Meet East Sider Elena Lledo

“My family tells me that I was born laughing,” confesses Elena Lledo (pronounced Yay-doh, rhymes with “Play-Doh”). “My grandfather delivered me, and I giggled. I must have found it enormously exciting to be born.”

Given her infectious, hearty and frequent laugh, life must remain exciting for Lledo, who grew up in Madrid and Barcelona. After earning her doctorate in art history in London, she met her future husband Ed Osborne – now a Brown University assistant professor of visual art – in Berlin, where their son, Oscar Lledo Osborn, was born. They’ve lived on the East Side since 2008.

Who or what last made her laugh?
“I did,” she says. “I laugh all the time. It’s almost like breathing for me; I gravitate to those who have a sense of humor. My son and my husband can both make me laugh.”

Where she works...
As assistant director of the Chazan Gallery at Wheeler School, she “does a little bit of everything,” she says. She’s held other gigs, including with FirstWorks and as an art critic. Summers find her in Segovia, Spain, with high school students participating in a Brown University-sponsored program.

Where she plays...
Hope High School and Nathan Bishop tennis courts, where, she says, she can still beat Oscar! Rochambeau Library offers “a wonderful community of librarians, a great children’s section and a much-needed hub for children who might not otherwise have access to resources.”

Where she shops...
Campus Fine Wines for its “fantastic owners and amazing wine selection” and Whole Foods for healthy,organic foods; she calls Stock and its owner, Jan Dane, “great additions to the East Side.”

She’s passionate about...
Calling herself a “hard-working beast” passionate about human rights and social justice, she participates in Amnesty International’s (AI) Providence Chapter, AI Group 49. “ I’m educating a little human being... I hope my example triggers his consciousness,” she said, adding that people who have the resources to helpothers should do so.

In all seasons but winter, walking and biking are her preferred modes of transportation. She’d like to see a more robust public transportation system on the East Side.

Her secret vice is...
Endlessly watching movies, especially indie films and documentaries. Because she’s fluent in five languages – Spanish, German, English, Italian and French – watching foreign films is a cakewalk!

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Nancy Kirsch is a freelance writer on Providence’s East Side. Visit her website or email her.