Temporal Chronology is a historical visual illustration of Taller Boricua’s lifelong storyline continuum. With this chronology, the Taller Boricua celebrates the 51st anniversary of its founding in 1969. The exhibit focuses on the seminal developments shaped by four themes— Advocacy, Education, Community Cultural Development, and Artistic Innovation.

Highlights of ephemera and visual art derived from hundreds of samples from the permanent archives and the Marcos Dimas collection.

Gallery A
The first Gallery consists of a chronology of events leading up to the founding of the Taller Boricua in 1969, later incorporated as the Puerto Rican Workshop inc. in 1970. The events following are the founding of the Hecksher Building Arts Consortium, the Museo del Barrio occupies, and the Association of Hispanic Arts and the Galleria Tito. These are the sections.

1- The Art Workers Coalition and The Friends of Puerto Rico.
2- The first location is 1673 Madison Ave.
Across from the Young Lords Political Party.
3- Martin (Tito) Perez, Artist Photographer, and member, is found dead at the 23rd Precinct; the community sees it as an incident of police brutality.

4- out of the tragedy, to honor our fallen member, we found the” Galeria Tito”.
5- Artists and Poets evolved the Galeria Tito and created the Galleria Morivivi.
6- El Taller Boricua moves to 2156 Second Avenue, then 1538 Madison Avenue at 104 Street.
7- El Taller Boricua founds the Hecksher Building Arts Consortium in collaboration with the Boys Harbor organization
8-The Museo del Barrio Joins the Hecksher Building Arts
Consortium. and members of the Taller created the Association of Hispanic Arts Newsletter.

Gallery B
Starting at the West Wall from the top Sketches for a silkscreen printing project by the United Graffiti Writers (we thought the group, silkscreen printing. A catalog by Hugo Martinez accompanies. We find examples of announcements, printmaking classes, exhibitions, film screenings and film production for senior citizens, demonstrations, fundraising activities, poetry readings, and theatrical plays.

On the North Wall is artwork examples from the Artists in Resident Programs in the schools, supported by the United Way of New York and the Department of Education, followed by ” Death on Drugs” an anti-drug exhibit with poetry performances supported by Mt Sinai Hospital, with art and poetry illustrations.

Moving over to the East Wall, We find examples of the Taller members’ involvement with urban planning.

Here are the architectural drawings for the proposed projects. ”The Marketa Art Center”, the ” Creative Cultural Museum of East Harlem’ the ” El Yunque Rain Forrest Environment, Exhibit and Learning Center.”, and the “Avant Caribe” housing development project with a Taller Boricua Museum component. All were happening in the Cultural Corridor of East Harlem.

We move over to the 1990s, including the exhibition titled ”Dead Time = Tiempo Muerto” Holland Cotter wrote a review for the N.Y. Times on Oct 8, 1999. the exhibit featured work by the recently released (August 1999) artist Elizam Escobar from Federal prison for seditious contempt. Exhibiting also were Antonio Martorell and Dread Scott. I curated that exhibition.

 Moving on to the next decade, 2000, with exhibits, poetry readings, and celebrating the 30th anniversary with a digital portfolio of prints titled ”Alma”, a collaboration of artists and poets.

On to the South Wall, with a selection of brief brochures and announcements, we find the Artists Housing Development.” Artworks in City Spaces.” A.H.P.D, / Department of Cultural Affairs
project headed by Janet Langston to create artists housing. Our project was 1685 Lexington Ave. Editorials about the creation of the Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center follow and on to more exhibits and fundraisings by having salsa dances at the center. Based on an exhibition titled ”Fresh Produce,” a map is displayed illustrating Green Community Gardens, Farmers Markets and Agricultural Community Support. Within the exhibition are found samples of art and of posters.
Marcos Dimas. 12/14/2021.

At this pivotal juncture in time, Taller Boricua aims to continue the excavational work required in compiling, deciphering, and perpetually making publicly available the half-century of its digitally archived materials and artistic artifacts.
Freedom of Speech and Expression are the pillars that will preserve that we as a People maintain our cultures and liberties to continue creating Love, happiness, and ARTForAll.

Ada Cruz |  Betty BP Cole |  Carmen Ayala |  Diana Gitesha Hernandez |  Elsie Deliz  | Eliezer Berrios  |  George Malave |  George Zavala |  Ife Filex | James Cuebas |  Minerva González Suvidad |  Nitza Tufino |  Rodriguez Calero | Sofia Perales Buck

Ricardo E. Alegría Gallard (April 14, 1921 – July 7, 2011) was a Puerto Rican scholar, cultural anthropologist, and archaeologist.

His research into the aspects of humans within past and present societies and the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture has bestowed Dr. Alegría the title of the “father of modern Puerto Rican archaeology.”
Alegría created the “Center of Popular Arts of the Puerto Rican Cultural Institute,” the publication program of the institute’s books, and designed the logo for the Institute of Neurobiology in Puerto Rico.

His extensive studies helped historians and cultural artists understand how the Taínos lived and suffered before and after the Spanish conquistadors arrived on the island of Borinquen or Boriquén or Borikén. Today Borinquen resides as an unincorporated territory of the current government of the United States, officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Alegría estimated that about one third of all Puerto Ricans have Taíno blood.

The prints presented in this New York City exhibition at Taller Boricua Gallery seek to infuse with ethereal currents, capturing, inspiring, and giving rightful meaning to our multi-cultural relevance and continuity.

El Sandesh 2021

The Taller Boricua’s Rafael Tufiño Print Makers Workshop (RTPW) 121 East 106 Street 212-831-4333.