8 Manhattan Tunes JulY26.

2007

produced abroad. In 1984, he moved to

Manhattan Times profile: Washington Heights.
As a boy. drawing was how Gonzalez

= Artist's
illustrations
enliven
..
hospital experienced things. When he wanted be
a pilot, he drew planes. When he wanted
to be a cowboy, he drew cowboys and
"
~
by Dorkys Ranws
Imagine a hospital room where sick
children are greeted by the faces of 08;'
.~...... Indians. Whatever he wanted to be, he
expressed himselfwith pictures. He also
has the habit of carrying a sketchbook
friendly animals to cheer them up.
What if I told you there is such a place,
["
\1 ,J.. with him wherever he goes, keeping
one in his pocket at all times. When he's
~
devoid of feathers and droppings,
where patients can exercise alongside
..... stuck on a line or riding the train, he
begins to draw. "It keeps me from being
a pair of colorful birds, a lively rabbit, bored," he said. "One of the rea.<ansI
and a.. .tiger? But don't worry, they live in NY is 1feel I'm too neurotic to
don't bite. These are the newly painted live anywhere else." And New York has
figures dancing around the walls of The more than enough characters to keep
Baby's Hospital North Rehabilitation him busy. His book contains sketches
Center.
of homeless people sleeping on the
In the hopes that splashes of color train, oblivious commuters, as well as
will motivate physical therapy patients, fantasy creatures.
the Department of Pediatric Physical Although he used to receive regular
Therapy at Morgan Stanley Children's assignments from publica/ions such
Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian as the New York Daily News and The
commissioned an artist to paint murals New York nmes. Gonzalez hasn't had
to add to the facility's blank walls. much work recently. "I feel lucky that
Now the windowless room has become I
I've gotten work off and on over the
a brighter place for children to do their ~ years, but it's been rough," he said. "A
therapeutic exercises.
Artist Anthony Gonzalez was chosen ~ony G';.z~ In front of th;j;;raI h~ paintedat In the Departmentof Pediatric PhysIcal freelancer is at the mercy of the market
and there's a lot of competition."
by the hospital and Artists Unite, an Therapy at MorganStanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterl8ll. Therefore, he has had to supplement
uptown arts organization, to paint the when a therapist worked with a baby any artistic role models growing up. His his income by teaching. He currently
murallastfallafter a calif orsubmissions who was having problems suckling. parents didn't encourage his dream of teaches 3-D mixed media to first and
was sent out. About 10 proposals and She kept stimulating the baby's cheeks pursuing art, and with a brother in law fifth graders at the Daniel Webster
mission statements were submitted and with her hands and holding a bottle to enforcement and another in business, he School in New Rochelle and holds
then reviewed by the hospital staff. its mouth, not stopping until the baby was pressured to study architecture or summer and adult masters drawing
The grant was given to Gonzalez. an finally sucked. another "manly" profession. Over the workshops at The Wooster Art Center
illustrator from Washington Heights, This image left a lasting impression years, his parents grew more supportive. in Danbury, CT.
based on his portfolio, conception. and on Gonzalez. who has created both but they still didn't understand their "I wish I could just kick back and
statement. He finished his two pieces in political a.nd non-political editorial son's fascination with drawing. After spend a couple years painting whatever
February and the mural was presented illustrations for newspapers in the city studying art at California Polytechnic I want and have a big gallery show," he
to the public at an opening reception on more often than artwork for therapeutic State University and the Art Center said. "But you know it's like trying to
July 18. environments. In fact, this mural was College of Design in Pasadena, he be a rock star. I have to think in terms of
Before Gonzalez began sketching his first one. "This has an immet/iate decided to move to New York City in (earning) an income and so the teaching
ideas for the mural. he was invited into impact and importance that so much of 1978. Here, he studied sculpture at and occasional commercial work that I
the rehabilitation center to get a sense that other stuff lacks." he said. the Art Students League and won an do and hopefully this mural might lead
of who his audience was going to be Gonzalez, who is originally from Edward G. McDowell Travel Grant to to more types of bigger work because I
and observe what they did. That day Southern California and was born to visit Europe for a year and then host a find that so satisfying."
he watched what he called "a miracle" Mexican parents, said he didn't have one-man show exhibiting the work he

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 Manhattan Times 11
July 26, 2007
abogado y otro en negocios, se presumla que
_ ~ por DorkysRamos Perfil de' Manhattan Times:
_~.
_ Imaglneseuncuartode hospitaldonde105 el estudiara arquitectura
'hombre'.
u otra profesi6n de
AI pasar Ios aiios, sus padres 10

-_
ninos enfermos son recibidos por las caras

_
..
_ de amistosos animales.l.Que
que hay tal lugar, desprovisto
hay si Ie digo
de plumas y
excrementos, donde 105pacientes pueden
ejercitarse allado de un par de coloridos
apoyaron mas, pero seguian sin entender la
fascinaci6n de su hijo con eI dibujo.t.uego
de estudiar arte en la Universidad California
Polytechnic State y el Art Center College
pajaros,unconejovivo,y un...tigre?Pero of Design en Pasadera, decidi6 mudarse
~.. no se preocupe, no muerden. Estas son las a Nueva York en e11978. Aqui, estudio

_
.. recientementefiguraspintadasbailando
alrededor de las paredes del Centro de
Rehabilijaci6n 'Baby's Hospital North'.
Con la esperanza de que salpicaduras de
color motivara 105pacientes de terapia flsica,
escuitura en la liga de Estudiantes

presentar
de Arte
y gan6 un Edward G. McDowell Travel Grant
para visitar Europa por un ano y entonces
una exhiblci6n solo del trabajo que
produjo en el extranjero. En e11984, se mud6
el Hospital de Niiios Morgan Stanley del a Washington Heights.
Departamento de Terapia Fisica Pedriatica Cuando nino, dibujando era como
del New York-Presbyterian comision6 un Gonzalez experimentaba rosas. Cuando
artista para pintar murales para anadir a las QUiso ser un piloto, dibu]6 aviones. Cuando
blancas paredes del recinto medico. Ahora el quiso ser un vaquero, dibuj6 vaqueros e
cuarto sin ventanas ha pasado a ser un lugar indios. lo que eI quisiera ser, 10 expresaba en
mas brillante para que Ios ninos hagan sus dibujos. EI tambiim tenia el habito de cargar
ejercicios. un libro de dibujos con el a dondequiera que
EI artista Anthony Gonzalez fue escogido iba, manteniendo uno en su bolsillo !odo
por el hospital y Artists Unite, una comunidad el tiempo. Cuando estaba detenido en una
de artistas del Alto Manhattan, para pintar fila 0 en el lren, comenzaba a dibujar. 'Me
el mural el pasado otono luego de una mantenia el no estar aburrido', dijo el. 'Una
competencia. Cerca de 10 propuestas y de las razones por la cual vivo en Nueva
declaraciones de misi6n fueron sometidas York es que yo siento que soy demasiado
y entonces revisadas por 105 empleados neur6tico para vivir en cualquier otro lugar".
del hospital. Sa Ie concedi6 a Gonzalez, un Y Nueva York tiene mas que suficientes
lIustrador de Washington Heights, basado personajes para mantenerlo ocupado. Su
en su porfolio, concepto y declaraci6n. EI libro contiene bosquejos de desamparados
termin6 sus dos piezas en febrero y el mural durmiendo en el lren, viajeros inconcientes,
como tambien criaturas de fantasia.
fue presentado al publico en una recepci6n
de apertura el18 de julio. Aunque solia recibir asignaciones
Antes de que Gonzalez comenzara a regulares de publicaciones tales como
dibujar ideas para el mural, el fue invitado del New York Daily News y The New York
al centro de rehabilijaci6n para conocer Times, Gonzalez no ha tenido mucho trabajo
ul1imamente. 'Yo me siento afortunado
quien iba a ser su audiencia y observar 10
que haclan. Ese dla el vio 10 que eillam6 que he tenido trabajo durante 105 aiios,
'un milagro' cuando un terapista traba]6 con pero ha sido diflcil', dijo el. 'Trabajar por
un bebe que estaba teniendo problemas " cuenta propia es la merced del mercado
chupando. Ella se mantuvo estimulando y hay mucha competencia'. De ahi, el ha
las mejillas del bebe con sus manos y tenido que completar su in9reso enseiiando.
~ Actualmente enseiia arte a estudiantes de
aguantando una botella en su boca, sin parar
hasta que finalmente el bebe chup6. Esta primero y quinto grado en la Escuela Daniel
imagen dej6 una Impresi6n final en Gonzalez, Webster en New Rochelle y lIeva a cabo
talleres de dibujo en el verano en el Centro

quien ha creado lIustraciones editoriales
poIlticas y no politicas para peri6dicos en
la ciudad mas a menudo que piezas para
ambientes terapeuticos. De hecho, este
mural fue su primero. 'Este tiene un impacto
Inmediato e importante que muchos de 105
otros Ie falta', dijo et.
Gonzalez, qulen originalmente es del Sur
de California nacido de padres mexicanos,
dijo que de joven no tuvo algun modelo
artistico. Sus padres no fomentaban su
sueno de dedicarse al arte y con un hermano
--)
de Arte The Wooster en Danbury, CI.
II
'Ojala que solo pudiera relajarme y pasar
varios anos pintando 10 que quisiera y tener
una gran exhlbicl6n en una galeria', dijo
el, 'pero tu sabes que es como querer ser
I. una eslrella del rock. Tengo que pensar en
termlnos de ganar un ingreso asi es que el
ensenar y el trabajo ocasional de comerciales
Que hago y a 10 mejor este mural, me lIeva
a tipos de trabajos mas grandes porque yo
encuentro esto tan satisfactorio'.
MakedaWagnerhechauna~eI nuevo muralpintadoporAnthonyGonmlez en eI Departamento
de Terapia F/sica Pediatrica en eI Hospftal de Ninos MOt'iJIIIIStanley en eI New )t)rfc Presbyterian.

Asambleista inaugura
launches i
Assemblyman
. programa
CC
, program
byLandaM. Towns
Over 60 parents were present on
I:!

I~
i"'i .~ _ _
1r
J
'
-rF-" -
\ .. T ~ miercoles,
por LAnda M. Towns
Masde60padresestuvieron presentes
18dejulioparaellanzamiento
el
deun
~ Wed., July 18 for the launch of a new ::I
Il.~_ ~ p nuevoprograma enI.S.218SalomeUrena.EI

;
~ program at I.S. 218 Salome Urena. _ ".
I Asamblelsta AdrianoEspaillatencoordinaci6n
Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat in

_
_
coordination with the Children's
_ III Aid Society established the Ercilia
Pepin Parent Leadership Institute, an
f-z
_.
.
_
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U-,
~.
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"
.

~
' ~
;.
----
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conla Sociedad deAyudaa Niilosestableci6
InstitutodeliderazgoparaPadresErcillaPepin,
unainiciativadlrigidahacereducara lospadres
acercadelasclasesdeGEDy ESt.,guiara 105
el

..
initiative geared toward educating padresacercadesusderechosenlasescuelas
parents about GED and ESL classes, t ~-'- - " --

guiding parents about their rights . t ~ - I ("

publlcasy dejandoles sabercomoellospueden
participarenla educaci6n desusninos.

II(
in public schools, and letting them
J
know how they can participate in their
children's schooling.
"There has been a decline in parent
'Jl '"~ \ !_ D
'/,r
~
,
1
; 111 ,
~
__
, ,ar
I
~ 'Ha habidounadisminuci6n
envolvimiento
Espaillat,'muchaspersonas
enel
delospadres',dijoeIAsamblelsta
sientenqueel
controldelalcaldehadejadoa 105padresfuera
..:I Espaillat.
involvement,""We created
said Assemblyman
the institute
,
"\... 'Et~
,.,:,- J I
. _ _~ .
dela ecuaci6n,
parabrindar1e
aslasquecreamosel instituto
lasherramientas y lasgulaspara
to give the tools and the guidance to ~ ~ "6" navegareI sistema'.
navigate the system. "
The program will take place at the
five Children's Aid Society schools in
.
L.-:... _' - ~
-... J
~ EIprograma se lIevaraa caboenlascinco
escuelasdela Socledad deAyudaa Ninosen
Washington Heights and Inwood: I.S.
Assembly Member Adriano Espaillat spoke at El AsamblelstaAdriano E$paHfarhab/()en eI Washington Heightse Inwood:I.S.218,I.S.
218, I.S. 52, P.S. 4, P.S. 8, and Mirabal the launchofa parentalengagementinitiative lanzamientodeunainicialiva
parapadresef18 52,P.S.4, P.S.8 y la EscueladelasHermanas
Sisters School. onJuly 18. dejulio. Mirabal.

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