Events
In the Gallery with Arthur Avilés and Charles Rice-González
Thursday, October 1, 2026 | 6:00 PM
Hemispheric Institute
20 Cooper Square, First Floor Gallery Space
About
About
Join us for a conversation with Arthur Avilés and Charles Rice González, who will discuss A Jamaican Battybwoy in America (2021), in which Nikolai McKenzie reinterprets Arthur Avilés’ signal work A Puerto Rican Faggot from America (1996). The conversation will touch on archival creation and the work of the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD!) 25 years after the original piece was performed.
In A Jamaican Battybwoy in America, McKenzie dances before footage of the original performance of A Puerto Rican Faggot from America that is preserved in the Hemispheric Institute Digital Video Library (HIDVL). The performance was part of “Legacy in Motion: Arthur Avilés Live,” a dance-theater medley that formed part of the Naked Vanguard: The Arthur Avilés Archive in Motion series. This production of A Jamaican Battybwoy in America received 2 Bessie Award nominations in 2022, one in the Outstanding Performer category (Nikolai McKenzie) and another in the Outstanding Revival category (Hemispheric Institute and the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance!).
Arthur Avilés is an internationally renowned gay New York-Rican dancer/choreographer. Avilés was born in 1963 in Jamaica, Queens and raised in Long Island and the Bronx. In December 1998, he co-founded The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD!) with Charles Rice-González. Avilés was an Artist in Residence at the Hemispheric Institute in 2021-2022.
Charles Rice-González is a writer, long-time Bronx LGBTQ+ activist, co-founder of The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD!), and an Assistant Professor at Hostos Community College. His debut novel, Chulito has received awards and recognitions from American Library Association (ALA) and the National Book Critics Circle.
20 Cooper Square, First Floor Gallery
New York, NY 10003
This event will be in English.
This is an in-person event that requires registration. All non-NYU attendees must RSVP in advance. Video documentation will be made available on the Institute website following the event.
Mobility Access
The main entrance to the Hemispheric Institute at 20 Cooper Square is wheelchair accessible and there is elevator service to our space on the 5th floor.
Nearby ADA accessible transit stations include: B, C, D, and F at Broadway and Lafayette station. Q, N, R, W, 4, 5, and 6 trains at 14th Street station.
Accessible Programming
All of our virtual and pre-recorded programming are equipped with automated closed-captioning.
Accessibility Inquiries
The Hemispheric Institute provides reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. Requests for accommodations for events and services should be submitted at least two weeks before the date of the accommodation need. Please submit your request in the event registration form or call for assistance.
Restrooms
The Hemispheric Institute at 20 Cooper Square offers ADA accessible and gender neutral restrooms with changing tables.