[lang_en]Days before the 15th Annual Fiesta Boricua, the Puerto Rican Cultural Center (PRCC) unveiled two news additions to the cultural landscape of Paseo Boricua. These cultural expressions, a mural and sculpture, add to the uniqueness of Paseo Boricua, nuestro “pedacito de patria.”
Renowned Puerto Rican artists Pablo Marcano and Rosana Vazquez Medina presented their newest mural in Humboldt Park to over 100 people. The mural is found at the new annex of the PRCC (2700 W. Haddon). The mural, which is composed of several parts, features colorful renditions of Juan Antonio Corretjer and Lolita Lebrón; two important 20th century figures in Puerto Rico. These figures represent the legacy of struggle and resistance that characterize the PRCC’s community work. This is not the first local mural created by Marcano. He is the artist responsible for the mosaic mural of Roberto Clemente that adorns the outside of Roberto Clemente High School (1147 N. Western Ave).
Along with the mural, the PRCC unveiled a five-foot tall bust of Juan Antonio Corretjer. The extremely talented Puerto Rican artist, Juan Nuñez, designed the impressive sculpture. It is an exact replica of the original work found in the entrance of the mountainous town of Ciales, the birthplace of Corretjer. In Chicago, the bust currently resides in the first floor of Bickerdike’s La Estancia Building (on the corner of Division and California).
These works were created to commemorate the Centennial of Juan Antonio Corretjer and 35th anniversary of the founding of the PRCC. In honor of a history that continues to be made, these artistic productions affirm Corretjer’s famous assertion: “Yo sería Borincano, aunque naciera en la luna.”[/lang_en]
