Discovering Cuba Through Its Culture

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Art by Michel Mirabal.

Despite Cuba’s geographic proximity to the United States, historical circumstances have served to widen the distance between our two countries. As both nations begin to turn the page towards a future of greater closeness and cooperation, leaders from both sides of the straits are seeking ways to increase understanding and develop relationships between our countries. In April of 2016, led by Ambassador Stuart Holliday, a distinguished group of members of Meridian International Center’s Board of Trustees and other supporters, undertook a trip to Cuba. Consistent with Meridian’s mission to “understand global issues and cultures, exchange ideas, collaborate on solutions,...

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Spotlight on Soft Power: May 2016

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Flyer for 2016 Festival of Pacific Arts

12th Festival of Pacific Arts Guam, May 22nd — June 4th, 2016   “Håfa Iyo-ta, Håfa Guinahå-ta, Håfa Ta Påtte, Dinanña’ Sunidu Siha Giya Pasifiku” “What We Own, What We Have, What We Share, United Voices of the Pacific”   The Festival of the Pacific Arts (FoPA) has been held every four years since 1972, bringing together artists, performers, and craftsmen from around the Pacific region for two weeks of festivity. It is a major regional cultural event and meeting opportunity in the Pacific, uniting and celebrating its peoples and promoting mutual understanding. The 2016 edition will be hosted by Guam,...

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Sky High Mural Arts in Santo Domingo

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The glucose-inspired design for my mural project in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

In this latest blog I will describe my experience working with the community of artists, students, faculty and staff of the Instituto Tecnico Superiore Comunitario (ITSC) in San Luis, a section of Santo Domingo towards the east. We worked on a wall that was part of the Science building, a four-story surface that faced the highway (carretera). All traffic headed from Santo Domingo towards the eastern part of the island would pass directly in front of the wall. It was where the city became rural; pastures were across the street and cows grazed freely on the grounds in front...

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Spotlight on Soft Power: April 2016

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Aerowaves, which organizes the annual Spring Forward contemporary dance festival

 

Feathers, black paint, garden implements, platform shoes, lightsabers and some gold foil.

These are just a few of the items that will appear in the performances of 20 of Europe’s most promising young dancers and choreographers when they convene in Pilsen, Czech Republic, for the 5th annual Spring Forward festival of contemporary dance, April 22nd to April 24th, 2016.

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Working Together in Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brasil

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Part of the mural painting crew in Vitória

Arriving It was hard to know what to expect. I had never been to Brasil, let alone South America. I was leaving the end of winter and arriving at the beginning of fall, as if time were working in reverse or speeding up and skipping seasons. As far as air travel goes, the flights (three of them) were all on time and remarkably stress free. In the blink of an eye, after falling asleep watching The Martian somewhere over the Amazon rainforest, I was in São Paulo, the biggest city in the Southern Hemisphere. I would be back later...

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