Syracuse Sun

La Casita Cultural Center will commemorate National Hispanic Heritage Month 2024 with a community-wide event and the opening of a new exhibit, “WEIRD Barrio” (“Por mi barrio”), presenting the art of Syracuse-based Puerto Rican artist Manuel Matías. The inaugural event at La Casita on Friday, Sept. 20, from 6-8 p.m., will include a walking tour and artist talk by Matías, followed by live music from Grupo Pagán and a buffet of authentic Caribbean cuisine. La Casita is located in the Lincoln Building near the Westside of Syracuse, at 109 Otisco St., Syracuse.

“WEIRD Barrio” depicts the Latino barrio experience in intricate detail. At its core, it is a testament to the power of storytelling and visual representation in shaping collective identity and fostering a sense of belonging within marginalized communities. By intricately depicting familiar settings, Westside neighborhood streets, community buildings, home environments and conceptual representations of a unique and distinctive character, Matías invites viewers to immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of life in the barrios, capturing the essence of kinship and cultural pride that define these neighborhoods.

This project actively engaged with local youth through a series of summer art-making workshops facilitated by Matías. Some of these pieces, created by children at La Casita and at the Everson Museum, will also be part of the show.

“The Westside reminds me a lot about the barrios where I grew up, between Mayagüez, Puerto Rico and the Lower East Side in New York City,” says Matías. “I love working in miniature scale and seeing how something so tiny can have such a huge impact, like our barrios and our children. I want them to know how much they are valued and how unique and beautiful they are.”

This program is part of the 2024-25 Syracuse Symposium on “Community” co-produced with Syracuse University’s Humanities Center. Support for the WEIRD Barrio youth summer workshops at La Casita comes from the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation.

“WEIRD Barrio” will be on view through April 2025.

Story by Daniela Dorado