Clarisel's Photo Place: Don Coqui restaurant in New Rochelle opens tomorrow

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Don Coqui restaurant in New Rochelle opens tomorrow

In addition to the fine boricua-style dining and entertainment at Don Coqui, make sure to check out the Puerto Rican-themed photos on the wall. They are the photos of the members of the NYC Collective of the Puerto Rican Photographic Society, a group I administer.

Participating photographers and artists in the Don Coqui photo show are:

Elena "Mamarazzi" Marrero

Jonathan C. Perea

David Camacho

Joseph Dominick

Luis Cordero

Katherine Barbosa

Clarisel Gonzalez (moi)

I am the curator for this exhibit with input from Jimmy Rodriguez of Don Coqui.

For more information on Don Coqui, visit www.doncoqui.com.

The restaurant opens from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Stop by. It's the grand opening. Several of the participating photographers plan to attend.

'Lo Mejor de Nuestra Comunidad'

I am among this year's winners of the Comite Noviembre 'Lo Mejor de Nuestra Comunidad' award. Thanks for the honor. Here's an excerpt of a letter I received: On behalf of Comité Noviembre, CN, I am delighted to inform you that you have been selected to receive our 2009 CN “Lo Mejor de Nuestra Comunidad” Award. Through this award, CN recognizes outstanding individuals who are the unsung heroes of our community.These awards honor Puerto Ricans whose pride in their heritage and strength of character have empowered themselves and inspired others to make a significant impact on our community. You were chosen by members of CN by nominations that were submitted by the community. -- Teresa Santiago, Comite Noviembre Comite Noviembre kicks off this year's Puerto Rican Heritage Month celebrations in New York City this Thursday with the awards reception at El Museo del Barrio. Puerto Rican Heritage Month is in November. Other winners are: Nydia Edgecombe, Director, Alumni Relations, Eugenio María de Hostos Community College, Ibrahim González, host of WBAI -99.5, Melinda González, folk lyric historian and Bombera for Bomba Yo!, Rev. Carmen Hernandez,Pastor & Founder, Stratford Community Services, Elisha M. Miranda, Co-Founder, Chica Luna & CEO, Sister Outsider Entertainment Gilda Rivera Pantojas, Director, Danza Fiesta,Rafael Rivera-Viruet, President, Terramax Entertainment, Trinity A. Rivera, volunteer, National Puerto Rican Day Parade and, Rosa A. Rosario Valentin, community and cultural activist. -- Clarisel

About me

A photoblogger, I document images of everyday life and share them with a larger, worldwide online audience. My goal is to use my photography to empower, inform and celebrate life. I carry my camera with me everyday and shoot regularly. I take photos as an extension of what my eyes and mind sees. I enjoy landscapes, urban, street photography, black and white, nature, photojournalism, architecture, animal portraits...I enjoy to tell stories.

Documenting everyday life through photography makes me see everyday things that I may have otherwise taken for granted.

In 2002, I began shooting photos in Puerto Rico, where I used to live and work. I fell in love with its architecture, palm trees, beaches and people, and I fell in love with the art of photography. Puerto Rico inspired me to share my photography with the world. I took photos as part of Puerto Rico Sun, a cultural arts project that I started as an e-magazine to empower and inform boricuas.

I returned home to New York City in 2005. Today I am editor and publisher of Puerto Rico Sun Communications, a community-minded independent multimedia social entrepreneurship aimed at informing, empowering and building community. Shooting photos to document the Puerto Rican experience is part of my mission.

Visit my site at www.clarisel.com.

Clarisel Gonzalez