▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁eng age ▁and ▁produce ▁art ▁that ▁was ▁reflect ive ▁and ▁representative ▁of ▁the ▁surrounding ▁neighborhood . ▁The ▁children ' s ▁work sh ops ▁spe ar head ed ▁by ▁avant - gar de ▁jazz ▁drum mer ▁Charles ▁“ Bob o ” ▁Shaw , ▁were ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁am bit ious . ▁ ▁A ▁letter ▁to ▁Ellen ▁Stewart ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁indicates ▁that ▁the ▁end ▁goal ▁of ▁the ▁space ▁and ▁programming ▁was ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁His pan ic ▁the ater ▁center . ▁Obviously , ▁a ▁goal ▁that ▁was ▁spir ited ▁by ▁the ▁future ▁occup ants ▁of ▁this ▁location . ▁The ▁N uy or ican ▁Po ets ▁Ca fe ▁purchased ▁the ▁building ▁ 1 9 8 5 . ▁ ▁Through out ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁La ▁Ma Ma ' s ▁ 2 3 6 ▁E . ▁ 3 rd ▁location ▁became ▁a ▁center pie ce ▁of ▁the ▁Lo ft ▁Jazz ▁movement ▁with ▁do z ens ▁of ▁ren owned ▁and ▁bud ding ▁mus icians ▁travers ing ▁this ▁space ▁to ▁gather ▁and ▁re he arse . ▁ ▁The ▁hall mark ▁of ▁this ▁period ▁was ▁when , ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁tr ump eter ▁L ester ▁B owie ▁re he ars ed ▁his ▁Sho ' N uff ▁Orchestra ▁in ▁prepar ing ▁for ▁a ▁on etime ▁performance ▁of ▁a ▁ 5 9 - member ▁contemporary ▁jazz ▁collect ive , ▁a ▁gather ing ▁reflect ive ▁of ▁the ▁“ Gre at ▁Day ▁in ▁Har lem ” ▁photos ho