Stoops, Sirens and Stickball: Art exhibition shares Sunset Park history

Three years ago, Tamavis D. Santiago was in the basement of Heriberto Cruz — a Puerto Rican Olympic hurdler and longtime Sunset Park resident — where she was playing dominoes with some “old-timers” (as Santiago describes them) on a Friday night, when she was struck by an idea.

“We were surrounded by Heriberto’s trophies and medals and a whole lot of memorabilia from the Sunset Park community. We were talking about the history of Sunset Park. I just thought, why not have a show that shares all that history?” Santiago said.

Three years later, Santiago is opening that show, titled Stoops, Sirens, and Stickball: Sunset Park When Neighborhood Memories Become Art, at Industry City, 900 Third Ave., on Saturday, Aug. 1. There will be an opening night party from 5 to 8 p.m. celebrating the show, which will remain open through Aug. 30 on weekends from 1 to 6 p.m.

Written and curated by Santiago, founder of Salon 787 Collective, the show will bring together the work of a number of artists, all of whom either live or have lived in Sunset Park. The pieces exhibited will all depict some part of Sunset Park culture, primarily the neighborhood’s history from the 1970s forward.

“It’s our memories of Sunset Park growing up, our stories, reflections on how the neighborhood has changed,” Santiago shared.

Luis “Inca” Ramos will share dioramas that depict corners of Sunset Park from years bygone — they will depict bodegas, barbershops and block parties.

Valeri Larko will be exhibiting landscape paintings of Green-Wood Cemetery.

Jay Perez will have paintings in the show depicting piragüeros, ice cream trucks and gangs that no longer exist.

One painting that depicts a gang — the Rican Saints — is especially personal to Perez.

“I wanted to depict a gang because when I was growing up, that was a part of life. Every few blocks there was a gang. One gang beat me up when I was twelve years old for no reason at all. I was playing tag with my friends and a gang came out of nowhere and roughed me up, punched me, kicked me. The only reason they stopped was because there was one kid in the gang I knew from school who said, ‘That’s enough.’ I thank my lucky stars they didn’t stab me,” Perez shared.

Perez further elaborated on why he thinks the show is important and why he chose to participate in it.

“I think the show is important for people that have lived here. It shares history they’ll remember. Also for the new people in the neighborhood, it’s good for them to know the history of Sunset Park, or at least some of it. That’s the thing, right? Because before it was Puerto Ricans that lived here, it was Scandinavian and Irish people. Neighborhoods change. This show shows that history and that change.”

Santiago is planning on having talkbacks during the run of the show, during which “old-timers” will talk about their time growing up and living in Sunset Park.

“It’s a show for the community, everyone in the community. It’s not often that regular people that made their lives here and work here get to see their lives depicted in art. I’m like, come, abuela, tía, experience an exhibit in your neighborhood about your neighborhood.”

Learn more and register for the opening-day showing.