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