The exhibition, ¡Cuba Libre! – An Exhibition of Cuban and American Ceramics, Prints & Photographs, curated by Catherine Merrill, showed from Ja. 16, 2016 through Feb. 27, 2016. ¡Cuba Libre! showcased the work of some of Cuba’s most preeminent ceramic and print artists as well as artists in the United states with whom they’ve had more than a decade-long intercultural exchange. The curator, Catherine Merrill, is a ceramic artist who received the Jose Maria Heredia Medal of Honor for her contributions to Cuban ceramics. This is the highest arts award in the province of Santiago de Cuba. She has been described as “the foremost U.S. authority on contemporary Cuban ceramics.”
List of Exhibiting Artists:
Alberto Lescay
Ana Maria Cardenas
Antonio Lewis
Catherine Merrill
Gary Erickson
Israel Tamayo
Joel Bennett
Jose Luis Berenguer
Jose Vasquez Xene
Juan Pablo Cardenas
Nelson Dominguez
Raul Miranda
Xiomara Gutierrez
From the Curator Statement:
Cuba Libre! is a Celebration: inspired by the recent ground-breaking decision by President Obama to re-establish diplomatic relations between Cuba and the U.S., and the resulting new awareness and appreciation of Cuban Culture.
It embodies two important themes:
1) The inherent need to create art regardless of circumstances
2) the rewards that come from collaborating with artists of other cultures.These artists are ambassadors of good will, hoping to foster peace and understanding through the international language of art.