An exhibit at Boricua College Gallery featuring work by people living in supportive housing pushes us to ponder what it means to belong.
The art on display at the gallery on Washington Avenue in Melrose features acrylic paintings, drawings, mannequins, collages, and bags made of different pictures and materials. These pieces show the artists’ definitions of belonging: some through materialistic items like bags and fashion, while other pieces show a person’s journey through life and their place in society.
Colorful Paintings by L.A.I.M. documents his struggles with loss. “Such pieces like ‘The Lone Departure’, or ‘Drawing Out Loud’ depict moments when I was in the streets, homeless before finally getting shelter with my dog,” the artist said.
“One could define belongings as material items or possessions. Another could define belongings as placement in the world or society, etc.” L.A.I.M. added. “I define belongings to be physically available in any present moment of time and space. By being physically available, you’re able to materialize a presence to occupy a certain space during a certain time. We all want to belong somewhere, yet we all desire to have belongings.”
All the Artists live in different supportive housing sites around the borough through BronxWorks. The Brook provides on-site access to behavioral health services such as medical and psychiatric services, medication monitoring assistance, representative payee services, and supportive case management. Cooper Gardens in East Tremont provides residents with case management and financial, educational, and vocational resources. HUD Scattered-Site Supportive Housing on Jackson Avenue provides long-term support services, care, and benefit coordination
The exhibit ran from early September to Oct. 4. The Boricua College Gallery was founded by Puerto Rican New Yorkers, and designed to meet the educational needs of Latino-Hispanics and anybody underrepresented in higher education. They have campuses In Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx.
Curator Francis Palazzolo found these artists through his work as the activity coordinator and artist in residence at Bronx Works. Some of the Artists that were shown in the exhibit were Sodin Muhsin, Jot Jol, and L.A.I.M.
“I have been working with these artists at different sites for several months, one for several years,” Palazzolo said. “As I started sharing the stories or at least my interpretation of what was going on with the other artists when I mentioned the word Belonging they really got choked up. So I knew that had to be the title.”
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