Blog

Elsa Mosquera: Creating Artistic Spaces for Latinx Talent

Elsa Mosquera: Creating Artistic Spaces for Latinx Talent

Our Arts Program is an integral part of our community and our organization. With Villa Victoria Center for the Arts being the largest Latino Arts Center in all of New England, Arts Director Elsa Mosquera is responsible for sourcing Latinx talent from all over the world. Dedicated to diversifying the city of Boston and providing spaces for artists of all backgrounds, she is a true trailblazer in he...

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Empowering Latinas Through Service to the Community

Empowering Latinas Through Service to the Community

The month of March is deemed National Women’s History Month: a time to remember and appreciate the ways that women have contributed to the history of this country. In recognition of the celebration, we interviewed IBA CEO Vanessa Calderón-Rosado about her experience as a female leader in the field of government. Why do you think it’s important to have women represented in government? Vane...

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The Transitional Shelter Assistance Program: Waning Aid for Puerto Rican Evacuees

The Transitional Shelter Assistance Program: Waning Aid for Puerto Rican Evacuees

Although nearly six months have passed since Hurricane Maria made landfall, Puerto Rico still requires extensive aid. The storm, which caused approximately $37 billion in housing damages, has left more than ...

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Maloney Properties: Sustaining the IBA Community

Maloney Properties: Sustaining the IBA Community

The IBA community is strong, but it has not thrived for the last 50 years all by itself. As a continuation of our focus on affordable housing, we interviewed María Laboy, the Senior Property Manager from Maloney Properties, to learn more about all the work they do for Villa Victoria residents. IBA: When did your relationship with IBA and Villa Victoria begin? ML: Maloney Propert...

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Angel Vázquez: Revealing the Real Puerto Rico

Angel Vázquez: Revealing the Real Puerto Rico

IBA: You’re the star of “Hecho en Puelto Rico.” Tell us a little bit more about the premise of this play. Angel Vàzquez: This is a monologue about a student in Puerto Rico who wants to leave the island as soon as possible. He receives a phone call from his dad and he thinks he’s going to get money to go to the states, but when he opens the suitcase his father sent him, it’s just full of s...

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Celebrating LGBTQIA Latinx Artists

Celebrating LGBTQIA Latinx Artists

We were thrilled at the turnout of this month’s Marca X Gallery opening featuring LGBTQIA Latinx artists from the Boston area. The Boston LGBTQIA Artists Alliance’s (BLAA) 14th exhibition was a collaboration with the Harvard Ed Portal Crossings Gallery (HEP), and the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS). An array of different mediums were on display—including photography, p...

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Building 50: Resident Services

Building 50: Resident Services

The most important part of any neighborhood is building a community; and, our hard working resident services program, along with our residents, are the key to building this everyday. Using a culturally rooted approach, our bilingual staff helps residents lead more fulfilling lives through their programming. While our residents contribute through volunteering and starting initiatives of their ow...

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Happy Holidays: Mayor Walsh Attends Beloved Tradition

Happy Holidays: Mayor Walsh Attends Beloved Tradition

Our annual Tree Lighting Ceremony is one of our community’s favorite traditions. It might have been a bit cold and rainy this year, but that didn’t stop residents and program participants alike from venturing to Plaza Betances to celebrate. Volunteers passed out hot chocolate and cookies while the musicians got the crowd in the holiday spirit. There was even a visit from Santa, whose dance moves d...

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Ten Things We’re Thankful For This Year

Ten Things We’re Thankful For This Year

As Thanksgiving and the season of charity approaches, we’ve decided to look at this past year and reflect on everything we’ve accomplished. Here are ten things we’ve been fortunate enough to facilitate here at IBA: We rallied together after Hurricane María devastated Puerto Rico to created the ...

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Let’s Build It: The Launch of Our Year-Long 50th Anniversary Celebration

Let’s Build It: The Launch of Our Year-Long 50th Anniversary Celebration

In 1968, the city’s urban renewal plans for the South End threatened to displace the neighborhood’s hard-working Puerto Rican community and, with it, drastically diminish economic and cultural diversity. Advocating on behalf of their neighbors and families, a group of Puerto Rican activists founded IBA to preserve affordability and the right to thrive in the community they built from the ground up...

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Following Puerto Rico’s Recovery: An Update on Recent Progress

Following Puerto Rico’s Recovery: An Update on Recent Progress

It’s been over a month since Hurricane Maria swept through Puerto Rico, leaving crippling devastation in its path. Yet, despite the time that has passed, one in four Puerto Ricans still don’t have access to clean water, while three-quarters of the islan...

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The City of Boston’s Innovative Approach to Affordable Housing

The City of Boston’s Innovative Approach to Affordable Housing

Access to affordable housing remains one of the foremost challenges for Greater Boston residents. According to a recent poll conducted by WBUR, 76 percent of participants indicated that they were “very dissatisfied or somewhat dissatisfied” with the high cost of housing stemming from Boston’s low vacancy rates, high-d...

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ALL STAR-YOUTH: SUCCESS STORIES FROM OUR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

ALL STAR-YOUTH: SUCCESS STORIES FROM OUR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

We see the success of our Youth Development Program in action every day. Created to foster emotional, intellectual, and artistic growth in young people, the program also builds lifelong relationships between peers and adults and encourages young people to pursue leadership roles in their community. Our commitment was recognized by First Lady Michelle Obama in 2016...

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Uniting Under the Massachusetts Fund for Puerto Rico

Uniting Under the Massachusetts Fund for Puerto Rico

In the aftermath of Hurricane María, many of our community members have been struggling to contact loved ones as the entire island of Puerto Rico remains without power. Much of Boston has responded with an outpour of concern, reaching out with offers and ideas to organize relief efforts. We decided to host an open forum, giving individuals, both in physical and ...

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Disproportionate Devastation: The Impact of Natural Disasters on Low-income Communities

Disproportionate Devastation: The Impact of Natural Disasters on Low-income Communities

Within a period of two weeks, Hurricanes Harvey and Irma swept through the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Texas and the Southeast, causing mass displacement, billions of dollars in damages, environmental contamination, the unfortunate loss of many lives and concern throughout our community, as many residents worried about the safety of their loved ones. Acco...

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