Alum Edra Soto to Unveil New Public Sculpture in Central Park

Featured in Newcity Magazine, School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) alum Edra Soto (MFA 2000) is set to unveil her captivating installation at Central Park’s Doris C. Freedman Plaza, opening September 5. Titled Graft, Soto’s monumental steel-and-terrazzo sculpture draws on the Puerto Rican architectural motifs of wrought-iron gates called rejas and concrete fences known as quiebrasoles, both ubiquitous in Puerto Rico. This iteration of Graft is a continuation of the series which began in 2013. Soto’s work delves into themes of migration, cultural dislocation, and Puerto Rico's complex relationship with the U.S., integrating archival elements such as political propaganda and personal memorabilia. Soto has exhibited extensively at venues including the Museum of Contemporary Art of Chicago, New York's El Museo del Barrio, the Institute of Contemporary Art San Diego, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.