RISCA ASSEMBLE A MEETING FOR THE LATINO ORGANIZATIONS AND ARTISTS Courtesy by RISCA On April 8, 2014, the Latino arts community of  Rhode Island was called for p articipating in a community meeting in South Providence organized by Elena Calderon-Patiño., RISCA. Elena talked about RISCA AND NALAC in Providence, NEFA introduced the Creative Ground platform for all artists. Each artists introduced themself and the Co-hosting artists had three minutes to talk about oncoming events of the year 2014. GREAT NETWORK AND GOOD VIBES... See the photos:  Click here

The santos tradition has been alive in Puerto Rico since the 16th century. They originally served a practical purpose: for home use in rural areas that had limited access to churches. The Santos making as an art form and as a devotional tradition to the material and spiritual life of the Puerto Rican people; Santos making in its historic depth and connection to the Spanish colonial period and its evolutionary process through contemporary lifestyles. Thus, it has become a handprint for Puerto Rico. There's a santos from Puerto Rico in the Smithsonian's Museum of National History that dates to the 1500s. Initially, santos were carved out of a single block of wood; only later did the craft become more sophisticated, with separate pieces assembled together to make the finished product. Santos are hand-carved by artisans known as Santeros. Using a simple knife, these artisans (many of whom are honored as master craftsmen on the island) typically pain

PUERTO RICAN INSTITUTE FOR ARTS AND ADVOCACY. INC. CARIBBEAN ARTS PROGRAM Nine Hartford Schools Receive Magnet Merit Awards  

Our Rhythms Provider Cabezudos Instruments of Bomba and Plena Doña Yaya in the National Puerto Rican Parade of New York E-Mail: priaayoruba@gmail.com