All Of It Podcast Summary Episode: Artist Candida Alvarez's Five-Decade Career on Display at El Museo del Barrio
Host: Alison Stewart
Release Date: May 20, 2025

Introduction

In this engaging episode of ALL OF IT, host Alison Stewart delves into the vibrant career of Brooklyn-born artist Candida Alvarez. The episode highlights Alvarez's significant exhibitions at El Museo del Barrio and Gray Gallery, showcasing her diverse body of work spanning five decades. Listeners are invited to explore the intersections of culture, memory, and artistic expression through Alvarez's multifaceted creations.

Overview of Exhibitions

El Museo del Barrio: Circle Point Hoop
The primary focus of Agus Alvarez's showcase, titled Circle Point Hoop, features 100 works that trace her artistic journey from the 1970s to the present. The exhibition opens with two standout pieces:

• Nueva York (Lithograph)
• Soy Boricua Boricua (Large Acrylic and Oil Painting)

These works set the tone for an exploration of Alvarez's roots and evolution as an artist.

Gray Gallery: Real Monsters in Bold Colors
Simultaneously, Gray Gallery presents Real Monsters in Bold Colors, where Alvarez's pieces are exhibited alongside those of the late Bob Thompson, a notable figurative artist whose career was tragically cut short at age 29. This dual exhibition underscores the dynamic range and enduring impact of both artists.

Cultured Magazine remarked that together, these exhibitions provide a "crucial update to the historical record," emphasizing Alvarez's pivotal role in the contemporary art scene.

Career and Influences

Alvarez reflects on her serendipitous dual exhibitions, describing it as a "circle" that felt destined rather than planned (02:20). Her artistic path was profoundly influenced by her time at Fordham University and her involvement with El Museo del Barrio, where she participated in workshops led by esteemed artists like Bill Tulis and Bob Blackburn.

She recounts discovering the works of Robert Bearden at El Museo, expressing a lasting admiration for Bearden's intricate collages:

"I was so taken away with his images because it was old, like the collages that he had created, and they were so dense and packed with like parts of bodies and eyeballs and, you know, bits and pieces of brownstones, you know, just beautiful." (06:30)

Artistic Techniques and Mediums

Alvarez is renowned for her versatility, adeptly navigating painting, collage, embroidery, and video. When discussing her choice of mediums, she emphasizes curiosity and the intuitive process as driving forces:

"I think curiosity is indispensable. I mean, curiosity for an artist is what leads the charge, right? It's the process. It's how it... Processes begin or how you engage with processes." (09:24)

Her preference for water-based materials like acrylics and pastels allows for quick execution and the flexibility to adapt her vision fluidly. Alvarez also speaks to the tactile experiences of her materials:

"I love holding a pencil in my hand. I love calligraphy, I love all of that. And I like water-based material because it dries fast, you know, and I work quickly, pretty much." (09:40)

Notable Works and Themes

Soy Boricua Boricua
An early piece from the 1980s, Soy Boricua, exemplifies Alvarez's method of building paintings in panels, a technique inspired by Joan Mitchell. She describes the piece as a reflection of her formative years in New York, capturing the essence of urban life and personal identity.

Tossing Pennies
One of her first pieces, Tossing Pennies, is a homage to her father and mentor Mel Blockner. The diptych incorporates elements like collaged images of her son's hand and actual pennies, symbolizing luck and familial bonds:

"I found panels like wood, that were not being used. And one of my first pieces, actually, that is hanging in a museo, is called Tossing Pennies." (16:30)

Dame Unumero (Give Me a Number)
This piece references her mother's unique method of communication through numbers and letters, intertwining personal history with broader themes of connection and intuition:

"There were these uncanny forms of communication. So it's not crazy that I'm also a communicator, right? In a different way, I'm a different kind of communicator." (15:45)

Personal Reflections and Inspirations

Alvarez shares deeply personal anecdotes that inform her art. A notable segment discusses a video piece she created about her mother making pasteles, a traditional family dish. This footage serves as a vessel for exploring themes of heritage, memory, and the unspoken bonds between generations:

"There was something about living color. I mean, I talk about that a lot too, about my... Why I paint. It's because color does. It stays alive. It shifts and it... Depending on the light that it's facing." (07:30)

Her childhood fascination with stained glass windows is another cornerstone of her artistic vision, inspiring her use of vibrant colors and light in her work:

"There were narrative and they were painted. Right. They were. There were pieces of color that also had a form of painting on top of them, which gave them a shadow." (07:27)

Conclusion

Alvarez's dual exhibitions at El Museo del Barrio and Gray Gallery not only celebrate her extensive career but also highlight her ongoing contributions to the cultural tapestry of New York City. Through her exploration of color, light, and personal narrative, Alvarez invites audiences to engage deeply with the multifaceted nature of urban life and artistic expression.

As Alison Stewart aptly summarizes:

"ALL OF IT is both companion for and curator of the myriad culture this city has to offer."

Listeners are encouraged to visit the exhibitions, available through Thursday, July 3rd, to experience the full spectrum of Candida Alvarez's artistic legacy.

Notable Quotes

• "It's more like a circle. I was, I mean, I could have never planned it. I mean, it just kind of happened that way and I guess it was destined." — Candida Alvarez (02:20)

• "I think curiosity is indispensable. I mean, curiosity for an artist is what leads the charge." — Candida Alvarez (09:24)

• "There were narrative and they were painted. Right. They were. There were pieces of color that also had a form of painting on top of them, which gave them a shadow." — Candida Alvarez (07:27)

Exhibition Details

• Circle Point Hoop

  • El Museo del Barrio
  • Duration: Through Thursday, July 3rd
  • Highlights: 100 works spanning five decades, including Soy Boricua Boricua and Nueva York.

• Real Monsters in Bold Colors

  • Gray Gallery
  • Duration: Through Thursday, July 3rd
  • Features: Alvarez alongside works of Bob Thompson.

For more insights and updates, tune into ALL OF IT weekdays from 12:00 - 2:00 PM on WNYC.