{"id":5059006,"date":"2023-10-23T10:32:36","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T14:32:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/malatinonews.com\/?p=5059006"},"modified":"2023-10-23T10:32:36","modified_gmt":"2023-10-23T14:32:36","slug":"south-end-latino-artist-inspires-community-through-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/maln\/2023\/10\/23\/south-end-latino-artist-inspires-community-through-art\/","title":{"rendered":"South End Latino Artist Inspires Community Through Art"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BOSTON\u2014Juan Perez passed out homemade empanadas and Joumou, a Haitian stew, to his fellow classmates in a technology class for senior citizens in the South End Community Center.  He scanned the room and greeted everyone with a warm smile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the last day of the course Sept. 30, the 75-year-old artist showed his appreciation the best way he knows how to: by giving back to his community.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I am so blessed to have this space, so I can see my artwork,\u201d Perez said, who has been an artist in the South End and Fenway area for decades.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perez, who moved into his studio in December, has been giving back through the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He offers free art lessons at the Community Art Studio to young students ages 6 to 8 years old. Perez said he appreciates drawing with only pen and paper and he teaches his students \u201ccontour drawing,\u201d which is a specific sketching technique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI teach only 10 children at a time, just a small amount,\u201d Perez said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The children sketch different objects in front of them, such as fruits and vegetables that Perez brings them from the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe kids come running in from the bus stop and knock on the door, which is beautiful,\u201d said Perez. \u201cIt\u2019s such pure and honest energy. The children bring me back to my childhood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Juan Perez smiling and sitting in the Community Art Studio in Boston\u2019s South End. Photo by Eloise Lushina.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Community Art Studio on 607 Columbus Ave., is a welcoming and bright space. Perez\u2019s original artwork hangs from the walls and they are for sale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perez said he knew he loved drawing when he was a sophomore in high school. Originally from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, he moved to New York City when he was only 9 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t have running water or electricity. That\u2019s where I came from,\u201d Perez recalled. \u201cWe had a backyard, and what we ate was what we raised.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a teenager, Perez enrolled in The Arts Students League of New York in Manhattan, where he studied closely with the renowned Gregory D\u2019Alessio, whose work was featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of the City of New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had to take two buses and two trains just to get to the Arts Students League. I had no money,\u201d Perez said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During those long hours of commute, Perez would draw other passengers across from him, mainly to pass the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNew Yorkers don\u2019t like to be stared at. So, the lesson is, you look, you remember, and then you draw,\u201d said Perez. \u201cI constantly drew from memory.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
A recent sketch of Juan\u2019s drawn in only ten minutes. Photo by Eloise Lushina.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Juan\u2019s original sketch of the church across the street from the studio. Photo by Eloise Lushina.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

D\u2019Alessio gave Perez many opportunities that he didn\u2019t give his other students, said Perez, recalling how D\u2019Alessio took him to special events at the Russian Tea Room and gifted him his first ballpoint pen and pad of paper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, Perez passes on the lessons he has learned from art school to curious students who share the same passion. As a volunteer, he teaches students of all different cultures in the South End, including Northeastern University graduate students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cYou have everybody here,\u201d he said. \u201cYou should love your neighbors like you love yourself.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Community Programs Director Sage Carbone at Fenway Community Development Organization said she first met Perez at a food distribution event during the first couple of months that the community studio was operational. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJuan is warm, knowledgeable, and very engaging,\u201d she said. \u201cHis art is fantastic and highlighted in many spaces around the Fenway neighborhood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organization owns most of the buildings on the block, including the Community Art Studio, and donates art materials for the students to use, such as watercolor sets, pads of paper, and pencils. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through art\u2014and food\u2014Perez said he hopes to inspire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Volunteering makes Perez think of his grandmother, who taught him at a young age to give back to his community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy grandmother taught me to share,\u2019\u2019 he said.  \u201cThat\u2019s part of my culture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

This report was published in collaboration with the Boston University School of Communications School of Journalism. The journalism student is a member of a Reporting in Depth class taught by former Boston Globe reporter Meghan Irons.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>
\n

Eloise Lushina is a junior studying Journalism and Film & TV at Boston University. She is from Chicago, Illinois, and was a previous professional actor in television, musicals, and film. Now, her interests lie in broader storytelling, from writing, creating films, and producing.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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