the meantime, please note that our building is inaccessible for wheelchair users and potentially other mobility impairments. Don’t hesitate to contact info@theclementecenter.org for questions or accessibility requests; we will do our best to accommodate.
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About The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center
Founded in 1993, The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center is a Puerto Rican/Latinx multi-arts institution with an inclusive and international vision rooted in NYC’s Lower East Side/Loisaida. The Clemente engages diverse audiences in heritage preservation, neighborhood history, and cutting-edge multicultural experimentation, emphasizing the humanities’ role in bridging civic and cultural life.
As a downtown cultural mainstay for three decades, we focus on cultivating, presenting, and preserving Puerto Rican and Latinx culture while embracing a multi-ethnic and international perspective. Committed to operating in a polyphonic manner, The Clemente provides affordable spaces to artists, small arts organizations, and independent community producers, reflecting the rich cultural diversity of the Lower East Side and New York City. Guided by our namesake’s values of culturally grounded multigenerational leadership, local empowerment, and mutuality, we are a collaborative hub for creating and co-producing multidisciplinary contemporary work.
The Clemente is a proud co-founder/partner of LxNY Consortium and the Coalition of Small Arts NYC (CoSA NYC).
About LxNY
LxNY | Latinx Arts Consortium of New York is a collaborative peer network dedicated to knowledge exchange, resource-sharing, and collective action towards systemic change. Formed in 2020 by organizations serving Latinx communities and artists across New York City, LxNY aims to transform the historical underfunding of Latinx arts by advocating for the equity-driven missions of our cultural institutions, nurturing our deep relationships with community, and stewarding our hard-fought legacies into the future. Advancing cultural work as essential work, LxNY honors the expertise of our multigenerational arts leaders and culture bearers, harnessing their collective experience to better serve the city’s diverse cultural landscape.
The LxNY Historias Working Group comprises six organizations within the Consortium that will play key roles as programmatic partners and advisors for the initiative. This group is represented by the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI), Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (Pregones/PRTT), People’s Theater Project (PTP), Bronx Music Heritage Center (BMHC), Brooklyn Arts Exchange (BAX), and New Latin Wave.
About Historias
Historias is an expansive citywide initiative that weaves scholarly research, oral histories, and cultural programming to re-center Latinx narratives in NYC. Unfolding between 2024 and 2026, presented in partnership with the LxNY Consortium with lead support from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, Historias marks the largest initiative in The Clemente’s 30-year history.
Historias, meaning both histories and stories, is more than just a celebration—it is an urgent political intervention. Historias aims to fill voids in the collective understanding of New York City’s evolution by presenting a more honest, thorough, and intersectional perspective that celebrates the profound impact of Latinx communities.
Historias is organized by The Clemente’s Curatorial and Programs team: Libertad O. Guerra, Executive Director and Chief Curator; Sofía Reeser del Rio, Associate Director of Programs and Curator; and Sally Szwed, Strategic Growth and Special Projects Director.
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For images, further background, or interviews, please contact:
Katrina Stewart
Senior Account Coordinator, Visual Arts
Blue Medium
T: +1-212-675-1800
katrina@bluemedium.com
Fernando Salazar
Communications Manager
LxNY
info@lxnyarts.org
