Wendy Stuart will be hosting TriVersity Talk! this Wednesday at 7 PM ET with featured guest Ricardo Muñiz.
TriVersity Talk! is a weekly web series with featured guests discussing their lives, activism and pressing issues in the LGBTQ Community. With TriVersity Talk!, the goal is to laugh and learn.
TriVersity Talk! Is part of TriVersity’s ICARE Initiative. ICARE stands for Increasing Community Awareness through Relevant Education. ICARE Programs are generously funded by The Greater Pike Community Foundation.
Ricardo Muñiz began his professional career as a teacher of all subjects for an alternative high school system in NYC that catered to high school dropouts of color from poor neighborhoods.
His first was was the East Harlem Music School. From there he went on to create several of his own educational programs, including the East River School, The PM Program at IS218/SUMA/CAS, and the Alternative to Suspension Program that was implemented system wide for District 8 in the Bronx. He ended his public school career in 2004 as a bilingual social worker.
After a short stint in two doctoral programs, he decided to return to his original love and he’s been a struggling artist ever since.
For the last several years he returned to working as a psychotherapist. He is still a teacher at heart, so he donates the majority of his profits to charities that support Latino and Native college students.
In essence, his work is about finding the unheard voices in his own ignored Latino community and he does this through photography, body art, puppetry, storytelling, counseling, teaching, curating, and/or legal advocacy.
“It really comes down to honesty for me. If you’re honest with yourself and your work, something great will show up. I truly believe beauty is everywhere. Just open your eyes and look”.
His work has been performed on stages including St.Ann’s, Nuyorican Poets Cafe, BAAD, and The Kentucky Opera. His art has been exhibited in galleries including Casa Frela, ARTup, and Leslie Lohman.
Acting work has included small stage,TV, and the big screen. His photography has been published in magazines and books, including Chulito, DNA, Display, Akut, OhlalaMag, BellaMag, TMF, AAG, Next and Eks Magazyn. And then there’s the workshops and classes around the world.
As the founder of CHULO Underwear, he has created a brand that is a cultural clothing line, donating its profits to neighborhood groups working with marginalized youth of color.
“My biggest success has been working with so many amazing people willing to share their stories.”
Watch TriVersity Talk! Live on Wednesday at 7 PM ET on YouTube here:
The official website for the TriVersity Center may be found at https://www.triversitycenter.org
Subscribe and listen to TriVersity Talk! on Apple Podcasts/iTunes here:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/triversity-talk/id1614158419