Westfield on Weekends (WOW) celebrates Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month with Journey Stories: The Puerto Experience featuring the work of local professional artists George Ramirez and El Pecador and curator Agma Sweeney, president of the Westfield Puerto Rican Association (WEPR), which is the co-presenter of the exhibit.
Journey Stories: The Puerto Rican Experience is part of WOW’s continuing Journey Stories programming that most recently featured a popular photographic exhibit of Westfield’s ethnic community in the spring.
“WOW is proud to spotlight Westfield’s ethnic diversity with our ‘Journey Stories” exhibits throughout the year,” Kathi Bradford, director of the Center explained.. “And we are particularly excited about this group show, given the rich history of the Puerto Rican community in Westfield and the contributions of our Latino/Hispanic neighbors.”
“The work of George Ramirez and El Pecador, coupled with art curated by Agma Sweeney presents a spirited, joyful and thought-provoking view of the contributions of Puerto Rico to the vibrant tapestry of American life,” Bradford said.
Born in New York City, George Ramirez has been associated with Westfield State University for many years. A graduate of the school from the school, he worked as a graphic artist for the school’s Marketing Department for several years and is now an instructor in graphic design, animation and courses related to illustration. Ramirez has helped to create a new curriculum for the university’s BFA program that introduces innovative approaches to graphic design, using state-of-the-art tools like laser cutters.
Ramirez’s parents were born in Puerto Rico and his art reflects an appreciation for his culture and acts “like a visual storybook that communicates his journey.”
“Being Puerto Rican aligns me spiritually with other cultures,” Ramirez said “I ate Puerto Rican food, had Puerto Ricans parents, grew up in the Bronx -little Puerto Rico.”
“As I matured, I embraced the nuanced patterns of the world and my heritage through travel and exposure to cultures other than my own,” he continued
El Pecador is the pseudonym for a regional professional artist, who like the renowned artist Banksy, prefers to remain anonymous to ensure total freedom in their artistic vision.
“The idea is to let the process unfold without worries or concerns about the outcome. A type of free association,“ El Pecador explained. “Art becomes a space where the id exposes what would otherwise be repressed. A place that knows no judgements of value.”
His works include silk- screen pieces that incorporate powerful images, representing mythic images and cultural references that reflect his journey as a Latino in today’s world.
The exhibit also includes work curated for purchase by Westfield resident Agma Sweeney. On display is the work of two island artists (digital artist Mary Tere Pérez and acrylic/watercolor artist Vicky Ortiz-Santiago), three vintage silk screens and two pieces from Sweeney’s private collection (Frederic Leighton’s “Flaming June” and a traditional coconut mask). Several of pieces represent “Los Tres Reyes Magos- the Three Kings” and Old San Juan.
Born in San Juan, Sweeney has been Westfield resident for most of her life. Her career includes work as a Westfield City Councilor and as congressional aide to U.S. Congressmen, John Olver and Richard Neil. She enjoys bringing art from the island, because it brings a part of her home back to Westfield
All the proceeds from Sweeney’s component of the show will go toward WEPRA’s scholarship fund. Journey Stories is presented with the in-kind sponsorship of Reminder Publishing.
Journey Stories is partially-funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the in-kind sponsorship of the The Reminder Publications.
WOW’s Creative Arts Center is a program of Westfield on Weekends, a 501 (c)(3) volunteer non-profit which seeks to enhance community life through accessible and affordable programming that celebrates the diversity of life in Westfield.
