“El Litoral” by Alvilda Sophia Anaya-Alegría & Michelle Falcón Fontánez

Alvilda Sophia Anaya-Alegría & Michelle Falcón Fontánez

Mosaic

Title: “El Litoral”

Artists' information:

Michelle Falcón Fontánez

Website: https://www.falconfontanezfoto.com/

Theme: Our team feels that it is necessary to work against colonization and racism to ultimate preserve our histories and culture. We feel that in a plaza that is dedicated to Pynchon, we need to utilize the space as a form of resistance, depicting the diverse mosaics that we in the diaspora are composed of. It is important for us as artists, to collaborate with Springfield locals whether that be through contracting models, working with local printing companies or suppliers. Ultimately supporting the economy of locally owned businesses.

Artist Statement:

“My people have been oppressed, silenced, restricted, forgotten, and murdered, ultimately leading to the erasure of our stories. I feel that true change can only happen when you understand your past and give voice to those experiences.” Michelle Falcón Fontánez, is an award winning storyteller working in photography, film, theater and installation art. Michelle has witnessed and personally experienced injustices that have shaped her views of the world, motivating her pursuit of making change through art. Her artistry has primarily focused on social issues, where she has created work to illuminate voices that have not been heard. Michelle’s early work, a women's focused documentary on the impacts of the economic crisis of Puerto Rico before Hurricane María, has expanded her advocacy on Puerto Rico, establishing a group that supports entrepreneurship on the island through a yearly arts fundraiser. Michelle’s projects have received support from Art Workspace Easthampton (AWE) Studio Residency Program, ECA Artist Grants Initiative, El Corazón/The Heart of Holyoke, the New England Foundation for the Arts' Public Art for Spatial Justice Program, with funding from The Barr Foundation, the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture and the City of Boston, Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, 2020 ValleyCreates Rapid Response, The Ethics and the Common Good Project, CBD Project Grant, The Sander Thoenes Research Award, Elma Lewis Community-Centered Grant, Cambridge, Holyoke, Springfield, Northampton and South Hadley Cultural Councils. Michelle holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Hampshire College with concentrations in Business Management and Film, and currently, she is strengthening her artistry as a candidate in the MFA Film and Media Arts Program at Emerson College.

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Alvilda Sophia Anaya-Alegría

Theme: Our team feels that it is necessary to work against colonization and racism to ultimate preserve our histories and culture. We feel that in a plaza that is dedicated to Pynchon, we need to utilize the space as a form of resistance, depicting the diverse mosaics that we in the diaspora are composed of. It is important for us as artists, to collaborate with Springfield locals whether that be through contracting models, working with local printing companies or suppliers. Ultimately supporting the economy of locally owned businesses.

Artist Statement:

“I paint and write to touch some of the points where silence intersects with line-spheres and curve producing quantum physics planes that anchor my litoral realms joined by the great vastness of the ocean of Guayama, Puerto Rico and Massachusetts.” Alvilda Sophia Anaya-Alegría, was born in Guayama, Puerto Rico and has a Master's of Science in Economic Development, from Southern University of New Hampshire. Professor Anaya-Alegria has taken doctorate level courses in the Economics and Fine Arts department at UMASS Amherst. She is a writer, poet, scholar, performer, muralist and installation artist. In her quest to incorporate Urban Planning and Development, she collaborated with architects to design and paint murals and has also worked with museums to build Art History and Economic Development Architectural Installations and museographs and Architectural Murals, one in Springfield and another in Guayama, Puerto Rico, her birth place. Professor Anaya-Alegría has taught Economics and Statistics at Springfield College; Theater and Studio Art at Cambridge College, English at UMass Amherst and Woman and Economic Development at Tufts University. Her poetry has been published in several newspapers in North America and Latin America. She is a member of Straw Dogs Writers Guild in Northampton. Anaya-Alegría has received numerous Fine Arts awards and grants. Among them there is The Fine Arts Work Center, Provincetown, MA; three Mass Cultural Council Teaching Artist Fellowships; three grants from the Springfield Cultural Council; Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, ValleyCreates Initiative, Mass MoCA/Assets for Artists program; Easthampton City Arts, and the Northampton Arts Council. Concurrently, she received two scholarships from Nerissa Nields for her writing it up in the garden program to craft a memoir and a lyrical, (décima Espinela), poetry book for little boys.

As Puerto Rican women who grew up in marginalized communities in Western Mass and in Puerto Rico, we did not have access to art. This has motivated us to create a project where we cement our histories in a place that was not created for us. We want people to see themselves and their diverse histories present in our cultural mosaic. Our mural is embodying our truth and mirroring our legacy by taking space in a city that our people have helped construct.

We feel that the communities of Springfield deserve to live in a place where they have access to art. Springfield is called the city of homes and we believe that locals should not have to travel outside of their home to enjoy the beauty of art. Community members should be able to enjoy beautiful spaces where they can gather. Our project creates a sanctuary that welcomes people of diverse backgrounds.