A NEW ARTIST IN TOWN

By Elizabeth Cardona

Latino Perspective is pleased to introduce you to Magdalena Gómez, a Nuyorican award winning artist, poet, playwright, solo-performer, teacher, community worker and education consultant.  Originally from New York City, Ms. Gómez has established a niche within the rich diverse ethnic groups that exist in our city.

A woman of compassion and humility, her fervent dedication to education is obvious as she utilizes her artistic talents to enhance and empower educators by teaching them various creative methods to augment what is being taught in their classrooms. Ms. Gómez perceives the arts “as a way to uplift, organize, mobilize and unite communities.” She adamantly believes that “the arts can have a positive impact on our society as a tool for dismantling racism, bigotry and giving people a vehicle to address issues that might not otherwise be discussed.” 

Ms. Gómez was recently sponsored through the efforts of Professor Margaret Lloyd to perform her poetry and facilitate a workshop at Springfield College and was overwhelmed by the large and enthusiastic crowd that came out on a “miserably cold and rainy night.”

Some of Ms. Gómez's recent accomplishments include being a Massachusetts Cultural Council Playwriting Grant recipient in 2001, having the production of her solo show, “Chopping,” premiere at the Boston Women on Top Festival, also in 2001, and, then, subsequently having it produced nationally, including two performances at New WORLD Theater, UMass Amherst. 

Her play, “Lobster Face (or the shame of Amanda Cockshutt),” received a staged reading at the South Coast Repertory Theater as part of the 2002 Hispanic Playwrights Project, and another play, “You Don't Look It,” won the 2002 Stages Repertory Theater Playwrights Competition. 

Ms. Gómez recently returned from Costa Rica where she was one of five internationally selected artists for a month-long residency. She will be releasing a CD of her latest poetry entitled, “AmaXonica: Howls from the Left Side of My Body,” at the end of February.

An inspiring artist and an intriguing individual, Ms. Gómez has the capacity to motivate, educate and inspire our community. She is available for lectures, performances, writing workshops and arts education consulting.  For further information she can be reached at www.Atabex49@yahoo.com