By Bianca Declet, Director of Exhibitions and Education Programming
The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture
The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture presented their first traveling exhibition coming from the Contemporary Art Museum of Puerto Rico. This is the first time the Puerto Rico Tourism Company sponsors an exhibit that comes from the Island. Calibán, features San Juan, Puerto Rico as a city to watch in Contemporary Art. This initiative comes from the book Art Cities of the Future, from Phaidon Press, which dedicates a chapter to the city of San Juan including selected Contemporary Artists from Puerto Rico. Marina Reyes Franco, whom selected five of the eight artists featured in the book, curated Calibán. The artists that take part in Calibán are Jesús “Bubu” Negrón in collaboration with Alia Farid Abdal, Chemi Rosado-Seijo, Melvin Martínez, Karlo Andrei Ibarra and Radamés “Juni” Figueroa. Calibán represents the contemporary art scene in Puerto Rico with artists that work from the Island and at the same time have an international career. This project was managed by Georgina Vega Porrata and worked in alliance with the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture creating an open bridge between Puerto Rico and Chicago.
In attendance at the opening of Calibán were Suzanne Rodríguez, from Puerto Rico Tourism Company, Commissioner Michelle Boone from Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and Melissa Cherry, Choose Chicago Vice President of Cultural Tourism. Also, not pictured, the Director of the Illinois Art Council, Tatiana Gant. As part of the museum’s programming, a panel discussion was offered by the artists having José Lerma, Puerto Rican Contemporary Artist and Faculty member at School of the Art Institute as the moderator. Many individuals including students and professors from the School of the Art Institute, University of Illinois and De Paul University visited the museum and got the chance to know the artists and their work in this presentation. Calibán will be open for the public from April to July 2015.
The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture opens Tuesday- Friday 10am-4pm and Saturday 10am-1pm. Information: 773.486.8345 | https://www.facebook.com/iprac
