THE CUBA PROJECT

Friday's edition of CIA's Lunch on Fridays features artist Alejandro Aguilera. Aguilera was born in Cuba and currently lives in Atlanta. His talk is part of a week-long residency at the Institute and offers a preview of Cleveland Institute of Art’s Cuba Project.

“During the last ten years, my artistic work has been completely immersed in my experience as an immigrant – something I consider to be a type of condition, which, in turn, facilitates a particular relationship with the world and history of art…” – Alejandro Aguilera.

The Cuba Project is a year-long program that is highlighted by two symposia focusing on questions surrounding Cuba and contemporary creativity. In addition the Cuba Project brings five contemporary Cuban artists to Cleveland to engage and interact with the Institute’s community and the Cleveland community at large. The first symposium is on Thursday, Oct. 13 starting at 5:30 pm and in addition to Alejandro Aguilera will feature Cuban artist Osmeivy Ortega and scholar Alejandro de la Fuente, a Latin American Studies professor with the University of Pittsburgh. He is also the author of _A Nation for All: Race, Inequality and Politics in Twentieth Century Cuba_. The evening’s conversation will be moderated by the Institute’s own David Hart, Phd and will feature a keynote address by Professor de la Fuente.

Cleveland Institue of Art's Cuba Project represents a truly remarkable opportunity for the Cleveland Community and as well as the Institute's internal community. Over the course of the year the five Cuban Artists-In-Residence, each living in Cleveland for eight weeks, will literally become part of Cleveland's daily life. They will be visiting area schools and arts organizations and interacting with Institute students through studio visits and workshops. The first event associated with the Cuba Project is the exhibition currently on view at MOCA-Cleveland ...

The Cuba Project: The Cleveland Institute of Art at MOCA

This extraordinary project has grown out of The Cleveland Foundation's visionary Creative Fusion program which provided the funding to bring these artists to Cleveland. This program brings accomplished artists from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines to Cleveland for extended periods of time. While here they are embedded within existing cultural Institutions through which they become an active participant in Cleveland's Creative Community. The result is an atmosphere which readily fosters fusions in thought and creative thinking and which further energizes Cleveland's already vital Creative life.


The Cuba Project - selected Fall Programming:

Friday, Oct. 7, LOF, 12:15 - Alejandro Aguilera, artist's talk, CIA Gund Building, Ohio Bell Auditorium, Cinematheque entrance

Through December 31 - The Cuba Project: Cleveland Institute of Art at MOCA, exhibition

Thursday, Oct. 13, 5:30 pm - The Fall Cuba Project Symposium, CIA Gund Building, Aitken Auditorium, Cinematheque entrance

Friday, Oct. 14, 9:20 pm - Cinematheque presents the film "Fallen Gods" (Cuba/Mexico, 2008), directed by Ernesto Daranas. Cuban actress Annia du Maure will conduct a Q&A following the film. Note: Adult Content.

Friday, Nov. 18, LOF, 12:15 - Osmievy Ortega and Abel Barroso, artists' talks, CIA Gund Building, Ohio Bell Auditorium, Cinematheque entrance

The Cleveland Foundation - Creative Fusion

Other funding for The Cuba Project has been provided by the Cleveland Institute of Art's Visual Arts and Technologies Environment and its Liberal Arts Environment.

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