¡Cultura Con Azúcar!
Los Muralistas de El Puente
¡Cultura Con Azúcar!, 2013
Latex paint, spray paint on plywood
200 x 16 ft
¡Cultura Con Azúcar! (Culture With Sugar) depicts the rich history of the Los Sures (Southside of Williamsburg) community and the resiliency of its people through the neighborhood's vast changes.
¡Cultura Con Azúcar! (Culture With Sugar) highlights the community's Latino cultural values, the significance of the Domino Sugar Factory's presence in the neighborhood, and the economic and social tensions surrounding the neighborhood's development. The mural also depicts imagery relating to the history of sugar production in the Caribbean, where many of the workers at the Domino Sugar Factory originated.
The mural was painted by four artists from Los Muralistas de El Puente, led by lead artist Joe Matunis, and a group of 20 high school students from the El Puente Academy.
Los Muralistas de El Puente, which was founded in 1990, has engaged local youth and community members in the tradition of mural painting. The group has created more than 20 murals around the community highlighting the people’s needs, their ambitions, and their reflections on the neighborhood.
El Puente
El Puente is a community human rights institution that promotes leadership for peace and justice through the engagement of members (youth and adult) in the arts, education, scientific research, wellness and environmental action. Founded in 1982 by Luis Garden Acosta, El Puente currently integrates the diverse activities and community campaigns of its Center for Arts and Culture and its Green Light District & Community Wellness Program within its four neighborhood Leadership Centers, and its nationally recognized public high school, the El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice. Organizing in North Brooklyn and beyond, El Puente remains at the forefront of community/youth learning and development issues and as such, initiates and impacts social policy both locally and nationally.