East Harlem's Museo Del Barrio To Open Major Latinx Art Exhibit

EAST HARLEM, NY — El Museo del Barrio, the museum that has been a fixture of East Harlem for more than 50 years, will host its first-ever national survey of Latinx art in a new exhibition set to open next month, the museum announced Tuesday.

Titled "ESTAMOS BIEN: LA TRIENAL 20/21," the exhibition will open March 13 and showcase the works of 42 Latinx artists and collectives hailing from across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Originally set to coincide with the 2020 Census, the in-person exhibition was pushed back by a year after the museum closed during the pandemic.

The focus on U.S. art comes amid a reckoning at El Museo del Barrio over the museum's increasing focus on art from across Latin America — a change that has spurred protest by some in East Harlem who accused the museum of straying too far from its roots in the neighborhood.

"Presenting a major survey of Latinx art today is not only urgent, it is also a great opportunity to continue proving its relevance nationally and globally," Rodrigo Moura, the museum's chief curator, said in a news release.

The exhibition also focuses on the "contested" term Latinx, a gender-neutral word that has gained increasing popularity in recent years, especially among young people, but which has limited use among those who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.

Once it opens in March, ESTAMOS BIEN will remain on view at the Fifth Avenue museum until Sept. 26.

The exhibition's title references a painting by Candida Alvarez, but also imitates the hit song by the Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny. Artists with works on display include Lucia Hierro, Joey Terrill, Eddie Aparicio, Patrick Martinez and Carolina Caycedo. It also features online works which debuted last summer.

El Museo del Barrio at 1230 Fifth Ave. at 104th Street is open during limited hours on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are pay-what-you-wish, and the museum recommends reserving spots online before visiting.