Borinquen Gallo

Jungle Bliss is a lush, site-specific installation that explores the consequences of disposable consumer culture and its complex effect on the environment. Gallo, with help from the public, creates an immersive artwork from familiar discarded materials—including netting, caution tape, and plastic bags—into dense, textural weavings. The installation also includes animated projections of butterflies and jungle critters that expand visually onto the surrounding gallery walls. In Exquisite Creatures, Christopher Marley uses more than 3,500 animal, mineral, and plant specimens to create striking three-dimensional compositions that reveal the natural world’s intricate beauty and diversity.

Borinquen Gallo is an Italian–Puerto Rican contemporary artist whose work delves into themes of beauty, community, and socio-cultural systems and structures through sculpture and installations made using a range of repurposed materials. She received her BFA in painting and sculpture from Cooper Union, and her MFA in painting from Hunter College. Gallo is currently Adjunct Associate Professor of Art and Design Education at Pratt Institute in New York.

Public Art Workshops

Led by Borinquen Gallo

Artist at Work: Borinquen Gallo
Wednesday, August 19, 12–3pm
Friday, August 21, 12–3pm
Wednesday, August 26, 12–3pm
Friday, August 28, 12–3pm
Wednesday, September 2, 12–3pm
Friday, September 4, 12–3pm
Wednesday, September 9, 12–3pm
Friday, September 11, 12–3pm
Step inside the Community & Partnership Gallery as artist Borinquen Gallo transforms the space into an immersive installation examining the entanglement of consumer waste and natural ecosystems. Witness her process firsthand, learn about her practice, and possibly even contribute to the evolving exhibition, which incorporates repurposed materials such as netting, caution tape, and plastic bags.

Jungle Bliss on the Hudson: An Outdoor Community Event
Saturday, October 3, 10am–12pm, Dobbs Ferry Waterfront Park
The HRM and Friends of Dobbs Ferry Waterfront Park invite you to a community gardening event inspired by Borinquen Gallo: Jungle Bliss. Join artist Borinquen Gallo and fellow community members to care for this treasured public space while exploring themes at the heart of her immersive installation, including the impact of human activity on the natural world. Help plant spring-flowering bulbs, weed garden beds, remove invasive species, and assist with other stewardship activities that support the park’s diverse plantings and provide food and habitat for birds, butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. All ages and levels of gardening experience are welcome. Please bring gloves and your favorite gardening tools; extra tools will be available. Meet at Dobbs Ferry Waterfront Park. Rain date: Saturday, October 17.

Jungle Bliss: Weave, Connect, Protect
Saturday, November 7, 2–4pm
Saturday, December 5, 2–4pm
Do you know how to weave a forest? Join Teaching Artist-in-Residence Borinquen Gallo to learn basic weaving techniques and transform discarded plastic bags and other everyday materials into leaves, branches, and other elements of a fantastical forest. Inspired by Jungle Bliss, the workshop explores how human consumption and waste affect the Hudson Valley’s forests, from microplastics and climate change to habitat loss and invasive species. No previous weaving experience is required. Creations can be taken home or considered for inclusion in Jungle Bliss.

Artist Talk: Borinquen Gallo on Jungle Bliss
Saturday, January 30, 2pm
Hear from Teaching Artist-in-Residence Borinquen Gallo about the genesis of her exhibition, Jungle Bliss, its connections to the adjacent Exquisite Creatures, her inspirations, career trajectory, and belief in the power of art to impact the environment through community engagement.

Family Art Workshops

Led by Junior Docents

Weave a Jungle
Saturdays & Sundays in October and February, 12–4pm
Create a forest from repurposed materials as you learn basic weaving and wrapping techniques. Transform discarded plastic bags and other everyday materials into leaves, branches, and other elements of a fantastical forest. Designed by Teaching Artist-in-Residence Borinquen Gallo. Recommended for ages 4+.

Forest Whispers
Saturdays & Sundays in November, 12–4pm
EXCEPT Saturday, November 28 & Sunday, November 29
PLUS Saturdays & Sundays, March 6–14, 12–4pm
Learn to identify endangered and invasive plants in the Hudson Valley while exploring relief-printing techniques using repurposed materials. Choose a local plant and translate its distinctive shapes and patterns into a handmade Styrofoam printing plate, then carve, ink, and print your design. Designed by Teaching Artist-in-Residence Borinquen Gallo. Recommended for ages 4+.

Research and Repair: Reimagine Hudson Valley Plants
Saturdays & Sundays in January, 12–4pm
Learn about rare, threatened, and invasive species found along the Hudson River, then select a plant and transform its visual characteristics into a collage, layering paper, found materials, textures, and drawn elements to construct a new botanical record. Recommended for ages 4+.