Hop off the Staten Island Ferry in St. George, bang a left on Bay Street, and in about 10 minutes you’ll find yourself on Tompkinsville Park, a triangular plaza lined by 2-story mom-and-pop shops made of brick, stone, and wood. The park anchors the Staten Island neighborhood of Tompkinsville, home to a large Black, Afro-Caribbean, and Latinx population. Palestinian flags wave proudly from the windows lining the park, paying tribute to Staten Island’s immense Arabic community.
A new “functional art structure” by A+A+A now sits in the park to celebrate Afro-Caribbean and Latin heritage. Abuelita Masala was first conceived by Kelly Villar of Staten Island Urban Center (SIUC), Sarah Blas, Staten Island Therapeutic Gardens (SITG), and Bait Ul Jamaat House of Community’s Jamilah La Salle. Urechi Oguguo, a Brooklyn artist, made the beautiful paintings that appear on the structure.
A+A+A is a women-led, New York–based studio founded in 2018 by Andrea Chiney, Arianna Deane, and Ashely Kuo. The project team was tasked by SIUC, SITG, and Bait Ul Jamaat House of Community with helping build a “new town square for the North Shore community,” centered upon Abuelita Masala, otherwise called Tompkinsville Afro Caribbean and Latin Food & Spice Market.
Looking ahead, Abuelita Masala will play an important role in addressing the North Shore’s food deserts, public safety, lack of multicultural representation in public spaces, and maintenance, a project description stated. The market is open on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m, when it’s activated by local food vendors, craftsmen, and performers.
The name Abuelita Masala combines “Abuela,” the Spanish word for “grandmother” and “Masala,” which connotes the spice mix commonly used in Afro-Caribbean food…