Mayor Mike Spano, with CSEE Superintendent Cindy Lopez, left, and officials from the Charter School of Educational Excellence and participants in the school’s annual Artisans Fair.
Charter School of Educational Excellence officials with some of the participating artists at the school’s annual Artisans Fair
Local artists celebrated the creativity of the Puerto Rican community at the Charter School of Educational Excellence’s fall Artisans’ Fair.
Thirteen artisans from the Puerto Rican Institute for the Development of the Arts (PRIDA) displayed their creations at the school on Oct. 7 and they shared stories about their inspiration with the public.
“We asked PRIDA’s members to participate in an artisan’s fair because their mission is to promote and preserve folkloric traditions. One of the Charter School of Educational Excellence’s goals is developing the whole child. That means giving our students exposure to traditions and expressions that are relevant to their cultures so that they feel inspired to learn and create,” said Carmen Goldberg, the CSEE’s director of government, parents and external relations.
The Artisans’ Fair included performances by Puerto Rican Cuatro Player Luisito Rodriguez and his Cuatro Band along with dance presentations from Addie-tude Cultural Arts Center, the Mexican Cultural Committee, and the Dominican Cultural Association of Yonkers.
The event was part of the Charter School of Educational Excellence’s continuing investment in the arts.
In May the school inaugurated a new stage at its high school designed to help students learn theatrical rigging and other skills that will help them land jobs at Lionsgate Studios and other media stages opening in Yonkers. The new stage includes state-of-the-art audio-visual capacities and a large projection screen.
PRIDA grew out of an annual Puerto Rican Artisan Fair in New York City that is the largest such fair outside of Puerto Rico. The group’s goals include opening new markets for Puerto Rican artists, promoting culture and advocating for arts funding.
