 Postcard sent to East Harlem residents by De La Vega James De La Vega is an artist who lives and works in New York City's Spanish Harlem (aka East Harlem/El Barrio). He is known primarily for his murals and the chalk drawings he creates on public surfaces such as sidewalks. His murals can be found all over East Harlem, and his chalk drawings may show up anywhere in the city. His drawings are usually accompanied by aphoristic messages such as "Become Your Dream." Legally, much of his work qualifies as graffiti, although many put them in a separate genre. postcard sent to East Harlem residents by James De La Vega. ...
postcard sent to East Harlem residents by James De La Vega. ...
Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the United States, and is at the center of international finance, politics, music, and culture. ...
Spanish Harlem, also known as East Harlem or El Barrio, is a neighborhood in northeastern part of the borough of Manhattan, one of the largest predominantly Hispanic communities in New York City. ...
Graffiti on the banks of the Tiber river in Rome, Italy. ...
De La Vega's appreciation for his Puerto Rican heritage is also evident in much of his work, as are the tensions over the state of his neighborhood. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, gentrification began creeping north of 96th Street, the traditional border between East Harlem and the Upper East Side. Several of De La Vega's works take note of this cultural incursion. In a mural and in print, he writes, "Don't think we haven't noticed the 96th Street border moving north." 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
This article is about the year 2000. ...
This once impoverished part of Jersey Citys historic downtown is quickly becoming gentrified. ...
The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, that lies between Central Park and the East River. ...
The public and counter-cultural nature of some of his work has gotten him into trouble with the law on more than one occasion. In July 2003, De La Vega was charged with vandalism for a mural he painted on a blank wall in the Bronx. He was offered one year's probation in exchange for a guilty plea, but that would have required him to state that his intent was to "damage" property. He refused to say this. As a result, in June 2004, he faced trial for the offense, and a judge found him guilty. After apologizing to the building's owner, De La Vega was sentenced to 50 hours of community service(NYT Oct 2004). July is the seventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ...
2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
The Bronx is one of the five boroughs of United States. ...
June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ...
2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
But police are not the only people disturbed by De La Vega's work. Some of his opponents relentlessly deface even his most elaborate murals.
De La Vega maintains a studio and small store (which sells his art work and El Barrio-themed t-shirts of his own design) on 104th Street and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. Barrio is a Spanish word meaning neighborhood. ...
Manhattan is an island bordering the lower Hudson River. ...
In the summer of 2004, De La Vega began organizing a write-in campaign for state senator, representing East Harlem and the Bronx. He re-painted the awning of his studio to reflect this effort, but, oddly, also repainted the steel shutters over his studio to honor Olga Mendez, his chief opponent in the race. 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
A write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the persons name. ...
De La Vega often paints the steel shutters in the front of his studio to express his opinion, inform, provoke or react to current events. His most recent painting depicted mayoral hopeful Fernando Ferrer. It was soon painted over with a commentary and criticism of the candidate.
De La Vega, an Ivy League educated former teacher, is regarded in his community as a philosopher, poet, artist, and inspiration. His work has been shown at the Cooper Hewitt and installations can be seen in and on businesses in his neighborhood. The Ivy League is an athletics association, founded in 1954, of eight American universities; it is named after the ivy plants traditionally covering their buildings. ...
The term philosophy derives from a combination of the Greek words philos meaning love and sophia meaning wisdom. ...
Bust of Homer, one of the earliest European poets, in the British Museum Poetry (ancient Greek: ποιεω (poieo) = I create) is an art form in which human language is used for its aesthetic qualities in addition to, or instead of, its notional and semantic content. ...
De La Vega maintains a studio and small store (which sells his art work and El Barrio-themed t-shirts of his own design) on 104th Street and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. Even his clothing line, BUNGIE, (Bold, Uncompromising,Generous, Inspirational and Extraordinary), has the capacity to inspire and provoke. De La Vega's store, The Fishbowl, will soon become a victim of the same forces of change (gentrification) impacting Spanish Harlem. Hope Community Inc., the landlord of the building in which the store is located, will replace the flower shop on the corner and De La Vega's store, with a Papaya King eatery. Manhattan is an island bordering the lower Hudson River. ...
See also
list of famous Puerto Ricans in alphabetical order by last names, where applicable. ...
External link - Slideshow of De La Vega's murals
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