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Family-friendly event set for Reg Lenna Center for The Arts

JAMESTOWN – The City of Jamestown’s Cultural Bridges Action Team, Reg Lenna Center for The Arts and 3rd on 3rd Gallery invite the public to a day and evening of free activities on Saturday as part of National Hispanic Heritage Month.

Current 3rd on 3rd Gallery show, Hispanic Heritage, will culminate with a public “Meet the Artist” reception on Saturday at 2 p.m. with Pablo Shine.

Pablo Shine’s art is inspired by the “flora and folklore” of his native Puerto Rico and “the African presence, manifested in the music and spirituality” of the island nation. His portraits and still life paintings evoke the literature of Pablo Neruda, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Federico Garcia Lorca and Jorge Luis Borges. The New York City resident has exhibited in Washington D.C., San Juan and the Hudson Valley region. The reception will include a short presentation by the artist followed by a reception and viewing of his work. Support for this show was made possible by a grant from New York State Council on The Arts.

At 4:45 p.m. in the Reg Lenna Center for The Arts Theater, a short video, “Jamestown: The Welcoming City,” examining the lives of local Hispanic citizens and their experiences in Jamestown will precede a 5 p.m. Community Conversation. The topics of Migration and Inclusion will be discussed in this town hall-style event. In light of the current economic crisis in Puerto Rico and the growing population of Puerto Ricans in Jamestown, this public discussion will address issues related to migration, inclusion, and the complex relationship between the U.S. and its Territory. What are the larger economic and political forces that fuel this migration? What led to previous waves of migration? How might the Jamestown community become more welcoming to newcomers? What do the people of Jamestown stand to gain by weaving new Puerto Rican arrivals into their social fabric? These questions and more will be discussed by the panelists and audience members in our public forum including: Nelson Denis, journalist, author, and former New York State Assembly member, Indo Quinones, cultural and linguistic competency coordinator and Jason Sample, Public Affairs Director and radio host at WRFA.

The event will immediately be followed by a Latino Food Fiesta hosted by CHQ Foods. A cash bar will be open to offset costs for the evening. Both events are not ticketed and are free and open to the public. The evening will end with a free concert at 7:30 p.m. by David Gonzalez with Poetic License. The Poetic License Band mixes the rhythms of Afro-Cuban music and modern jazz with poetry from the “now-moment” of contemporary American Latin culture. Gonzalez’s poems and stories document his own personal odyssey while Bobby Sanabria keeps a powerful percussive backbeat, shifting from sacred Yoruba chants to mambo-flavored house grooves. Gonzalez performed at The Reg last May in a memorable concert for the public and area schools.

Hispanic Heritage events are made possible by support from New York State Council on the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities and New York Council for the Humanities. Founded by the Jamestown Strategic Planning and Partnerships Commission, The Cultural Bridges Action Team seeks to bring Jamestown people of all cultures together, with the goal of creating understanding of and appreciation for all the varied backgrounds of residents in the Greater Jamestown Community.

For more information, call 484-7070 or visit reglenna.com. Reg Lenna Center for The Arts and 3rd on 3rd Gallery are located at 116 E. 3rd St. in Jamestown.

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