To commemorate its 50th anniversary Punto de Contacto/Point of Contact, Inc. (POC) is presenting “50 Sin Cuenta,” a landmark exhibition of contemporary Latin American art drawn from its own permanent collection.
An opening event will be held Friday, Sept. 19, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the newly renovated Warehouse Gallery at the Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., Suite 005 in downtown Syracuse. It is free and open to the public.
Tere Paniagua, executive director of the Office of Cultural Engagement for the Hispanic Community, says the exhibition continues POC’s mission of providing a forum for people from diverse backgrounds to engage in open dialogue across intellectual, social and geographic boundaries. It highlights the breadth and depth of POC’s collection and features over 100 works by acclaimed artists. They include Luis Felipe Noé, Liliana Porter, Ana Tiscornia, Joseph Kugielsky, Maritza Bautista, Pedro Roth, Arnaldo Roche, Víctor Vázquez and Nayda Collazo Lloréns, among others
“The Architect,” by Puerto Rican artist Arnaldo Roche and also from Point of Contact’s collection, is one of the works featured in the exhibition
“50 Sin Cuenta” is a Spanish play on words suggesting both a milestone event and a refusal to be limited by time constructs
POC, which was founded in 1975 by late College of Arts and Sciences professor Pedro Cuperman, began as a literary project and journal featuring essays about literature, politics and science, with a strong focus on Latin American culture, Paniagua says. It added a visual arts and exhibitions program in 2005.
“Punto de Contacto has cultivated important collaborations locally, nationally and internationally and has provided rich connecting points with Syracuse University faculty and students from several departments over the years, including those in Latino-Latin American studies, creative writing, museum studies and the arts,” Paniagua says.
“It has provided a continuing platform for artists, writers and thinkers to engage across disciplines and borders ever since its beginning. This exhibition honors the visionary spirit of our founder and invites us to imagine ongoing cross-cultural dialogue, artistic innovation and creative possibility.”
Part of Point of Contact’s collection, and also in the exhibition, is this diptych by Puerto Rican artist Victor Vazquez from his Body to Body Series
“Point of Contact’s legacy is rooted in experimentation, dialogue and discovery,” says Emily Dittman, newly appointed president of the Board of Directors and director of Syracuse University Art Museum.
“This anniversary is a moment to reaffirm our commitment to the artists and communities that shape our mission. We’re excited to share this milestone with the public and open our doors to new collaborations,” she says.
Samantha Hefti G’25, a graduate of the museum studies program, helped coordinate the selection of works from its storage at the Hawkins Building, the University’s Special Collections Research Center
The exhibit will be on view through Friday, Oct. 24. It is sponsored by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) with support from the Office of the Governor and the NY State Legislature, the Syracuse University Humanities Center, Centro de Estudios Hispánicos and the Latino-Latin American studies program, and produced in collaboration with the Warehouse Gallery and the museum studies program.
