Updates & News
Celebrating Places of Belonging in SI
Staten Island, New York. October 14, 2022
Celebrating Places of Belonging in Staten Island is a photo-documentary project by visual artist and photographer, Arlette Cepeda, intended to be used as a tool for transformational social change. The project aims to create awareness and recognition of places that promote belonging for historically marginalized people due to their race, gender, ability or identity. This project is the artist’s iteration of a beautiful solution, informed and inspired by her participation in the Public Conversations for Change Leadership Fellowship (PCCLF), one component of the Staten Island Equity and Belonging Project at CSI.
The exhibit will take place at Pride Center of Staten Island located at 66 Willow Avenue in Staten Island, NY, on Saturday, November 12th, 2022 at 6:30pm.
Essential Immigrant Stories
Staten Island, New York. September 1, 2021. Essential Immigrant Stories is a photo-documentary project by visual artist and photographer, Arlette Cepeda, that focuses on highlighting the challenges and opportunities the COVID-19 pandemic has created for Staten Island’s immigrant community members through portraits and accompanying stories. The exhibit will take place at La Colmena’s two locations, during the months of September and October. The first opening will take place on Saturday, September 11th at the 88 Canal Street location in Stapleton and the second one on Saturday, October 2nd, at 774 Port Richmond Avenue, in Port Richmond. Both openings will begin at 6:00pm. There will be a virtual exhibit via Facebook Live on Thursday, October 22nd at 6:00pm.
The goal of this project is to elevate and validate the immigrant experience and their impact in our Staten Island community. “Through portraits and accompanying short stories, I'm interested in documenting the experiences of the often neglected, silenced or omitted immigrant population of this particular north-shore neighborhood.” “It is my hope that this project can help create awareness, increase empathy, acceptance and understanding of our otherness, narrowing the divide and discrimination often faced by immigrants.” - Arlette Cepeda
My Neighborhood, My Time
- Saturday, June 21, 2014, My Neighborhood, My Time - Photography Exhibit Tour of Port Richmond's laundromats. From June 21- September 22, 2014. Tour starts at 5:30 pm at the Spa Laundry, 2028 Richmond Terrace, then Grove Laundry, 41A Grove Avenue, followed by The Star People Laundry, 176 Port Richmond Avenue, Staten Island, NY.
My Neighborhood, My Time
My Neighborhood, My Time is a series black and white photography exhibits at laundromats in the Staten Island neighborhood of Port Richmond, presenting the vernacular architecture, environment, and objects that are often overlooked on route to the responsibilities of daily life. The goal is to create a better use of the idle time laundromat patrons already have on their hands and to redirect their attention to the captured details and beauty hidden in plain site right in their neighborhood. My Neighborhood, My time is made possible by a DCA Premier Grant from, Staten Island Arts, with public funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
Where I Come From
- Saturday, July 13, 2013 Opening Reception of Where I Come From: Solo Exhibit at St. George Public Library @ 2-4 pm. Address: 5 Central Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10301
- Great article on "Where I Come From" in the Staten Island Advance with this heading: 'Staten Island resident's lifetime journey expressed in art'. Read it here: http://www.silive.com/northshore/index.ssf/2013/08/staten_island_residents_lifeti.html
Hispanic Staten Island
-Wednesday, April 24, 2013, Hispanic Staten Island: Culture & Identity: group exhibit at Spotlight Gallery, Hormann Library, Wagner College, April 12th to May 5th. Paintings and Collage by Homero Herrera and Arlette Cepeda, sculpture by Olga Ayala and photograhy by Irma Bohorquez-Geisler. Traditional handicrafts such as mundillo lace, rosette quilts and a wedding dress exhibited by Elaine Mendez. Photos by Chris Mule celebrate these artists and craftpersons, authorLinda Nieves-Powell, founder of Latino Network and musician of Jose Ocasio. Co-curated by Christopher Mule and Lori Weintrob.
- Nice review in the Staten Island Advance on "Hispanic Staten Island". The Heading read 'Hispanic Staten Island' explores Latin culture through paintings, photographs, music'. You can read it here: http://www.silive.com/entertainment/arts/index.ssf/2013/04/la_isla_staten_in_art_music_ph.html