For our alumni, Social Practice Queens is just another step in the ongoing process of building a socially engaged art practice.  In following their careers after the program, we get to see how they expand from the ideas and connections that they developed during their time at Queens College.

Pedro Felipe Vintimilla graduated from the MFA SPQ program in Spring 2018. While at Queens College, the forms and subject matter of his work included geometric pattern-making, community-based participatory workshops, Ecuadorian diaspora experiences, and queer identity. Since then he has continued this work in connection with cultural organizations in Ecuador as well as locally in NY.

In June of 2018, Pedro was invited to share some of his recent work at the Summit of South American Theory of Archeology was held in Ibarra-Ecuador. In this event a series of presenters held conferences in various places around the city. It was estimated that around 500 people from North, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Europe participated. Throughout the week there were also cultural and artistic programs that took place in museums and public areas. This included art exhibits from local artists, an LGBT film screening, music and dance. Below are some images of Pedro’s contributions.

Since August 2018, Pedro has been working with the Ecuadorian American Cultural Center here in Queens, first as an Arts Education Consultant and now as Director of Arts Education and Cultural Programs. The EACC is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to raise awareness of Ecuadorian culture through the arts and empower the community through education.

With EACC, Pedro facilitated family workshops in collaboration with Big Brother/Big Sister for a Hispanic Heritage Month Event last fall. He has also facilitated open call workshops building up the organization’s dance company “Ayazamana” that is celebrating 10 years since its founding. He is currently organizing programs for the children’s dance group “Ñukanchik Sapi” and developing a new project to have children and adult art programs during the week as an alternative space for after school and after work activities.

In collaboration with the Ossining Public Library, Pedro was recently awarded the 2019 ArtsWestchester Arts Alive Grant to develop a series of free adult workshops exploring the community’s culture and family values where conversations will be translated into geometric mosaics.

Pedro is also currently a part-time Spanish lecturer at Norwalk Community College (Connecticut State Colleges & Universities).