The Allentown Art Museum welcomes three works by artists of Puerto Rican heritage and kicks off a season of cultural celebration starting February 26, 2026.
Two of these artists, Nitza Tufiño and Wanda Maria Quiñones, were part of the Nuyorican Movement in the 1970s. This movement included artists, poets, and musicians who created work about the Puerto Rican experience in New York. Artists like Tufiño and Quiñones often drew inspiration from the art of the Taíno, an Indigenous people of the Caribbean, as a way of celebrating Puerto Rican identity.
Glendalys Medina, a contemporary artist, builds on the legacy of the Nuyorican movement legacy with Atabey, a multimedia work that depicts the Taíno mother goddess while also alluding to hip hop and Spanish colonization.
These three works tell important stories about ancestry, diaspora, and art as activism—adding to the rich range of voices and experiences represented in the Museum’s American galleries.
These works are part of a two-year loan from El Museo del Barrio, made possible through the support of the Art Bridges Foundation. They will be on view at the Allentown Art Museum from February 26, 2026, through February 20, 2028.
ABOVE: Nitza Tufiño (b. 1949), Pareja Taína, 1972, acrylic, charcoal and polyurethane on Masonite, framed: 49 x 48 3/4 x 1 1/2 in. El Museo del Barrio, New York. Museum. Purchase through the support of George Aguirre, National Endowment for the Arts, Boricua College, the Reader’s Digest Foundation and individual contributions.
_____
The Museum is offering a series of free programs related to these works, including:
First Saturdays • 2-2:45 p.m.
March 7, April 4, May 2, June 6, July 11, August 1, September 5, October 3
Public tours in Spanish / Visitas públicas en español
This guided tour in Spanish of select works in our American galleries includes a discussion of the three artworks from El Museo del Barrio along with works by local artists whose Caribbean heritage informs their creative practice. Free, just drop in. (Private guided tours are also available any day at a nominal cost, click HERE for details.)
Saturday, March 28 • noon-3 p.m.
Art Lab with Rigo Peralta
Rigo Peralta, a local artist from the Dominican Republic, will lead a bilingual aquatint workshop highlighting the rich printmaking history of Puerto Rico. Free, but please reserve space HERE. This workshop will be offered again on Saturday, September 12.
Saturdays & Sundays in May • 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
ArtVentures
May 2-3, May 9-10, May 16-17, May 23-24, May 30-31
Learn about Taino culture as you make art that incorporates Taino symbols. Today, descendants of the Taino people use the symbols to embrace their roots and pay homage to their ancestors. Free and open to all ages. Create together as a family!
Thursday, May 21 • 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Community Art Lab with Jenylin Rodriguez
Take a deep dive into Taino culture with artist and educator Jenylin Rodriguez. Taino is the name of the indigenous people native to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, Hispaniola, and the Virgin Islands. During this free workshop participants will take inspiration from Taino symbols and create their own zine by collaging, drawing, and creating with others. Free, but please reserve space HERE.
Saturday, June 6 (rain date June 7) • 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Nuyorican Hip-Hop Bash
The Museum kicks off its “Verano Vibrante” celebration of Hispanic culture, tradition, and community with this outdoor party in Allentown’s Arts Park, located directly across the street from the Museum. The event will be catered by La Frikitona, a local Puerto Rican-owned food truck. Music will be spun by DJ Chenzo. Community artmaking inspired by graffiti culture will be led by Rafael “Rafataka” Menendez. We are also partnering with the Puertorrican Culture Preservation Inc., an organization known for organizing events like the Allentown Puertorrican Parade and Bomba at the Beach. More details to come!
Saturdays & Sundays in August • 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
August 1-2, August 8-9, August 15-16, August 22-23, August 29-30
ArtVentures
Take inspiration from the artwork by Wanda Maria Quiñones and create one-of-a-kind prints using paint and crayon while learning about the Taino symbols in Quiñones’ work. Free and open to all ages. Create together as a family!
Saturday, September 12 • noon-3 p.m.
Art Lab with Rigo Peralta
Rigo Peralta, a local artist from the Dominican Republic, will lead a bilingual aquatint workshop highlighting the rich printmaking history of Puerto Rico. Free and open to all ages.
PAST RELATED PROGRAMS
Saturday, March 7 • 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
ArtVentures
Rosa Camacho, who received her B.A. in Fine Arts from Pontifical Catholic University in Puerto Rico, will lead a bilingual workshop on using Taino symbols to create an artwork that tells a story. No RSVP necessary, just drop in.
