By Rafael Grillo

We are dust with wings that doesn’t obey the wind
we are ephemeral beings and at the same time almost eternal
Jorge Ignacio Nazábal Cowan

NAZÁBAL FLASHBACK

There are journeys for the tragic chance, and certain days in which the events come together to bring good fortune. Some days ago, I opened my electronic mail and found a request for a commentary about a book of Cuban sports science fiction short stories for the literary supplement El Tintero from Juventud Rebelde journal. In another email came a voice from the past, Jorge Ignacio Nazábal Cowan, eager to share with me recent news about its painting career.

Image: Carlos Estévez, 2006 , Self-fishing. Collage on paper. 39.5” x 27.5”. Exhibited at UB Art Gallery. Private collection.

Curated by Jorge J. E. Gracia, SUNY Distinguished Professor

Carlos Estévez works with traditional materials but also incorporates nontraditional elements into his art. He regularly collects objects of various kinds—particularly artifacts such as bottles and gadgets he finds at rummage sales and flea markets—which he later integrates into his works.

Image: Sandra Ramos, 2009, Escape, calcografia, 90 x 50 cm

Source: Lyman Allyn Art Museum, New London, Connecticut

September 13, 2009 through February 21, 2010
This exhibition is sponsored by the Hispanic Alliance.
Guest Curator Gail Gelburd, Ph.D., Professor of Art History at Eastern Connecticut State University

In 1939, the anthropologist Fernando Ortiz characterized Cuban culture as an ajiaco: a rich stew consisting of an array of ingredients cooked until a thick broth is formed. It is this synthesis that is the essence of Cuban art and the subject of the exhibition Ajiaco: Stirrings of the Cuban Soul.

Opening reception: December 6th, 2008 from 6:00 -9:00 p.m.

Image: Golden Years, 2008, mixed media, 16.75" x 13.75" (Panamerican ArtProjects)

From Dec 2nd through Dec 31st, 2008 at Panamerican ArtProjects

Francis Acea (b. 1967, Havana, Cuba-lives in Miami, Florida) is an artist that is constantly pushing boundaries, between art and design, between art and mass media productions. Taking advantage of his background in design he is continually testing spectator reaction in front of mass media products. He is questioning what makes an art work to fall into the category of art.

Tracey Snelling (b.