Open Call: Fonoteca!
Help build Fonoteca: a Latin music listening library in New York! Calling vinyl enthusiasts and collectors: donate or loan us your records!Fonoteca (New York) is a project by artist Pablo Helguera that seeks to create a public listening archive and gathering space dedicated to Latin American and Latinx music. It will open on October 15, 2026, at The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center as an anchor commission for Historias Reveladas, a building-wide exhibition culminating a multiyear citywide initiative charting how Latinx communities have shaped NYC.
We are currently seeking contributions in two forms:
Featured Collections (Loans): We are looking for New York-based collectors of Latin music vinyl who would like to have their collections featured in Fonoteca. Selected collections will be presented and credited as part of the installation, offering visibility to the histories, tastes, and curatorial perspectives of individual collectors. Collections do not need to be loaned in their entirety, and selections of 10 or more records are welcome to participate!
Record Donations: We are accepting donations of used vinyl records of any Latin music—salsa, bolero, cumbia, merengue, tango, Latin jazz, regional genres, spoken word, and more to join the Fonoteca collection. Records do not need to be rare or in perfect condition; the emphasis is on use, circulation, and shared listening.
All participants will be credited and featured as contributors to the project, and donors or lenders of 12 records or more will receive a special editioned artwork by Pablo Helguera in recognition of their contribution. Fonoteca builds on a long-standing interest in creating participatory cultural spaces where personal collections become part of a shared public resource—transforming private archives into collective memory. To donate records or propose a collection, please complete the form here. If you have questions, contact fonotecanuevayork@gmail.com.