Follow-Up: Context is Everything.

Go take a look at this link if you haven't done so already.

http://www.elmuseo.org/en/event/spic-upspeak-out-emanuel-xavier-spics

I expect El Museo will rip this page down as soon as they hear that someone has helpfully pointed it out. Not to worry, though. I have a MacBook, and I can take screenshots with it. If anyone is having trouble reading context into the Museum's programming and promotional materials, all you have to do is read that flyer.

Or, if you'd rather, what you could do is read the note they posted changing the name of the Spic Up series: http://www.elmuseo.org/en/explore-online. You'll need a PDF reader for that. Get it, because context is everything.

On December 4th, 2009, after a summer internal email exchange, a Times article, an essay, and some pointed criticism from the community, El Museo has provided what they call "context" for the use of the word "spic" to name its show.

Now, maybe it's me, but I don't see any element of this context on the above promo poster. Nor do I recall reading about it in any of the materials I read from 2008. But most of all, I didn't read about it in the section marked "About The Series," which states:

Recognizing the power and influence of the spoken word in New York City, El Museo del Barrio provides established and emerging Latino/a poets with a platform for expressions; and El Museo's audiences with some of the hottest word wizardry in town. Spic Up!/Speak Out! features an exciting line-up of urban poets who have voiced their minds in speakeasies and clubs around the city. Each evening is organized and hosted by a guest poet. After the performance, the audience is encouraged to grab the mic and speak up!

Could it be that I didn't read about this context because it was never there? Could it be that the only reason they used the word "spic" was as a cheap promotional gimmick? Or could it be that I didn't read the context in the flyer because I'm too dumb to catch it? Well. Lucky for me, lucky for us, the Museo is there to explain it to us. On December 4th.

I wonder what El Museo's executive director Julian Zugazagoitia thinks about this? I wouldn't know, because he never answered my email.

Maybe he'll answer yours. director@elmuseo.org

More to come.

Footnote, Leaping the Barricades: The Kids, Too?

Lots of interesting and useful feedback and reaction both online and offline concerning the naming of the "Spic Up" spoken word show at El Museo Del Barrio. Most of which is of the outraged, "wow," and "how could they do this" variety.

I'm particularly grateful to Edwin Torres for responding in this space about some of the curatorial conversation going back and forth in the summertime. I think it's also important to note for the record here that none of my commentary was meant to demonize particular artists or shame them from using a particular word. As is usually the case, my beef is with management: How can an institution impose that word on an artistic endeavor? My belief is still that the artists here were forced to respond to this thing in a particularly improvised and unexpected way and PLACE a context on the title. That context was not the Museo's choice. Their choices, as I've said before, revolved around marketing this show as little more than "hot word wizardry" and "Latino spoken word."

I've yet to receive the official response from Museo's management, but they are aware of the community's concern (many letters have been written) and are in the midst of trying to get back to me.

Meanwhile, let me add this little nugget to the discussion, one which I missed completely at the time.

Another program of El Museo's entitled "Oh Snap: Young Powerful Voices At Work" allows teens to participate in a spoken word workshop and then perform their work at the aforementioned Spic Up show. The text on the advertising for this program is as follows:

The Peace Poets, a community based arts collective from New York City, facilitate a two-hour spoken word workshop for teens. Right after the workshops! Participating youth will share their work with the public as part of El Museo's spoken word series SPIC UP/SPEAK OUT!

So it is that Museo has sponsored a community writers' workshop, the stated goal of which is to get teens to perform at the Spic Up show. This again with no intellectual context or linguistic niche offered as explanation. This is particularly insidious, in my book, because now we are offering our teens a chance to spread the word: "spic" is not only acceptable to name a show with and use in regular conversation, but now it just might get you a chance to shine in front of an audience.

The more I think about this, the less I like it. And the less I like it, the less patient I become.