BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Musikfest celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2023, which also marks 40 years of stunning local art to advertise the annual August festival.
The Banana Factory’s First Friday event on Dec. 2 will feature an unveiling of the Musikfest 2023 poster, designed by artist-in-residence Maltas Con Leche.
- Allentown-based art collective and family Maltas Con Leche designed the poster for Musikfest 2023
- Key elements include a vejigante mask and block party speakers in bright colors
- The poster will be unveiled at the Banana Factory's First Friday event this Dec. 2
An Allentown-based family that doubles as an arts collective, the Maltas are led by father Rafael Menendez and include Luz, Esperanza, Binico, Caterina, Camila and Santiago, whose ages range from 4 to 22.
“For me, part of it is encouraging kids. I don't think age should matter. I feel like an artist, or anything you want to do, you can do it at any age,” said Menendez on how they started creating art together.
“It was my own selfish way of spending time with my kids.”Rafael Menendez
“So when [The Alternative Gallery in Allentown] said they had an opening for the art show [in 2009 or 2010], I signed up and then I told my kids like, ‘Well, you guys can do it too.’ And they're like, ‘Oh, well, we can't.’ ‘Yes, you can.’ And they all created pieces for the show. That's what started it.”
Menendez also spoke of the family’s collaborative process: brainstorming together at the dinner table before splitting up for a week or so to make a draft, then coming together again to critique and collaborate.
He spoke of the parameters the family agreed on during brainstorming, saying, “[Each person’s draft] had the vejigante mask, because we all agreed that that was kind of like the universal symbol that people can relate to. Like, whether you're from the Caribbean and South America, from Africa, or any of the islands doesn't matter. That mask, you could probably say, ‘Hey, we have something like that in my culture.’ So we all agreed on that.
“And then we also agreed about the speakers being out because in Brooklyn, there was always a lot of block parties, and people put up the speakers… Everybody knows the speakers are out, there's gonna be a party on that block. So all of them had the requirements, which was stacked speakers and the mask. It was just different versions of it,” said Menendez
The poster also includes a young woman strumming a turquoise electric bass, which Menendez said was inspired by his daughter Caterina’s current instrument. He spoke of each child’s artistic affinity and training; one is an animator, one is a painter, one is a tattooer and even the younger ones get involved at their respective charter arts schools across the Lehigh Valley.
“This inspiring design reflects the beauty and richness of who we are as a community and honors the diversity we celebrate via the sights and sounds at Musikfest annually and all the programming and artistic experiences ArtsQuest presents year-round,” said ArtsQuest President and CEO Kassie Hilgert in a news release.
The poster will be unveiled and attendees can meet the artists at the Banana Factory’s First Friday event on Dec. 2 from 6-9 p.m. First Friday festivities also include live music, glass blowing, jewelry making, painting and paper making demonstrations.
