Open Studio: Gabriela Salazar

Floor 3, Hess Family Theater and Hearst Artspace

For families with kids of all ages

Gabriela Salazar’s Reclamation (and Place, Puerto Rico) was made specifically for the Whitney’s outdoor gallery in the exhibition no existe un mundo poshuracán: Puerto Rican Art in the Wake of Hurricane Maria. 

Salazar was born in Manhattan, and her parents are from Puerto Rico. Historically, coffee is one of the archipelago’s most significant crops and was once farmed by the artist’s grandparents. Reclamation features hexagonal pavers made with an air-dry clay Salazar developed using reclaimed used coffee grounds. The installation explores how Puerto Rico and New York City are connected and how both islands are vulnerable to rising sea levels and climate change.

Families are invited to join Salazar to experiment with coffee-clay and make artworks inspired by her installation and artistic practice.