Each year, the United States observes National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrating the histories and cultures of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. (Hispanic Heritage Week, first observed in 1968, was expanded in 1988 to 30 days, from September 15 to October 15).
The Allentown Art Museum commemorates the Month in 2023 with a series of programs planned for inside and outside our building. Please come for one or all! Admission is always free, as is parking in the Museum lot. No rsvp necessary for any of these family friendly activities, just stop in!
Saturday, September 16, 2–4 p.m.
Kick off Hispanic Heritage Month with an opening reception for an exhibition by AAM Art & Action Fellow Daniel Djuro-Goiricelaya in our Community Gallery. The show, titled Conectando Intenciones/Connecting Intentions, highlights the connecting threads of Daniel’s creative practice and features work from a number of Allentown-based community projects and collaborations. The works in this exhibition use the language of color, natural materials, textiles, light, and performance to explore political, social, aesthetic, and universal issues.
Sunday, September 17, 1–2 p.m.
Drop in on a free one-hour bachata class led by Ely Dance Studio in our Community Gallery. Bachata is a partner dance that originated in the Dominican Republic. With its simple steps and mellow music, bachata is a great introduction to the world of Latin dance.
Thursday, September 21, 5-8 p.m., in Arts Park (across from the Museum)
Join artist Daniel Djuro-Goiricelaya to participate in a “Weave with Nature” workshop that explores art making as a meditative practice as you create a temporary outdoor installation piece using bamboo, twine, pom-poms, and dyed fabric. Daniel will also be hosting more workshops on the following dates at the following locations:
- Saturday, September 23, 11 a.m.-1p.m. at Cedar Creek Park
- Saturday, September 30, 11 a.m.-1p.m. at Union Terrace
Sunday, October 15, 1–2 p.m.
To celebrate the closing of the Conectando Intenciones/Connecting Intentions exhibition, Daniel Djuro-Goiricelaya will lead a panel discussion with other contemporary artists about the exhibition and all of their creative practices.
2:30–3:30 p.m.
Enjoy coffee, snacks, and live music by Fabricio Orihuela in the Museum Cafe as he performs a selection of pop Latino hits from across Latin America.