vozarrón is a culture column that critiques and celebrates
vozarrón is noise, a word used to mock the voice of a matriarch that speaks boldly, seeking attention and care for her community. The word highlights the “rough” qualities of a voice and deems it too “manly” or too “loud.” It’s a voice that is not delicate or shy, but is often undermined and ignored. Yet, it is persistent; repetitive. It is a sound that expresses the needs of a community in spaces that neglects them. It is often the plea for care, attention, and justice, but one that also carries a bassed laughter and a strong yet goofy character that laughs at itself. A voice that celebrates and demands.
With this essence, vozarrón is a short culture column that centers the issues and conversations often neglected in art spaces that involve social issues and marginalized experiences. A column that celebrates and critiques itself and its people. It is based on a series of conversations, cultural interrogations, and exchanges with our extended community and is presented through our monthly newsletter. The primary sources — in the form of audio, direct quotes, and multimedia imagery — have a home on our website and across on our social media.
This column focuses on the experiences, and challenges of Powerhouse staff, artists, and friends as people that we believe to be infinite sources of creativity, who are problem-solvers helping each other and working together to create a culture that thrives when justicia flourishes. This column will include poetry, art, and music. It will also include other recommendations in regards to the topic such as readings, podcasts, articles, etc.
The column will be a space to discuss questions such as: What does it mean for social justice to incite cultural power at Powerhouse through its programs in Print, Textile, Wood, and Metal, and Ceramic, Project Management, Teaching and Learning, and Public Engagement? How do people at Powerhouse facilitate artmaking as transformative power? How do we define power?
Produced by Angélica Maria Millán Lozano (she / her) Artist Service Associate / Fabricator at Powerhouse Arts and artist based in Brooklyn, New York.
Dennis Hrehowsik On Fabrication: Screen Printing As Creative Collaboration With One Vision
These past months have marked a new chapter for the organization, a transition both physically into our new facility and conceptually as we unite our operations and recommit to the vision of Powerhouse as a hive for creative expression. I’ve continued my exploration and interest in the definition of “fabrication”. Given the chance to speak with Dennis Hrehowsik, a Master Printer with Powerhouse, I posed the questions: What was your journey to art? What does art fabrication mean to you? Where across the creative process is credit owed?
An Introduction To The World Of Arts Fabrication
In the coming months, vozarrón will focus on the exploration of arts fabrication through the eyes of our fabricators themselves. In this introductory installment, you’ll learn from Kiah Vidyarthi, our Director of Collaborative Production Operations, who shares insights into her career in the arts, how she defines “fabrication”, and where she sees it evolving through the purview of Powerhouse.
The World Of Arts Fabrication: Reframing The Mystique
This vozarrón marks the second installment of our investigation into the world of arts fabrication from the perspective of Powerhouse fabricators. We glean insights from Ben Cohen, our Director of Wood, Metal, and Digital Fabrication drawing from his engineering background, his collaborative launch of the Gowanus Studio Space, and how he comes to define “arts fabrication.”
The World of Arts Fabrication: Piecing the Puzzle
vozarrón continues to delve into the topic of fabrication with this third installment honing in on a conversation with our Director of Ceramic, Biata Roytburd who shares her definition of “fabrication,” her background and expertise as an independent artist, how intuition factors into fabrication, and her thoughts on crediting fabricators.
Building A Synergistic Printmaking Community
For 20 years, our Director of Print Luther Davis has met with other printmakers at fairs and exhibitions around New York City parting with hopes of visiting each other’s shops, exchanging ideas and experience in the industry, and building a synergistic community amidst his peers and colleagues. Yet, the hands-on nature of the print business doesn’t often allow time for this. As an advocate for printmaking, Luther sought to bridge this gap by visiting local printshops to learn their unique skills, equipment, and production methods.
Virtual Consultations: A Year In Review
In 2020, Powerhouse Arts implemented virtual programming with the dual intention of continuing to address the needs of the artists with whom we work and providing an outlet to discuss challenges, adaptations, or concerns with our team.
What emerged from that initial intention is our ongoing Virtual Consultations (VCs) program.
VCs have become a forum for open dialogue and resource-sharing empowered by self-motivated artists. These 30-minute chats with our fabricators create a personalized experience where ideas are exchanged and connections are made
The Youth Advisory Council: A Creative And Welcoming Respite From The World
Jenn Williams, our Powerhouse Arts Youth Programs Manager recently led the first cohort of the Youth Advisory Council, a program she describes as a creative and welcoming respite from the world. Six brilliant student members between the ages of 14 and 18: Kimberly Castro, Elias J. Leon, Kaliyha Mayers, Liam Rice, Chloe Sanford, and Abigail Roman make up the group.