Decolonization Committee Hearings on Puerto Rico

By Jan Susler

Jan Susler, co-chair of the Puerto Rico Subcommittee, made the following presentation to the United Nations Decolonization Committee Hearings on Puerto Rico on June 18, 2012. The full presentation may also be downloaded in PDF here.

IPRAC and Rafael Cintron Latino Cultural Center Sponsor

For two days, September 4 and 5, the renowned Puerto Rican artist Antonio Martorell will present a series of events at UIC in a joint collaboration between the Institute of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture and the Raphael Cintron Latino Cultural Center. These activities include the following:

Wednesday, September 5

*   "Fear, Art and Freedom" 9am, Science & Engineering South 138

• Lunch with students at the Sturkel dorms, 11am-1pm
• "Art and Community Wherever we are" A dialogue between Antonio Martorell and Hector Duarte, 3pm-5pm

Thursday, September 6

* Presentation of the Documentary "De qui pa'lla/From Here to There" by filmmaker Joelle Gonzalez, 9:30am

* "Communion, Communication and Confrontation in Puerto Rican Art", 12pm-2pm * A workshop entitled "Student Body" 3pm-5pm

All activities will be held in the Rafael Cintron Latino Cultural Center unless otherwise specified.

Sunday, Sept 2, 2012 / 12pm-9pm

19th Fiesta Boricua Kick Off Events

Saturday, September 1

• *   Misa Jíbara - 3pm: A Puerto Rican folkloric style Catholic Mass celebrated by Father Raul Morales Berrios from the Dioceses of Caguas, Puerto Rico. IPRAC 3015 W. Division Street (Free Admission).

• *   "Martorell's Wake"- 5:30pm: Revisiting the wake "El Velorio" by Francisco Oller, the foremost Puerto Rican painter of the late 19th and early 20th century, Antonio Martorell weaves a fabric of enter trained fables in which the man, women and children in the painting, its animal the body of the dead child, Oller, himself, the painting's light and colors and the objects, instruments and chemicals that make the painting possible all speak, and invite us to reply. And as we do, that conversation we engage in with the text recreates the rich experience of Martorell's 50 years of on going interaction with Oller's masterpiece.

* Noche Jíbara - 6:00pm

An enchanted evening celebration of traditional Puerto Rican music, food, and culture; featuring directly from the mountains of Cayey, Puerto Rico the musical group "ALAMBRE DULCE".

From August 24-26, Alderman Roberto Maldonado hosted the first ever Taste of Latin America food, wine and Art festival. The festival offered visitors authentic cuisine from countries across Latin America. More than 25 of Chicago's top Latin American restaurants set up their kitchens in the events' Restaurant Row. The cuisines of Argentina, Columbia, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico and Puerto Rico among others.

Throughout the weekend, the culinary stage featured live cooking demonstrations, a chef competition and beverage seminars and wine tastings. Although the main focus of the festival was food - a wide variety of free, high quality Latin American entertainment was available on the main stage. Additionally, a kids carnival and designated kids area was accompanied by an outdoor Latin American art gallery which featured works by area artists.

On Saturday August 18, members of the Puerto Rican Agenda convened to discuss the substance of what will become a first of its kind study on the status of the Puerto Rican community in Chicago. Members of the agenda discussed the content of the various components of the study, as well how the study would be presented to the broader Latino community. Plans are being made for a summit where members of the Puerto Rican Agenda will present the document to the members of the community, key stakeholders and the Latino elected officials.

On Wednesday August 29 IPRAC will host the board meeting of the Illinois Association of Museums. IPRAC is delighted to host the meeting, as it marks another moment were IPRAC has joined the ranks of the more than 1,000 museums throughout the state represented by the Illinois Association of Museums.

The Illinois Association of Museums is an agent for positive change in the museum community - providing advocacy, promoting best practices, and fostering the exchange of ideas.

El Rincon has been an important institution that has provided comprehensive substance abuse treatment and culturally-specific services in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood for the past 40 years. The PRCC congratulates El Rincon for its record of service to the Humboldt Park community and wishes its staff and people it serves many more years of success and wellbeing.