Editor, Not Just A Baby In a Drug, Published June 2023

Co-Curator of NUYORICO PRESENTE! exhibition, June 2023

Excerpt from book review by Nuevayorkinos:

"One sunny Saturday afternoon during June 2023’s Puerto Rican Weekend, a compelling collection of Nuyorican art was on full display at CCLCTV Gallery in Loisaida (or, the Lower East Side). The diverse body of work featured in NUYORICO PRESENTE!, the exhibition curated by NUYORICO ART CLUB on the eve of the 66th Annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade, came together to explore the many experiences woven into Nuyorican identity. Showcasing works by established and emerging artists alike, NUYORICO PRESENTE! celebrated Puerto Rican/Nuyorican heritage across time, space, and mediums as a means to encourage meaningful dialogue between generations and allow for deeper explorations of Puerto Rican artistic traditions.

Founded by interdisciplinary artist and advocate Adrián ‘Viajero’ Román and graphic artist and cultural consultant Christian Mártir, NUYORICO ART CLUB was founded “on the belief that art has the power to transcend boundaries, challenge perceptions, and ignite transformative cultural change.” During NUYORICO PRESENTE!, Román and Mártir, with the help of art dealer and independent curator Natashia Betancourt, released not just a baby in a durag | NUYORICO ART CLUB LIBROS, VOL. 1, a collection of original digital collages comprised of layered images, symbols, and text, whose visual language speaks to the complexities of what it means to be Puerto Rican-Nuyorican-Boricua aquí, y allá. As this year’s Puerto Rican Heritage Month comes to a close, we speak to Román and Mártir about NUYORICO ART CLUB, the creative processes behind not just a baby in a durag, and art as a tool for navigating identity and combatting colonialismo.