Monday, May 16, 1994

Who Is That Mask Man? D.C. Artist Shares His Heritage With Kids By Eric Brace

If you are getting worn down by the deadly seriousness of all the multi-culti discussions going on in the art world, you’re not hanging around the right people. May we suggest a chat with artist Edwin Fontánez?

Fontánez is a Puerto Rican-born artist who has founded Exit Studio, stating the group’s purpose in its subtitle: “Multicultural Tools for the Creative Child.” He is passionate about sharing his art with the world. “I hate the word ‘tolerate’!” Fontánez says. “To me, that means to live with something you don’t necessarily like. That attitude creates contempt for each other. It’s exactly the opposite of what I’m trying to do.” Fontánez prefers the word “understanding,” something he has tried to foster through workshops, and most recently through a self-produced video and coloring book.

“The theme of the book and the video might be a little unknown in the States,” he admits. “It’s the legend of the Vejigante, who is a Puerto Rican folkloric character. I wanted to introduce people to my culture through the art.”

Working part time at the Kennedy Center, Fontánez saved enough money to create an educational video that includes film of the festivals in his homeland and step-by-step directions on how to make the mask used in the celebrations. A bilingual text in the accompanying coloring book explains mythical characters and their traditional role in Puerto Rican society.

“I didn’t have a publisher for the book, and I couldn’t seem to find anyone, so I said ‘to heck with it,’ and decided to do it myself. I wrote the text and did the illustrations. I had no grant for it. Like an artist, I chose to put my money in my art and not food,” he says in his rich accent, with a laugh. “It’s not a huge project, but it is something that has some warmth, is very honest, very direct.”

Two years ago, Fontánez started the program Up With the Arts, with a grant from the D.C. Commission on the Arts in conjunction with the Institute of Puerto Rican Affairs. “It was during the upheaval in Mount Pleasant, and after seeing all the social, how do you say, turmoil, as an artist I just wanted to do something more than merely creative. I wanted to do something more substantive. I designed workshops for children to create some sort of understanding. Some context. Some historical background of people from Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and Central America.”

The workshops, held in schools and community centers around the city, lasted two years, and Fontánez hopes to bring them back soon. “The art workshops were merely an excuse to learn about what is important about meeting other people,” he says. “It would open them up. We really created some kind of bridge of understanding.”

Fontánez is also searching for a venue for his next creation, a multi-media work based on photographs of his Puerto Rican ancestors, with text, video, paintings, costumes and choreography. “My last show was two years ago,” he says. “This one is almost ready to go but it’s so hard to find exhibit spaces in Washington. It’s such a political city, even in the art world, and everyone has their own agenda. But it’s a labor of love. I couldn’t do anything else but my art.”

May 2004

Puerto Rican of the Month Edwin Fontánez Edwin Fontánez, Puerto Rican artist, author and producer of multicultural books and videos for children, recently announced the debut of his latest project exploring the culture of Puerto Rico. Inspired by the values of Taíno society and their lasting legacy, Fontanez created the picture book On This Beautiful Island as a heartfelt tribute to their culture and progressive way of thinking. Fontanez feels their instinctive understanding of the link between family and community and their acknowledgement of Nature's vital role in their survival hold powerful lessons for children of today. This enchanting story is full of sparkling poetry and inviting images that lead young readers on a journey of intense beauty and hidden secrets through the eyes of Guanín, a young Taíno boy, and his beloved parrot Tahite.

Revealing what led him to this project, Fontánez says, "The first time I heard the word ‘Taíno,’ it conjured up for me vivid images of a remarkable people and an intriguing place in time full of wonderment. As an artist, I want to continue creating new ways to stimulate the curiosity of children in homes and classrooms by taking them to this beautiful and irreplaceable part of our history. I created On This Beautiful Island because it is the kind of story I never heard as a child.”

Born in Bayamón, Fontánez earned a BA in Fine Art at the Escuela de Artes Plásticas in San Juan, then relocated to New York and earned a degree in Communication Design at Pratt Institute. He has also pursued a fine art career, exhibiting his paintings in galleries in San Juan and Washington, D.C., but it is in writing for children about his island’s history where he has found his passion.

Through his company Exit Studio, founded in 1994, Fontánez explores the history and traditions of his native island with a sense of fascination and discovery. On This Beautiful Island is his first picture book. It was adapted from his original video Taíno: Guanin’s Story, also inspired by the ancient culture of the Taínos. He is also the author of Taíno: The Activity Book and The Vejigante and the Folk Festivals of Puerto Rico, and the producer of the videos The Legend of the Vejigante and Heart of the Imaginero: Little Wood Carver, a heart-warming story about a boy from San Germán who wants to learn the traditional craft of carving santos de palo. Fontánez has dedicated his art and career to creating original stories for children of all ages about the beautiful culture and folklore of Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Through wholesome multimedia storytelling, Exit Studio is reaching new generations of U.S. Latinos and encouraging them to assert their cultural identity, recognize their traditions, and share them with friends and family.

Prince George’s County, MD August 5, 2004

Literary festival exposes children to world cultures by Marcus Moore Staff Writer

Deborah Crimes, owner of Lessons from Abroad, spearheaded the first annual Multicultural Literary Expo last Saturday in an effort to expose children, ages 2 to 12, to various languages at a younger age.

“Children are usually exposed to foreign languages in middle school,” said Crimes, whose Lessons from Abroad organization has been in business for a year. “This organization wants to expose them to foreign languages before they reach middle school,” she said.

The Multicultural Literary Expo, held at the Bowie Public Library last Saturday morning, was designed for children to hear stories in Spanish, French, Swahili, English, and Japanese.

But for 9-year-old Derald Foster, it was the Japanese literature he heard that excited him the most. “I like the way they write and the martial arts,” Foster said. His brother, 12-year-old Gregory however was most interested in African culture and wanted to hear literature read in Swahili. “I’m interested in the animals,” he said. “I like the elephants and lions.”

Their mother, Carole Foster of Mitchellville, brought seven people to the literary expo last Saturday. As a former homeschooled student, the elder Foster emphasized the importance of reading.

Hanover resident Lesley Anderson actually learned of the event through an e-mail and traveled more than 20 minutes from Hanover to Bowie with her two daughters Taylor, 5, and Logan, 2, to enjoy the literary expo. Her daughter Taylor is a new reader who will be attending kindergarten in the fall. Anderson said bringing her to the expo would be a good way to heighten her interest in reading.

Edwin Fontanez, who read ‘On this Beautiful Island’ at the event, said writing stories for children keeps him young at heart. The book, written and illustrated by Fontanez earlier this year, describes the Taino society and is a “heartfelt tribute to their culture and progressive way of thinking,” Fontanez said. “It means a lot to society to tell good stories with values and being here today is great,” said Fontanez, who owns Exit Studio in Arlington, Va. “I absolutely love to support events like this.”

28 abríl 2007

Un niño taíno llamado Guanín Por: Sonia L. Cordero UN LIBRO SOBRE LA ISLA en tiempos de los indios taínos y una colección de cuentos cortos sacados de seis películas de los estudios Disney es nuestra propuesta de hoy. Son libros entretenidos y con imágenes llenas de colorido y mucha acción. El primero lo protagonizan seres humanos y el segundo hermosos animales puestos en movimiento por los pinceles de Disney. Ambos son aptos para niños y niñas de 7 años en adelante. “EN ESTA HERMOSA ISLA” escrito e ilustrado por el artista, escritor y diseñador boricua, Edwin Fontánez -y una edición similar en idioma inglés, titulada “On this Beautiful Island”- es un hermoso libro de brillantes y luminosos colores e imágenes cautivantes que parecen tener vida a lo largo de sus 30 páginas. Encuadernado en tapa dura, es una publicación de Exit Studio, empresa especializada en libros y otros materiales para niños. De hecho, Fontánez, quien ahora reside en Arlington, Virginia, es fundador y presidente de dicha editorial, la que fundó en 1994 con el propósito de escribir y publicar los cuentos que hubiese querido escuchar cuando era niño y se criaba en Puerto Rico. Este libro también tiene el propósito de abrir una ventana desde donde crear historias sobre la belleza cultural y ecológica de Puerto Rico, así como de otras islas del Caribe y países de América Latina, con su mágico folclor y legendarias tradiciones. Dice el autor que el libro, cuyas figuras centrales son un niño taíno llamado “Guanín” y su cotorrra “Tahite”, está inspirado en los valores de la sociedad taína y su legado, “aún vigente”. Es además, “un tributo sincero a su cultura y manera progresiva de pensar”. Esta estampa taína, agrega el autor, ilustra un reino tropical en la isla de Borikén hace más de 500 años. Fontánez diseñó el bello libro y Scott Bushnell fue el director artístico del proyecto y diseñó el título. Fontánez creó las ilustraciones en acuarela opaca y lápices de colores sobre papel. Al final del volumen, una pintura a toda página en la que vemos al cacique de la tribu mientras decora su cuerpo con tatuajes ceremoniales. Otra página contiene información sobre los taínos. Un disco compacto (CD) al dorso de la tapa frontal del libro tiene un movido número musical, con letra de Fontánez, interpretado por Anamer Castrello, acompañada de un coro de niños y percusión por Orlando Cotto. Este libro se obtiene en librerías con secciones de libros para niños, o escribiendo a la página electrónica del autor, www.exitstudio.com, donde encontrarán otros libros de temas por Fontánez.

October 30, 2007 Not Your Typical Book Fair By Leah Carliner Children visiting the Kennedy Center on Saturday will not only see written words come to life but also learn about many cultures other than their own, thanks to authors, illustrators and performers taking part in the 12th annual Multicultural Children’s Book Festival. Book lovers attending the event — which will feature literature about African, African-American, Asian, Arabian, Caribbean, Latino and American Indian people — will be able to meet their favorite illustrators, writers and storytellers in an afternoon filled with interactive events. Festival coordinator Vanessa Thomas said it was important to find performers who could tell an engaging story so that even children who are too young to read could appreciate the events. “I think all children, regardless of age, have an appreciation for story,” Thomas said. Some of the activities include performances by African drummers and dancers, readings by the authors and free pictures with Nickelodeon superstar Dora the Explorer. Edwin Fontanez, an author, illustrator and composer, will be leading a workshop for inspiring book authors and illustrators. He thinks anyone 2 years of age and older would appreciate his presentation. “Children themselves start doing arts at a very young age,” Fontanez said. “I just want to inspire them that their thoughts have importance.” Fontanez said he hopes his workshop, which will take place from 1:20 to 2 p.m., will teach participants how to put their ideas to paper. He will play an originally composed piece of Latin-inspired music in the background to help motivate his participants. This will be Fontanez’s 10th year participating in the Kennedy Center’s book festival. “It’s also nice to see people that keep coming year after year,” he said, describing the event as a “family tradition” for some parents and children. Fontanez also said he sees the multicultural festival as a special event for the District because it is one “that the community has a hunger for.” “I think that the most attractive part of the fair is the variety of it and the multiculturalism of it,” he said. Some other celebrity personalities who will attend include Dominique Dawes, an Olympic gold medalist and Broadway performer, and Farafina Kan, an African drumming and dancing performing arts company. Thomas said she expects 9,000 people to attend, including aspiring children’s book authors, teachers and parents looking for new literature to read to their children. The event will be managed by about 80 volunteers. The Multicultural Children’s Book Festival began in 1996 as a collaboration between the Kennedy Center and Toni Trent Parker, the president and co-founder of the children’s book service Black Books Galore! Parker, who died in 2005, was frustrated by the uniformity of the children’s books that were being promoted at festivals and wanted to highlight books that mentioned diverse cultures, Thomas said. Thomas added that she thinks the festival has been successful in drawing attention to the wide range of children’s books available and in sending a welcoming message to the D.C. community. “By having the multicultural children’s book festival here we are saying this is a place for everyone,” Thomas said.

The Everybody Wins! DC Gazette Spring 2008 Children’s Author Inspires Students to Write Their Own Books Award-winning children’s author and illustrator Edwin Fontánez is scheduled to appear at several Power Lunch and Readers Are Leaders schools this March. A frequent guest at literary festivals around the United States, Fontánez will facilitate his well-received workshop on “How to Write a Book.” For the last 12 years, Fontánez has made presentations and given writing tips to thousands of children at the Kennedy Center’s Multicultural Children’s Book Festival as well as other regional book fairs. Fontánez is best-known for his bilingual stories and picture books, which celebrate the rich cultures of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. “I am excited to be able to help students tell their own stories through my passion for writing. The potential of young minds is simply amazing,” Fontánez said. Last year, Fontánez’s work, “En esta hermosa isla”—translated as “On This Beautiful Island”—was named as a finalist for Book of the Year by ForeWord magazine. In 2006, Fontánez’s website, www.exitstudio.com, won the “Follow Your Senses” Award for excellence in its content on Puerto Rico. Children’s Author Shares the Joy of Writing with Students The children waited patiently as their mentors filed into the reading space on Wednesday, March 12th at Ross Elementary School. As the mentors arrived they were informed by School Coordinators that there was a surprise in store for both mentors and the students. Renowned author, Edwin Fontanez visited Ross in an appearance to show students “How to Write a Book.” The children beamed with excitement and asked questions ranging from “How long does it take for you to write a book?” to “Can I write a book about my pet?” One child clung to her mentor as she asked about writing about her pet. Fontanez responded to each question with vigor and excitement as blank book templates were handed to each reading pair. The children at both schools took on the challenge with a burst of creativity and created stories about “giant rabbits” and “life as a fish.” Fontanez will follow up in about a month to check on the project’s progression. Fontanez also facilitated workshops at Tubman Elementary and Marie Reed Learning Center during the month of March. He is best known for his self-illustrated book entitled “On This Beautiful Island.” As a native of Puerto Rico, Fontanez specializes in bilingual books written in English and Spanish. His workshops have been featured at the Kennedy Center, as well as at various festivals throughout the United States.

En esta hermosa añoranza

En Virginia Edwin Fontánez encontró la pasión de su vida: escribir libros para niños, en español e inglés, arraigados en la cultura puertorriqueña. Por José A. Delgado 24 de Octubre 2008 ARLINGTON, Virginia – Edwin Fontánez emigró a Nueva York hace tres décadas en busca de una carrera en diseño gráfico. Pero, es en Virginia – justo en la frontera con Washington D.C.- donde ha encontrado la pasión de su vida: escribir libros para niños, en español e inglés, arraigados en la cultura puertorriqueña. Sus publicaciones, las que él mismo ilustra, comienzan a lograr acceso a bibliotecas de escuelas estadounidenses. “Hay muchas escuelas que los utilizan para los programas de inmersión al español”, cuenta. Para Fontánez, nacido en Bayamón, el acento boricua de sus libros – con referencias a la cultura de los indios taínos y a los campos de Puerto Rico-, le permite promover sus raíces en una sociedad que suele, como institución, promover el monoculturalismo. “En la escritura he encontrado lo que quería hacer y la oportunidad de hablar de mi tierra y mi gente”, dice Fontánez en su residencia-taller de trabajo, cuyas paredes están decoradas con sus pinturas y por la que merodean sus tres gatos, uno de ellos - “Cello”- de sangre boricua. La primera edición en español del libro “En esta hermosa isla” - originalmente escrita en inglés para niños entre 2 y 6 años-, ya está agotada. Ahora comienza a distribuir la segunda. “En esta hermosa Isla” retrata, entre otras cosas, el respeto que los indios taínos - el protagonista se llama “Guanín”-, tenían por el medio ambiente. “Los indios taínos entendieron con claridad que su supervivencia dependía del ciclo de vida de la Naturaleza. 'Guanín' y su cotorrita 'Tahite' guían al niño por una aventura llena de descubrimientos”, dice Fontánez. “'Guanín' es mi nombre; así me llaman mi mamá y papá. Yo protejo al zumbador que en el monte se anida. Soy el guardián de este bosque, del río y los árboles que en él respiran”, indica el protagonista del libro al presentarse ante sus lectores. El libro lo acompaña con un tema musical, grabado en un CD y al ritmo de plena, para el cual, pese a que no tiene educación formal en la música, escribió la lírica y creó la melodía. La mezzo-soprano puertorriqueña Anamer Castrello, acompañada por un grupo de niños de la escuela elemental Oyster de Washington D.C., canta el tema. El percusionista Orlando Cotto colaboró con la producción. "Los indios taínos entendieron con claridad que su supervivencia dependía del ciclo de vida de la Naturaleza” Su más reciente publicación es: “Hadas, sirenas y sapos, un ramito de poemas encantados”. Fontánez lo describe como un compendio de poesía ilustrada infantil, lleno de imágenes y fantasías. Uno de los poemas – “El jardín de las gardenias”-, es dedicado a su abuela paterna, Ramona, sobre la cual también hizo una pintura que enseña con orgullo. “En el jardín de las gardenias

nada… nada se mueve… Sólo el silencio perfumado de la noche arranca el brillo a las estrellas, mientras ángeles descalzos con sus pasos, desprenden el rocío de la yerba”, dice uno de los inspirados párrafos de esta pieza poética. A otra de ellas, le ha colocado el mismo título de su publicación anterior, “En este hermosa Isla”, en el que vuelve a reafirmar lo mucho que extraña a su Puerto Rico. “En esta hermosa isla, hasta donde alcanzo a ver, el sol, con dedos dorados, despierta suave el amanecer”. Fontánez se mudó a Nueva York hace tres décadas, buscando abrirse camino en el arte del diseño gráfico y después de graduarse de la Escuela de Artes Plásticas del Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña. En Nueva York, estudió en el Instituto Pratts y trabajó como diseñador gráfico en la empresa Macy’s. Con el tiempo, sin embargo, decidió radicarse en la zona de Washington D.C., donde además de trabajar en la industria privada se ha vinculado como consultor del Centro Kennedy y ofrecido talleres dedicados a la cultura boricua. “Cuando vivía en Nueva York no podía ubicarme. En Washington me di cuenta de que el problema era que en la ciudad de Nueva York (debido a los rascacielos) no veía el sol. Aquí hay más sentido de comunidad, se puede ver la gente caminando, los niños jugando en los parques, más árboles”, dice Fontánez, cuya meta es poder dar a conocer sus trabajos en Puerto Rico. “En esta hermosa Isla” ya se puede encontrar en el Museo de Arte de Ponce y en la librería del Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña. Fontánez espera, más temprano que tarde, regresar a vivir y a crear en Puerto Rico. Suele viajar a Puerto Rico dos veces al año, para ver a sus padres y cargar baterías. Tan pronto llega a la Isla –sus padres viven en Corozal-, tiene la sensación de que las montañas le están esperando. “Quiero que mis palabras se escuchen en mi tierra. Quiero pensar que va a pasar – dice-, y que va a pasar pronto”. Y con ese deseo se funde su nostalgia por la tierra que le vio nacer y que añora continuamente con las líneas elocuentes de sus versos que, por estar dirigidos a un lector infantil, están impregnadas de una inocencia primordial.

On This Beautiful Island Reviews “In rhythmic prose, Fontánez depicts a community whose members are conscious stewards of Mother Earth. Beyond the story's attempt to rescue a slice of Taíno life, it manages to convey a pressing environmental message. The eye-popping, color illustrations and the poetic text create a mosaic of the island's exuberant topography. The book deserves attention for its topic... recommended for school and public libraries.” --Criticas Magazine “A true work of the storyteller’s art. Adapted from his original video “Taino: Guanin's Story” which was in turn inspired by the ancient culture of the Tainos who were the first inhabitants of Puerto Rico, On This Beautiful Island shows young readers what it was like to live in a vibrant natural land five hundred years ago, and experience the wonders of nature from the soft lullaby of the ocean humming inside a shell to the fresh breeze whisking through the treetops to the song of a tiny frog no bigger than a thumb. On This Beautiful Island is filled with bright and ruddy colored illustrations of native Taino individuals going about day-to-day life, and a final page offers some additional information about the Taino culture, and influences that remain with us today through words like “barbecue”, “tobacco”, “canoe”, and “hammock”, all of which are derived from the Arawak language.” --Midwest Book Review “What a beautiful book! The illustrations are striking and the book is informative, well researched and entertaining. This is truly a book to be enjoyed by the entire family.” --Loose Leaves “A lyrical guidebook [to] the physical beauty and cultural history of…Puerto Rico.” --Bella Online “Will entertain young readers…[the] vibrant, brilliant illustrations are enthralling. For those who wish to explore a different culture…On This Beautiful Island is a wonderful place to start. This book is an absolute delight!” --My Shelf “Delightful…strong, poignant, and educational story. A must-read…highly recommended!” --Picket News, Hagerstown, MD “Richly illustrated…enriching and fun to read. A delightful book that will be much enjoyed, well read and looked at over and over again.” --Book Ideas “The illustrations alone make it a beautiful book to have.” --The Reading Tub “A good introduction for children into the history and culture of the Arawak people. Excellent reading for young readers.” --Review-Books

“Beautiful illustrations and stunning color...well-written” --Book Review Cafe