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Puerto Rico on Exhibition in Florida

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Vulture Brand Yams; acrylic painting by Miguel Luciano. Photo by Ricardo Hernandez

The Boricua en la Luna Podcast prequel before arriving at the Art Exhibit.

 

Hispanic Heritage Month runs yearly  from September 15 through October 15 during the anniversary of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Nicaragua’s independence from Spain, through Columbus Day.

As a part of this year’s observances, Florida Southern University’s Contemporary Art Museum (FSU CAM) curated a display of Puerto Rican art titled “Constant Storm Art from Puerto Rico and the Diaspora.”  

Cibelle Hernandez visits the Constant Storm Art Exhibit. Photo by Ricardo Hernandez

“We feature artists both internationally and nationally,” says Gillian Olortegui a student assistant at FSU CAM. The collection was actually a year late, being delayed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Pandemic delays seem to complement the theme, becoming themselves like another storm the contributors had to overcome to have their voices heard. 

 

Pimp my Piragua by Miguel Luciano. Photo by Ricardo Hernandez

Art on display included traditional canvas paintings, performance art, and even a “pimped-out” piragua (shaved ice) cart complete with its own audio system.  The binding theme for all the art was Puerto Rican reaction to the adversities brought on by climate change including the more recent destructive power of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.  

Cibelle Hernandez visits the Constant Storm Art Exhibit. Photo by Ricardo Hernandez

 “I’m exited to see such an exhibition here in the US” says artist Cibelle Hernandez. “I hope that [people] find a connection with us [Puerto Ricans] since we are like a people like a coqui hidden in the leaves.”

Multimedia by Ivelisse Jimenez and Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz. Photo by Ricardo Hernandez

Constant Storm Art from Puerto Rico and the Diaspora is on display to the general public at the FSU CAM through December 4, 2021.  

Dance Fever Grips Crowds At Amway Center During Puerto Rican Festival

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The pandemic shut down many activities, concerts, and festivals this year. For Puerto Ricans, even the New York City Puerto Rican Day Parade was canceled this year.  

This year the city of Orlando put on a successful show of culture during its own 5th Annual Florida Puerto Rican Parade and Festival. Last year this activity was cancelled, but organizers decided to go ahead with the festivities this year, and to dedicate them to first responders as a way of thanking them for their service during the pandemic. The parade and festival were also dedicated to the Puerto Rican towns of Cabo Rojo and Moca.

The festival included prominent figures of Puerto Rican music and sport including Olympic Gold Medalist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn who made her appearance on one of the parade floats.

As always, music was a prominent part of this year’s festivities. Crowds gathered at the Orlando Magic’s Amway center to continue the party atmosphere. Performers included trovador Andres Jimenez, merengue band Limi-T 21, salsero Frankie Negron, and rock band Algarete.

Besides providing a great atmosphere for dancing, the festival also gave vendors an opportunity to interact with the public. There were artworks of all sorts, most of which included the Puerto Rican flag the unifying symbol of this festival.

One improvement festival organizers should address was a shortage of typical Puerto Rican food. There were only a few kiosks that served Puerto Rican favorites such as alcapurrias, bacalaitos, and empanadillas. Next year it would be nice to see a few more food vendors catering to everyone’s appetite.

It was a hot and humid day on the festival grounds but there were plenty of kiosks set up to quench the thirst of festival-goers. Whether you wanted to partake in a mixed drink, a piña colada, or a tropical fruit juice, there was something for everyone to wet their whistle.

If the dancing and singing were any indications, this year’s festival was an outstanding success.  

Pay attention to Florida Puerto Rican Parade & Festival Inc’s website for next year’s festival dates and participants.  

Also, make sure to subscribe to the Boricua en la Luna blog for the low-down information on this and other Puerto Rican community events.

Baltimore Dances for Joy as Latin Dance Community Returns Amid Easing Restrictions

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Dancing for Joy

As the sun goes down on the Baltimore Inner Harbor, there’s a noticeable change. After more than a year of restrictions, the sound of music permeates the air.

According to the Baltimore Health Commissioner’s Directive Order dated in May, Baltimore City is easing masks restrictions for some outdoor venues and activities. These new guidelines are music to Manuel Caceres’ ears.

Caceres is one of the organizers in SalsAddicts, a community of people living near the Baltimore area that love dancing Salsa and Bachata music. Today the group is meeting in the deck in front of the Four Seasons Hotel. Caceres starts up the playlist on his iPad and people slowly start to trickle in for Saturday’s SalsAddicts meetup.

As the sunsets beautifully on the horizon of the inner harbor, Caceres tells me about what makes this group special. We have people from all nationalities that come from places as far away as Pennsylvania to dance with us says Caceres. We started the group in 2020 with hopes of bringing people together to enjoy Latin culture through salsa music.

SalsAddicts’s setup is simple. Organizers like Caceres announce when and where the group will meet on the SalsAddicts Facebook Groups Page. After that, anyone is welcome to join in on the fun. There is no charge and anyone walking by can join in without needing to register.

During previous COVID restrictions, meetups like this one were impossible without breaking city ordinances. While the state of emergency still exists in the State of Maryland, the latest emergency declaration by the state merely encourages continued use of masks by non-vaccinated people for indoor public settings, continued social distancing, and avoiding large gatherings.

Organizers for this meetup are sensitive to these recommendations. Caceres says this is one of the reasons their latest activities are outdoors. He also mentioned that they encourage mask-use for anyone not vaccinated and for all those that wish to do so in keeping with Maryland State and Baltimore City recommendations.

As the sun disappears, the city lights and the ambient lights illuminate the deck. Tonight was a good turnout with approximately twenty-something people coming out to enjoy a social activity that was completely restricted just a mere few months before. As the people start to show their moves on the dance floor, things seem just a little closer to normal. SalsAddicts demonstrates that there can be a balance between observing pandemic guidelines and having fun.

For more information about SalsAddict’s upcoming events, you can visit their Facebook page or email them at salsaaddict2020@gmail.com.