Cuban art has been one of the island’s greatest attractions over the decades. It is one of the most exciting & thriving art scenes in the world. Starting from colonial masters, to the early 20th century such as Wifredo Lam, to contemporary artists like Tomas Sanchez & Kcho, to the budding artistic talents of Rafael Villares & Niels Reyes; Cuba's artistic wealth is not to be missed. Join Cubartours on one of our voyages that explore the cultural jewels of the Caribbean's largest island.

Art and Religiosity at the Alley of Traditions

In Pueblo Nuevo (New Town), a neighborhood located in the boundaries of the historical centre of Matanzas, there is the Alley of Traditions, a sociocultural project arisen by initiative of that community, with the aim of guaranteeing the safeguard and revitalization of the cultural heritage passed on by our ancestors. Also known as Afro-Athens, this cultural space is visited daily by dozens of people. There reigns a colorful, festive and religious atmosphere. Its neighbors know the history of the place very well because they have built it. Where there was a garbage dump before, which covered five blocks, nowadays, besides the temple houses, there is an art gallery where they exhibit artworks made by professional and amateur artists from the community. The Alley also has libraries, a meeting room, barber and coffee shops, areas that are all taken care of by the residents of Pueblo Nuevo, where a big part of the black and mixed race population from Matanzas live, all of whom treasure the authenticity of their roots, traditions and religion. The 16 groups that bear the traditions from Matanzas have performed at the Alley, as well as prestigious artists from other regions of Cuba and the world. Address: San Ignacio e/ San Francisco y San Juan Bautista. Pueblo Nuevo. Matanzas. © Aracelys Bedevia Translation: Beatriz Rodríguez More events on:

Cuban Art at Poco Bonito Gallery

Poco Bonito gallery is a place where harmoniously flow diverse artistic expressions as photography, painting and sculpture. Pieces explore social content themes from current Cuban reality.

More than a gallery, Poco Bonito is a project in which artists see art as an attitude towards life; through their creation they channel their experiences, concerns and projections for the current reality. Many of the pieces appeal to the combination of formats and materials near or less the world of art. In that sense, the visual result is a reflection of that formal experimentation and self- mixture of Cuban society.

Sundays just until midday.

Loliett M. Delachaux

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A Space for Cuban Art

Actualmente, la Galería Maroya es un lugar para la promoción y comercialización del trabajo de artistas y artesanos cubanos. The building where is it was built in 1891 by Galo Díaz de Tuesta y de la Hoya, acquiring since then dissimilar functions, until 1993, when it is converted into a space for arts. Its name coming from Aborigine language means “moon”.

The gallery exhibits some textiles, ceramics and other objects from the island’s rich craft tradition. It is also a place where are permanently displayed reproductions of the most important Cuban painters and engravers. Sometimes, the gallery receives excellent temporary exhibitions of contemporary artists. The Maroya gallery is a real space to enjoy the Cuban culture.

Sundays just until midday.

Address: 2506 Ave. 54, in front of José Martí Park.

Loliett M. Delachaux

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Welcome to Fusterlandia

A whole neighborhood made with art and imagination turns a considerable area of the coastal town of Jaimanitas into the open warehouse of the Cuban engraver, ceramicist, draftsman and painter José A. Rodríguez Fuster. Fusterlandia has prepared for the national and foreign public more than 80 houses decorated in their gardens and exteriors with picturesque tiles and monumental sculptures, a creative image that has distinguished 226 Street for more than two decades. “It is one of the most singular attractions the visual arts offer in Havana today”, the artist would say about his own project, which combines creations that won’t allow themselves to go unnoticed to visitors: the Rooster’s Tower, the Cubans’ Table, and Fuster’s Door among them. Inspired by the greatest and most influential artists of the plastic arts in the 20th century such as Pablo Picasso from Malaga, the architect Antoni Gaudí and Constantin Brancusi, Fusterlandia revitalizes the very same concept of art in order to take it to undreamed-of limits and to invite the spectator to live that with him, to feel part of the creative process. The art engineer José Fuster, decorated with the Acknowledgement “Gitana Tropical” in 2005 and the Award for the Work of a Lifetime given by the Cuban Fund of Cultural Assets at FIART in 2008, confesses he is still developing his communitarian project with the future idea of creating a children’s gallery. Visit Fusterlandia and take with you the experience of seeing one of the most original places in modern Havana. You will also have the pleasure of meeting the creator of this fascinating project personally. Every day from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Calle 226, esquina Av. 3ª Text by: Dayneris Brito Translation: Beatriz Rodríguez More events on:

Estudio El Ojo del Ciclón: A Lab for Art

Artists and admirers of art get together in the corner of O’Reilly and Villegas to produce a hurricane of feelings. At El ojo del ciclón (The Eye of the Cyclone) there lies the Studio-Workshop of painter, photographer and designer Leo D’Lázaro, son of the well-known Cuban avant-guard sculptor José Delarra. On Wednesday, Friday and Sunday nights several cicloneros (‘cyclone people’) arrive at the residence to take advisable tango lessons and chat about art in this socio-cultural project that plans to become a great boulevard, according to Leo D’Lázaro’s words. A completely habitable house with kitchen, bedroom and dining-room turns out to be not only a lab for art but also a living installation where every single room is riddled with artistic objects from all origins. On the ground floor, sketches and old photographs of Delarra next to Che in Santa Clara; a hall for exhibitions that displayed the works of Armando Zambrana and Omar Cardosa; and a small bar like an archeological remain that symbolically carries the name of Exca-bar. Upstairs, the most intimate place in the house: a room by candlelight, in semidarkness, with dreamcatchers, a fan from the last century, family pictures and a reproduction of the piece El misterioso nido del ciclón (The Mysterious Nest of the Cyclone). Text by: Dayneris Brito Translation: Beatriz Rodríguez More events on:

Art Sales

Arkos Gallery is a small place in Sancti Spíritus where you can find and buy art in many of its styles. Erotic, abstract and traditional paintings, jars, vases and all kind of ceramic items, small but classy sculptures looking like the ones in the Ancient Greece or Rome, wooden handicrafts nicely decorated and even jewelry, like necklaces and rings with a very elegant and modern style…, all that may be found in this artcraft gallery. More events on:

Galería Iris: Where Good Art has the Floor

One of the most visited cultural centers in Camagüey is Galería Iris (Iris Gallery) which is led by the plastic arts artist Oscar Rodríguez Lasseria, one of the most prize-winning in “la tierra de los tinajones” (“the land of the large earthenware jars”, as Camagüey is also known). Located on a busy corner in Camagüey, where there was before a stall for the sale of fruit juice, this gallery exhibits and commercializes artworks by Lasseria and youngsters Leonardo Pablo and Oscar Jr. (his sons), who are also devoted to plastic arts. It is a personalized space that also finds room for projects by other creators, especially new young ones. It carries the name of Iris in honor of Lasseira’s wife, the mother of his two sons, who died of cancer. The contribution to the fight against cancer through donations generated from the sale of artworks is one of the main motives of the Lasseira family, who made the pact of helping to improve the quality of life of those who suffer from this disease. Lasseira is a graduate from the Interamerican Academy of Drawing and Painting (United States); from the Academy of Plastic Arts of Camagüey; and from the National School of Art Instructors from Cubanacán, Havana. It is also a graduate in Plastic Arts from the Higher Pedagogical Institute of Camagüey. Address: Ignacio Agramonte and López Recio. Camagüey. Cuba. © Aracelys Bedevia Translation: Beatriz Rodríguez More events on:

Pedro Pablo Oliva's Studio

Pinar del Río is the birthplace of one of the greatest exponents of the Cuban painting. The work of the neoexpressionist Pedro Pablo Oliva is characterized by a mastery of color, a great chromatic diversity and his mostly socio-political themes. Oliva has developed almost all his work in Pinar del Río, and promoted the cultural development of the younger generations. In 1998, he founded the House-Workshop Pedro Pablo Oliva, at Calle Martí No. 160, in order to promote art, literature and culture in his local province; reason why he has received numerous awards from several institutions in Cuba. Currently, this house is used as workshop and centre of his creations. Under the motto: “Strictly forbidden to stop dreaming”, the Oliva’s studio welcomes visitors by appointment. You will enjoy works even unexposed in museum or galleries, loaded with a strong socio-political sense that evade the government's vision. With some luck, visitors can see Oliva in the creative process, sitting in front of the easel with a half-finished work, as long as the shy genius does not take refuge in his comfort zone, in the drawing room. Karla Padrón Nardiz More events on:

Umbral Art Gallery

Just in the surrounding area of the centric Parque Martí in Cienfuegos, stands the work by the visual artist Irving Torres Barroso, which is brought together at a place you cannot miss when you go through the city of Cienfuegos. From Monday to Saturday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and for a great many spectators, Umbral Art Gallery displays traditional painting along with installations and performances that keep as subject the reflections of men regarding their role in the world. For his sculptures and installations, Barroso himself acknowledges working with everything he finds, from objects taken out of daily life to musical instruments. Such is the case of the pieces Soy mi voz (I am my voice) and Donde está la música (Where the music is), both made in honor of master Benny Moré. Undreamed-of are the pillars that complete the creative process of this self-taught artist: a collage with newspapers, bills and national twenty-cent coins that he later takes to the canvas with enamel paint for automobiles through mixed techniques. With more than 13 solo exhibitions and 50 collective works, in his wide repertoire stand out the exhibition Craft City in 2008 and Los de atrás vienen conmigo (The ones behind me are with me) during the 12th Havana Biennial, without forgetting the exhibition Dreams, which was chosen to start this year 2017. A work that just by looking at it arouses a unique sensitivity for its universe of colors. The artist says: “yellow is light, red is the passion I paint with, and blue is the color I identify feelings with”. Ave No.2513 e/ 25 y 27 (Parque José Martí) Monday to Saturday, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Text by: Dayneris Brito Translation: Beatriz Rodríguez More events on:

Villanueva Studio: The Unmistakable Aesthetics of Ernesto Villanueva

With a peculiar glass design on its facade that attracts every single spectator, Villanueva Studio appears among the most attractive places on Obispo Street as regards arts. Open every day, it is the place par excellence for visualizing, promoting and selling artworks by the artist Ernesto Villanueva Morera, a perfect exponent of the new expressionist thinking of the last decades of Cuban visual arts. On your way along this artistic heart of the city of Havana, you can find mostly canvases of large dimensions where the bright colors, strong priming and vegetable motifs warn about the very meaning of his painting. A creative display towards events like the International Art Fair of Toronto, the ARCO Fair of Madrid, Havana’s Biennials and exhibitions in France, Luxembourg, Korea and Costa Rica, reveals the professional dimension of this artist. A unique and truly considerable proposal for the advocates of Cuban contemporary art that will live up to their expectations. Every day 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Address: Calle Aguacate 254, Esq. Obispo, Habana Vieja. Text by: Dayneris Brito Translation: Beatriz Rodríguez More events on:

Contemporary Art from Gorría Studio-Workshop

A new building for contemporary art rises on the historical street of San Isidro, thought up by one of the main figures of Cuban cinema: Jorge Perugorría. The main character of the multi-prizewinning film Fresa y Chocolate (Strawberry and Chocolate), an actor with more than 40 film productions, a filmmaker and an artist of the plastic arts, welcomes Gorría Studio-Workshop, “a new model of independent and sustainable management.” Visitors will be able to appreciate and buy pieces by first-rate Cuban artists such as Carlos Quintana, Choco, Roberto Fabelo, Mabel Poblet, Arlés del Río, Stainless and Perugorría himself, among others. More than just some room to display good and young art, the studio-workshop is a cultural platform that harbors both, solo and collective exhibitions, as well as programs for social exchange and public welfare. An area where different performances, installations, video art and lectures come together to make of the place “some room open to diversity and the exchange of ideas in the interest of art renovation”, as its creator stated. Address: San Isidro 214 e/ Picota y Compostela, Old Havana Hours: Monday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Text by: Dayneris Brito Translation: Beatriz Rodríguez More events on:

Estudio-Taller de Martha Jiménez: Art that Transcends Limits!

The centric Plaza del Carmen in the city of Camagüey becomes the place par excellence to closely appreciate the plastic works by Martha Jiménez. UNESCO’s Prizewinner in 1997, Jiménez delights the national and foreign public every single day of the week with her most select artistic collection, all of which is gathered in her already popular Studio-Workshop. Painting, ceramics, sculpture and engraving are the centre of attention in this place, all of which is handled under a thematic universe that tackles the problems of Cuban women and matters linked to chauvinist societies. El Bodegón Don Cayetano (Don Cayetano’s Inn), maybe one of the best places for national food in the city, at the same time receives on Saturdays and Sundays some of the pieces by the artist who made Las Chismosas (Gossipy Women), three hefty women made of bronze that rise on the Main Square. Address: Plaza del Carmen, no 282 Daily (Monday to Sunday) 8:00 am - 8:00 pm Admission free for Cubans and foreigners Text by: Dayneris Brito Translation: Beatriz Rodríguez More events on:

Plus Art Gallery Studio: a place for young art

In the Cuban Pearl of the South (as Cienfuegos is known), quite near Cienfuegos’ Prado, Plus Art Gallery opens every morning for the public and art lovers; a place for young art where the visitor has the chance of enjoying what it is currently made in the land of the legendary Cuban musician Benny Moré in terms of visual arts. The young artists Frank, Tita, Yenrry, Adrián, Alejandro and Sandra, all graduates from the specialty of plastic arts at Escuela Provincial de Arte Benny Moré (Provincial School of Art Benny Moré), carry out and commercialize their work at Plus Art Gallery, where dozens of people go to every day. These creators work hyperrealism, surrealism, expressionism, pop art, and photography, among other art movements. Their artworks have been exhibited at important galleries and private collections. Address: Ave 54 No.3702 e/ 37 y 39. Cienfuegos. Hours: Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. © Aracelys Bedevia Translation: Beatriz Rodríguez More events on:

Vladimir Art Gallery

The visual artist Vladimir Rodríguez’ place opens its doors daily in the city of Cienfuegos as one of the most recent and polemic centers, a place that exhibits and commercializes the artworks of their creator. Through the drawing technique, this young man from Matanzas uses pictorial symbols that reflect the situations of the Cuban essence; events of the contemporary national history, the existing exodus of thousands of citizens and the living conditions our country faces. As the Spanish art critic Goyo Vigil said: “his aesthetics is his life’s course, his conformation and articulation display almost everything, to feign an eternal rest is what is transferred in order to keep on building his physiognomy of the future.” Director of the Asociación Hermanos Saiz (AHS) in Cienfuegos for three years and a member of the Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC), Vladimir García has made more than 30 solo exhibitions and nearly 40 collective works in and out of Cuba. Ave 56 e/ 25 y 27 Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sundays from 9.00 a.m. to 12:00 m. Dayneris Brito Translation: Beatriz Rodríguez More events on:

Alcázar Studio. A Space for Cuban Art

The Alcázar Studio is an alternative art space where we can appreciate the works of artists William Perez and Marlys Fuego. Both, founders of the site in 2010, have implemented an own environment that maintains the spirit of the workshop, supported also by the story of an old building (originally pharmacy) of Centro Habana. The pieces on display generally coincide with the latest production of these artists; but you can also see specific works of other stages of their creation. William Perez is an excellent sculptor and drawer artist who has designed a line of work where scratched, flamed and illuminated acrylics are essential elements in his work. Marlys Fuego manages to capture the space with a young, attractive and irreverent visuality. She deploys her experience in painting and other art forms to thereby create, while revealing the complex universe of sexuality, eroticism and notions of gender. The proposals of both artists show the rich and diverse scenery that characterizes the current Cuban art. If you want to visit the studio you must make an appointment in advance using the contact information: Reina #219 and Manrique. Centro Habana, La Habana. Loliett M. Delachaux/ Rigoberto Otaño More events on:

Kcho Studio Romerillo

Conceived by the Cuban artist Alexis (Kcho) Leyva, Kcho Estudio Romerillo is a nonprofit art project that strongly defends the idea that art can change people's life. The project is really popular among youngsters and the community members due to the free internet access facility and the cultural choices taking place in the video room, art gallery and theater. Other attractions are the sample of Wifredo Lam's original engravings, the interesting reading material at the library, and the food and drinks offers at the cafeteria. The idea of making art accessible to everyone transcends the boundaries of the Kcho's studio. Since the XII Havana Biennial, it has been extended to the community resulting in what we known today as Museo Orgánico de Romerillo (MOR). As you get close to the studio you can notice that walls, markets, bus stops, parks are bearers for artistic works, but not with the undercurrent of social political criticism. The only purpose is to inject vitality, humor, beauty and poetry into a culturally depressed and deteriorated environment. A large group of artists of different nationalities, away from any kind of monetary, political, ideological, or religious interests have contributed in this project. Kcho, himself, who has received the UNESCO Prize for Promotion of the Arts, has made accessible to everyone his own collection of Cuban art and part of his work. Beatriz Junco More events on:

Ana Gladys Falcón Studio: A Woman Born for Contemporary Art

Ana Gladys paints brilliantly colored canvasses full of sensuality and expressionist beauty with a unique use of cubism. In a prolific career her art is one-of-a-kind and in her most recent series unusual in Cuban art through unusual incongruities in her inventive use of instruments in the paintings resulting in a joyful mix of contrasts. Apparent influences are the Sosabravo's strident shades and the thick lines typical of Amelia Peláez. During the 1980's she studied at the Cuban National Arte School, alumni with great artists, Nelson Domínguez, Ernesto García Peña, Eduardo Roca Salazar (Choco) and Ángel Ramírez. Her works are in collections around the world notably in private U.S. collections (Miami, California and New York), Spain, Portugal, Italy, Singapore, Chile, Ecuador and Costa Rica. Her studio in Vedado is open to the public daily from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm and can be purchased on eBay at cubanartbeat.com. Visit the studio during your visit to Havana. Avenida Zapata #1912 entre 14 y 16 Dayneris Brito More events on:

Írsula Studio: Intuition, Sense and Originality

Four voices from contemporary art rise on Linea Street, one of the oldest and most centric streets in the city, to shine in their own right. Open to specialists, collectors, and all public interested in the youngest Cuban art, Irsula Studio gathers artworks by novices Adislen Reyes, Andrey Quintana, Arian Irsula and Josuhe Pagliery. The big house in Linea and Paseo has become the place where high aesthetic values and a thorough curatorship are already sticking out, all of which surprise us along with the presence of books, catalogues, drawings and histrionic canvases. A sui generis place because it brings together, besides the most conventional techniques, others as original as abstraction, dripping and goffer (engraving without ink), among which Queloides (Keloids) and Sangre Azul (Blue Blood) are truly startling. Intuition, sense and originality make of Irsula Studio a place where the public will have the last word. Address: Línea 754 Altos e/ Paseo y 2, Vedado, La Habana Open every day from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Admission free Text by: Dayneris Brito Translation: Beatriz Rodríguez More events on:

Café-Galería La Vitrina: Knowing More on Cuban Theatre

Located in Matanzas, at Casa de la Memoria Escénica, lies the Cafe-Gallery La Vitrina, where mainly all kind of performing arts are featured. This art venue was founded as part of a local cultural project and to the date it has exhibited multiple visual arts (painting, drawings, photography) related to theatre, dance and circus. One of the singular characteristics of this place is the creativity of the menu, as every offer bears a resemblance with famous Cuban theater plays, starting with the name has been given to drinks, snacks and meals. You can taste either “Ana en el Trópico” which consists of a refreshing lemonade or “El Premio Flaco”, bread with croquette. We also recommend visitors to take pictures next to the wooden sculpture of Virgilio Piñera, one of the most acclaimed Cuban authors and whose representation also evokes the dramatic work of José Milán. Address: Milanés Street btw. Jovellanos and Matanzas. Text: Aracelys Bedevia Translation: Ibis Sierra Audivert More events on:

The Apartment of Cuban Contemporary Art

Vedado, the centric neighborhood in the capital, welcomes one of the most prestigious and well-known places for the circulation and private trade of Cuban art. Inside The Apartment, located on a last floor on 1st Street, a variety of pieces are brought together, all of which are distinguished by their aesthetic quality and the artistic greatness of their creators. A place thought up by young man Christian Gundin, not just for exhibiting the most recent Cuban art, but also for promoting and selling artworks that are considered to be first-class by national and international critics. Artists of the stature of young men Leandro Feal, Yomel Martínez and Juan Carlos Alom, and others of greater acknowledgement in the international market such as Reynier Leyva Novo, Ezequiel Suárez and Eduardo Ponjuán, complete the attractive collection of the house. Chistian Gundin, who is just 33 years of age, turns out to be one of the most notable collectors of Cuban art nowadays, holding in his collection some of the greatest masters of art of the last decades: Carlos Garaicoa, Sandra Ramos, Alexander Arrechea and René Francisco. Enjoy the aesthetic pleasure from the sight of good taste, quality and excellence. Address: 1st Street No. 105 e/ C y D Apt. 5. Vedado Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Text by: Dayneris Brito Translation: Beatriz Rodríguez More events on:

Reyno's Bazar: A Place for Arts

Craft items, very close to an artistic conception, are all over Reyno’s Bazar, a place in Santa Clara where you’ll find all kind of adornments for making your house or office an elegant art gallery. Located on Calle Céspedes, between Plácido and Maceo, this place houses an exquisite sample of décor items, carefully made with different materials, such as wood, glass, pottery, metals, and others. “Art is our DNA”, the slogan suggests. Reyno’s Bazar is the result of a family tradition, which, for more than ten years, has dedicated itself to the art crafts. For generations, these artists-artisans from Villa Clara have made real beauties by combining different styles, but always aiming to show their very personal identity. In this small but cozy place, which opens from Monday to Saturday from 9:30 to 4:30, there are options for everybody: classic lamps, modern flower vases, minimalistic pieces, like vivid-colour pottery spheres, not to mention wooden pieces, paintings and others. Clients have here the possibility of personalizing everything they want to buy; they can choose colour, shape and even ask for one with very personal requirements. Reyno’s Bazar is a unique opportunity for taking with you a beautiful memory that has, as guarantee, a very good taste. Text:Yariel Valdés González Translation: Javier Roque More events on:

Sergio Roque Studio Workshop: Art from Close

Sculptures, paintings, drawings, engravings and ceramics of mainly figurative subjects are exhibited in Sergio Roque's workshop gallery. Roque, winner of the Provincial Prize for Painting and the National Prize for Restoration welcomes all art lovers to enjoy his selections. In recent years the artist has mounted five expositions including the work of emerging artists as they create amazing pieces within the gallery workshop. Born in Nuevitas, Matanzas in 1954, Roque Ruano developed both as an artist and a theoretician and taught at The Matanzas Academy of Arts. He attained national prestige for his work on the Pharmaceutical Museum in the City of the Bridges which won him the national prize. Known especially for his work in ceramics, the artist worked also as the main ceramic specialist at the Varadero workshop. See the work of this multifaceted promoter of emerging national contemporary artists in Old Havana. Calle Contreras between Ayuntamiento y Santa Teresa. Inquire with local people who will guide you to the workshop gallery. Seven days a week. 9:00am 5:00pm Dayneris Brito More events on:

Collage Habana Gallery: A Place for Arts in the Boulevard de San Rafael

Near the Hotel Inglaterra and the Gran Teatro de La Habana, this gallery often provides Art specialists and a wide-ranging catalogue of Cuban art. Roberto Fabelo, Manuel Mendive, Nelson Domínguez are all here in traditional contemporary style bolstered by video installations, performance art and polemic drawing and paintings from excellent emerging artists. The salons also exhibit works from the peculiar group 'The Merger', M. Rancaño and the main feminine exponents Mabel Poblet and Cirenaica Moreira. From the youngest creators to the greatest living Cuban artists, the Havana Collage Gallery commercializes the panorama of Cuban art and provides a great sample of available art. During the historic Bi-Annual art exposition in Havana the gallery presented their catalogues leaving a massive sample for public consumption. With their mix of traditional and new art, Collage Havana brings out the most interesting and peerless giving you an incomparible art experience. Gallery Collage Havana -the place for art on Boulevard of San Rafael next to Parque Central (Central Park). Boulevard St. Raphael between Consulate and Industry Monday to Friday 10:00am to 6:00pm Saturdays 10:00am to 2:00pm Dayneris Brito More events on:

Pedro Esquerré Art Gallery: Where the Best of Cuban Art Merges

One of the most visited places in Cuba is Pedro Esquerré Art Gallery located on Plaza de la Vigía, in the city of Matanzas. This cultural center stands out for its diversity and the high quality of its presentations. In addition to the usual visual arts exhibitions, there are jazz performances, creation workshops and open-air drawing lessons held every month. The creation workshops take place every third Thursday of every month at 2:00 pm. Address: Calle Magdalena e/ Medio y Río, Plaza de la Vigía, Matanzas, Cuba. Hours: Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, Saturday from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm and Sunday from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm © Aracelys Bedevia Translation: Beatriz Rodríguez More events on:

Art Gallery La Paulette

Trinidad is not just about old architecture, paving stone streets and the beach, it is also about contemporary art. La Paulette can testify to that, an art gallery headed by the plastic arts artist José Armando Lumpuy Alfonso. Its location, on Simón Bolívar Street, by the Museum of History and in front of the Cuban Fund of Cultural Assets, reasserts the link between this promotional center and the community; it also passes on exhibitions, lectures and courses to both neighboring institutions, thus allowing spiritual enrichment. Its wide spaces make the contemplation of portraits –among them the one belonging to the world famous Cuban musician Compay Segundo-, landscapes, abstractions and engravings more pleasant; all artworks have been made by numerous creators who choose La Paulette, not so much because of its strategic location but because of the professionalism of its specialists to commercialize. Lumpuy, born in 1958 and a Scenographic Design graduate, belongs to the Cuban Association of Artisans and Artists. In the 80s he had an outstanding participation in the production of posters allegorical to Santiago Espirituano, a festivity of remote religious lineage. His artworks swell private collections in the United States, Latin America and Europe. The gallery owns its name to María Teresa Paulette Cagigas, former owner of the house, a pious lady who loved art and had illustrious guests, among them the well-known Cuban painter Amelia Peláez. Address: Simón Bolívar (Desengaño) No. 411 e/ Francisco Gómez Toro (Callejón de Peña) y Gustavo Izquierdo (Gloria), Trinidad. Text by: Arturo Delgado Pruna Translation: Beatriz Rodríguez More events on:

Taller de Cerámica de Camagüey: Strokes of Genius Made with Clay!

If you like to appreciate the strokes of genius that can be derived from earthenware, porcelain or clay, Camagüey’s Ceramics Workshop can be your best choice. Located on one of the most centric streets of the historical “Ciudad de los Tinajones” (City of the large earthenware jars), the institution gathers in its interior representative pieces from all over the world: Austria, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Denmark, Spain and the Dominican Republic. With several years of experience, the workshop has become one of the few spaces in the island destined both to the preservation of ceramics and the artistic innovation through its most attractive and contemporary techniques. The International Symposium of Artistic Ceramics of Camagüey, that receives the best craftsmen from Cuba and Latin America, is just one of the events that make of this laboratory of art a place for looseness and the creative gesture. Consider the chance to visit and let your imagination rise towards undreamed-of limits. Address: Calle República, no. 382 Daily: Monday to Sunday Hours: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm Admission free Text: Dayneris Brito Translation: Beatriz Rodríguez More events on:

Tattoo Parlour with Neighborhood Feel

If you want to get a permanent Cuban souvenir but are too shy to marry a Cuban - why not a tattoo? Or just drop in to mix with the Cubans on the gallery level of the three level building which also serves the neighborhood as a meeting place for community initiatives. The stigma of tattoos is gone. Now you, too, can join in the brother or sisterhood of the tat along with gang members, convicts, bikers, sailors, pirates, Mauris and tribes people of all continents. Tattoos in Cuba are now as common as the cold. Stick on and sprayed on skin art offered at beaches are for the meek. Nothing can match a fresh and bloody tattoo from a master tattoo artist like Leo Canosa. Leo brings in other Tattoo artists as well, masters in graphic design as Andy Paneque who are not shy to stitch you up to your liking. The parlour seems tame enough at the gallery level like a bawdy parlour lounge, a publicly presentable area with samples of designs where people hang out discussing perhaps something dark or foreboding or simple organizing a community party. The client or a curious visitor can look at the catalogue, filled with more amazing Cuban art. Once a suitable demonic design has been chosen, the suffering damned is led upstairs for the evisceration. Surely, something dark inside of you will be stirred as you are strapped into the chair for the ceremony. Your screams will sound like joyful adulations as they are filtered through computer generated reggeatton inviting more budding devilettes from the hot road to hell outside. All of this is performed in hygienic conditions. There is also a third level but no one has yet returned to describe it :) If you really love Cuban art why not bite the bullet and let the needle do the talking? Address: Obrapía St. # 108 btw. Mercaderes & Oficios. Nigel Hunt More events on:

Art Center of Camagüey: Where All Art Lives!

Painting, installations, sculpture, photography, ceramics and other artistic expressions round off at once the attractive halls of the Art Center of Camagüey. From Cuba and the world, exhibits from the most dissimilar origins come to Ciudad de los Tinajones (City of Large Earthenware Jars) to become permanent heritage at this place in Camagüey. A gallery and bazaar at the same time, the Center annually welcomes two of the most outstanding city events as regards art: the International Video Art Festival and Noviembre Fotográfico (Photographic November). A place thought of for the artistic delight, where you will be surprised by the warm welcome by any painter, photographer or critic, be them Cuban or foreign, passing through the Culture House in Camagüey. Do not reject the experience of feeling close up the greatest vibes if it comes to art; this Center can turn out to be your smartest choice. Address: Calle República Monday to Friday: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Saturdays and Sundays: 9:00 am a 12:00 m Admission free for Cubans and foreigners Text by: Dayneris Brito Translation: Beatriz Rodríguez More events on:

33:08 Contemporary Art Garage

In a quiet neighborhood in Playa contemporary art has come alive with high caliber youthful art. Maykel Sotomayor (Eddy) top bills this trio placing large fauvista paintings on the walls of this hip new gallery. Erotic depictions within landscapes is the general theme. The name 33:08 is also the address on 33rd Street near Miramar's Casa de la Musica. Important Cuban art critic Elvia Rosa Castro was on hand among other notables of the Cuban art world for the grand opening. This gallery is not the usual by any means. With experience with previous galleries, Maykel has put together a pleasing backdrop, conveniently located near 31st Avenue and still out of the hustle of Havana vieja and a worthwhile trek for lovers of contemporary Cuban art. Mix your visit to Casa de la Musica Miramar with an afternoon visit to 33:08, the only part missing is yours! Calle 36 #3308 between 35 and 33 Municipality Playa Dayneris Brito More events on:

K-51: Fresh Art in Vedado

Named after Soviet submarines, this studio was inaugurated with association with the Alliance Francais and the Embassy of the United States with three exhibits. Original idea of Javier Alonso and Jorge Luis Aguilar, K 51 converges contemporary art paintings, sculpture and video installations. In a short time personal the gallery hosted art critics Toni Piñera y Alfredo Sarabia to observe the results. "The Face of Cuba" a photo exhibition by Claudia Corrales followed by "20 Seconds of Sun" by the young Serlián Barreto, a series of expressionist pieces revealing solitude and violence via the tragic treatment of animals living things and objects. Graduates of the Superior Academy, San Alejandro Institute of Art provides dissimilar artists, selected by the gallery to give voice to young Cuban artists. Each exposition seems to followed by another even better. New art arrives with a new unfettered art interpretation. Calle K between Calzada and 5ta Building 51 Dayneris Brito. More events on:

Art Exhibitions and Sales

Located on the General García Promenade, the Commercial Gallery is a small but nice place that hosts art exhibitions by local artists. Paintings, sculptures, ceramics... it doesn't matter if classic or contemporary, all of them are present in this venue's goal. Besides the exhibitions, there are also art sales, so you can go and buy an art piece if you really like it. More events on:

The Tradition of the Pottery Masters

The visitor who comes to Trinidad has no way to get lost if he/she is looking for the great masters of clay. In the city where everyone seems to know where the best studios are located, there's almost no risk of taking the wrong way. It is no secret that Trinidad has a rich history on ceramics. This tradition dates back to the mid-nineteenth century, when a workshop was founded by Don Secundino Santander, whose skills have been passed down to successive generations, until our days. They know very well how to mold the clay and turn it into an artistic piece. Yes, because what it used to be at first a profession for providing bricks and lime to the village, soon started to go beyond and vary their production to vases, jars, pots, jugs, water filters ..., surpassing the utilitarian purpose in order to reach a high artistic and decorative content. La Casita del Barro is one of those workshops that emerged from the ancient tradition, a place of good taste and simplicity, with quality products at reasonable prices. In there, mostly molded by Neidis Santander's hands, we can find ceramic relief murals worked, dishes with Pre-Columbian decorations, reproductions of Trinidad's facades and streets, and unique pieces made in various formats that combine ancient techniques and the most modern ones with a particular brand. B. Junco More events on:

Espacio 34 Gallery

Espacio 34 Gallery is member of the Fondo Cubano de Bienes Culturales and reopens its doors after being remodeled three years ago. In there, it is shown and marketed representative works of contemporary Cuban artists who live in different regions of the country and cultivate the most diverse art forms. Alicia Leal, Ernesto García Peña, Frómeta Gilberto Fernández, Juan Moreira Bencomo, Lesbia Vent Dumois and Manuel Lopez Oliva have shown their work there.The place is suitable for the realization of Expo sellings and recently became fitting for the twentieth edition of the Landscape Salon Leopoldo Romañach. Painting, photography, sculpture, ceramics and silverwork are some of the elements that you will find if you go through the three exhibition halls. From Monday to Friday, from 9:00 am to 17:00 pm. Saturdays, from 9:00 am to 12:00. More events on:

Art According Lolo

Almost always, when we attend an art gallery, if we are careful and pay the necessary level of attention, we can get to talk to the author. We can get to dialogue with the artist through his work. If we put all our senses on it, we will set a conversation with those who feed with their works the soul of these places. The spontaneous conjunction between imagination and talent makes the gallery and workshop owned by the plastic artist, Osmany Betancourt, popularly known as Lolo, from Matanzas, a perfect place for setting a dialogue between different artistic proposals. Osmany plays with his hands what imagination draws on his mind. Human heads, vases and more dissimilar shapes and forms of the Cuban idiosincrasy are exposed in this gallery space, giving visitors the opportunity to dive into the inner world of Lolo. If you like contemporary art, Lolo's Workshop and gallery is a very good option. Stop and stare closely at each work. And enjoy. ©Luis Autié Cantón More events on:

Varadero Art Gallery

Varadero Art Gallery, member of the Fondo Cubano de Bienes Culturales, exhibits and sells unique pieces made by Cuban artists from around the country. In its three rooms visitors can find jewelry, small sculptures, engravings, watercolors and oil paintings that have been made by artists such as Nelson Dominguez, Ernesto García Peña, Alberto Lescay, Gilberto Frómeta, among many others. The funds on exhibition are constantly renewed and each item which is of patrimonial importance is tagged with export permission. More events on:

Provincial Museum of Art

The Art Museum in Matanzas is dedicated to the most diverse cultural manifestations with many samples of unique quality. The museum has a room in which we can find paintings and engravings from Matanzas, corresponding to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as pieces of universal art from France, England and Holland. The other two permanent exhibition rooms recreate typical wealthy familiy dining and living rooms during the Republican era through furniture, porcelain, glass, metals, ivory, European ceramics, watches... But without doubt one of the great merits of this institution is to cherish one of the most complete collections of African art in the country with around 340 pieces from 80 ethnic groups from 14 countries in Africa, with a variety of sculptures, liturgical drums, masks, seats, chests and tissues. The museum also has a temporary room where the work of Cuban and universal artists is promoted and a sculpture courtyard which is used to many cultural activities. More events on:

Ceramic Sales and Exhibitions

If you are in Varadero and looking for nice ceramics, the Ceramic Gallery is the indicated place to visit. All kind of jars, vases, plates, tea pots and other adornments may be found here, all of them with beautiful designs and different colors. A venue to list in your agenda if you want to buy classy souvenirs for your family and friends, instead of the common ones you may find at the craft fairs. More events on:

Finca La Coincidencia

La Coincidencia country farm is located in an area whose inhabitants called Guasimal del Toro. In there, we have one of the most important cultural projects in the country, which was initiated in the nineties by the family of craftsmen Correa. In this sort of school-workshop-gallery- agricultural farm coexist pictorial and ceramic pieces with hundreds of timber and fruit trees, bamboo and varieties of maize, beans, bananas, medicinal plants, coffee, okra, beans, sweet potato, pumpkin... Since 2002 this place is the seat of the internationally renowned event Arte del Fuego and its Sculpture Garden is one of the biggest attractions for its harmony and beauty. Monthly, this agro-ecological and sustainable production farm is visited through Paradiso cultural tourism agency, for about 300 tourists from different countries, plus curious Cubans and foreigners. Do not lose the opportunity to be one of them. More events on: