Judith Escalona

Director, MediaNoche Gallery; Filmmaker
1355 Park Ave.
212.828.0401

​

ABOUT: “People who would never interact with each other... find themselves in this space,” says Escalona of MediaNoche, her new-media gallery in El Barrio that unites local and international artists to provoke innovative artistic dialogues. Despite MediaNoche’s global focus and broad reach, Escalona also directs many resources toward serving local community members and their interests. As an accomplished filmmaker and screenwriter, Escalona offers affordable workshops in Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, and Illustrator to the public. She also hosts the annual PR Dream Summer Film Fest in the 103rd Street Community Garden. 



COMMUNITY VISIONS: Escalona manages “Puerto Rico and the American Dream,” a website about the history of the Puerto Rican Diaspora. Through this site and the projects affiliated with it, Escalona hopes that residents of East Harlem will come to see their bilingualism and biculturalism as a strength rather than a liability. She also wants to find new ways to further involve the neighborhood’s youth in the arts.