Calo Rosa

JAMECO STORY SALON
An art education hub for all ages

Jameco Story Salon is a new kind of community art center, nestled within No Longer Empty’s Spring 2016 art exhibition Jameco Exchange.

Artist Calo Rosa was commissioned to intervene in the hub with his street art, multi-layered stencil aesthetic. He recreates an urban-tropical space mirroring the presence of the Salvadoran community in Jamaica; pointing to the parallels in the visual culture found on the streets of San Salvador and on the avenues of Jamaica, Queens. Calo worked with Y.Dot Youth Docents Andrea Rosanelle Cadornigara, Evan Contreras and Abiha Kazmi to incorporate his stencil designs of native Salvadoran plants and flowers into the design of the hub.

This space re-imagines a traditional “education center,” placing youth leadership, the art of curating, and community engagement at the core of exhibition-making. Jameco Story Salon is a place where workshops and discussions occur daily, offering a space for local and visiting publics to meet up, linger, and engage imaginatively with the themes of the exhibition. The hub is staffed by the No Longer Empty education team with the Y.Dot Youth Docents, and features an interactive multi-use display.