One of the places I was going to approach about possibly donating my photo book collection was El Museo del Barrio, which was originally formed in East Harlem as a source to serve and foster the then mainly Puerto Rican community's art needs, needs not necessarily met by other more privileged institutions in other parts of the city. Actually, I was in a group show there (with En Foco) in the latter '70s before it relocated to its permanent location.
Recently, El Museo's original mission statement seems to have changed or evolved, some would say... mutated or gentrified. It is now considerably more vested in the competing art world of more well heeled and international art interests, yet another victim of New York's hyper gentrification. Obviously, neither art nor contemporary art institutions can or should remain stick in the mud icons to days past, but there should be some allegiance to its original raison d'etre of community service, while still managing to forge ahead into exploring new territories- why must it always be presented and executed as either/or?
Bottom line... look elsewhere.
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