The Bok Building: A Space for Cultural Rebirth for the Latine Community in Philadelphia
BY DAISY MURGUIA ON FEBRUARY 13TH 2024
"El conejo en el faro" was inspired by the way a projector illuminates in the middle of a movie theater’s darkness (Credit: Itzel Gonzalez.)
Old photo of the exterior of the Bok building. (Credit: The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.)
The Bok Building opened its doors for the first time in 1938 as a vocational high school. The art deco-style building that takes up an entire block ceased being a high school in 2013 and since then it has become a cultural and artistic space for Philadelphians, also boasting an animated nightlife and food scene. Two artists and leaders in their communities who have made use of the building’s space for cultural installations are Reyna Guzmán Casarez and Itzel González.
“I’ve witnessed that our community needs space, not only to consume but to create a space for collaboration,” says Guzmán Casarez, a multidisciplinary artist and community organizer in Philadelphia.
Members of the “El conejo en el faro” Film Club inside a room in the Bok building. (Credit: Itzel Gonzalez.)
“I’ve witnessed that our community needs space, not only to consume but to create a space for collaboration,” said Guzmán Casarez, a multidisciplinary artist and community organizer in Philadelphia. On November 2, 2023, she organized an event for Day of the Dead in the Bok Building’s theater. The event’s purpose was to commemorate loved ones who have passed away. It was a cultural and spiritual reunion.
Reyna Guzmán Casarez with her daughter in front of an altar for the Día de los Muertos event that she organized inside the theater of the Bok building. (Credit: Reyna Guzmán Casarez.)
Communities need a “third space” that isn’t linked to their job or home. Ideally, this space does not include spending money to be there. Instead, the purpose of these spaces is to connect people socially, without the formalities of the workplace. The Bok Building has become this “third space” for Philadelphians, specifically for the Latino community.
For Guzmán Casarez, her Day of the Dead event accomplished what it promised, connecting her community in a collaborative way. The event had a ballet performance in a theater – a significant detail for the Latino community because it made it feel more “official,” legitimizing the event. Guzmán Casarez emphasized, “We are active in our communities all year, but we needed a space, and the Bok [Building] is giving it to us.”
For writer and screenwriter Itzel González, the space that the Bok Building offers is just as important because it’s where her film club "El conejo en el faro" meets. The name "El conejo en el faro" was inspired by the way a projector illuminates in the middle of a movie theater’s darkness. The purpose of the film club is to do the same: to illuminate in the middle of darkness.
The space that González uses is small, creating an intimate space. This has connected the members of the Latino film club and has created a certain freedom in the film discussions. “It being a reduced space allows people to interact more with each other,” commented González.
González emphasized the importance of projecting the films during club meetings, followed by a group discussion. She explained that other film clubs may tell members to watch the movie at home, but this would take away from the experience of feeling socially connected to others.
“I am seeing the formation of a new community, a different community. It's people that see each other every week which you start to become familiar with because you see them often,” González said, “You know what they do for a living, and friendships have formed. A club is a social space for people.”
Members of the “El conejo en el faro” film club watching a movie in a room inside the Bok. (Credit: Itzel Gonzalez.)
Members of The Welcoming Center. (Credit: Manuel Castillo Figueroa.)
There is the hope that in the coming years the space will include more Latino and cultural events because it is an open and free space for the community. Guzmán Casarez wants the events that she organizes to, “[...] be a connecting point, so that people can meet and showcase their skills, that is what moves me.”
“Economic development and social development is about much more than just good numbers in business, we have a holistic vision and we have the space and opportunity to help, so people simply contact us and we help them in any way we can.”
Manuel Castillo Figueroa is a cooperative developer at The Welcoming Center, a nonprofit organization with the purpose of promoting economic growth in an inclusive way through immigrant integration. Castillo Figueroa helped connect Reyna Guzmán Casarez and Itzel González with the spaces in the Bok Building.
Just like Reyna Guzmán Casarez and González, there are many other people, including women leaders, who want to connect with their community but don’t have the safe space to do so. What is needed is the space, and the people will come on their own, looking for that social interaction, that genuine human connection that cannot be replaced.
Manuel Castillo Figueroa is a cooperative developer at The Welcoming Center (Cortesy: Manuel Castillo Figueroa.)
Castillo Figueroa makes a call to the Latino community in Philadelphia: “The call is mainly for the South Philadelphia area, in the Bok, to show support and connect with the participants first [...] that they come and bring us projects, just like Itzel has her film project, that people with projects come and consult with us about availability, we have available spaces on weekends.” It is a bit moving to think that the Bok Building still stands after its discontinued use as a school and that the space is still being used for the community’s benefit. Not everything needs to be destroyed, new life can be brought to these spaces. Here, new communities can be birthed, and with that new opportunities are created. Guzmán Casarez and González are examples of that if third spaces like the Bok Building exist, people will come and new communities will be born. The members of these new communities will be exposed to art, and culture, and can become conscious of social issues, and much more.
