“El arte como re-existencia: lo afropuertorriqueño” [Art as Re-existence: Afro-Puerto Rican Works] opens on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at 7:00pm, and will be on view until Saturday, July 8, 2023, at the Museum of History, Anthropology, and Art of the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras. The first guided tour of the exhibition will be offered by Dr. María Elba Torres, curator of the exhibition, on Saturday, April 29, at 1:30pm (EST).

Here are excerpts from an article by Ámbar Gutiérrez Báez for El Post Antillano. [Many thanks to David Lewis for bringing this item to our attention.]

The Museum of History, Anthropology and Art (MHAA) of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus (UPRRP) announced the opening of the exhibition “El arte como re-existencia: lo afropuertorriqueño” starting Tuesday, April 25, at 7:00pm. The exhibition aims to promote better knowledge and greater respect for the diversity of the heritage and culture of Afro-descendants and their contribution to the development and well-being of society.

As an entity of strength and social conscience, the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, expressed its adherence to the proclamation of the United Nations Organization with Certification 77, Academic Year 2015-2016, committing to support curricular initiatives, research and service in order to reinforce measures to achieve equal conditions in all areas of society, as well as promote greater knowledge and respect for the heritage, culture and contributions of Afro-descendants. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery in Puerto Rico, which occurred in 1873.

Dr. María Elba Torres, curator of the exhibition, stated, “we are very close to the end of the International Decade for People of African Descent, proclaimed by the United Nations Organization, with the theme ‘Afro-descendants: recognition, justice and development.’ The manifesto aims to celebrate the important contributions of people of African descent around the world; promote social justice and inclusion policies; eradicate racism and intolerance; promote human rights and help create better and more prosperous communities.”

Flavia Marichal Lugo, director of the MHAA, reported that “the museum joins the celebration of the Decade, thanks to a donation from the Mellon Foundation, granted to promote the study of Afro-descendants. Through a selection of 70 works of Puerto Rican art, including paintings, drawings, posters, engravings, sculptures, as well as historical objects and documents, the representation of Afro-descendants is shown.

The exhibition has eight thematic areas: The Transatlantic Slave Passage, a Crime against Humanity; Maroons, Rebellions, and Freedmen; Identity, Abolitionism, and Representation; The U.S. Invasion: A New Kind of Racism; Builders of Puerto Rican Society; Music: Expression, Identity, and Resistance; Symbol of Liberating Education; Spirituality; and Portraits and Self-portraits.

[. . .] For guided tours, please make an appointment by calling 787-763-3939. Museum hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The first guided tour of the exhibition will be offered by Dr. María Elba Torres, curator of the exhibition, on Saturday, April 29, at 1:30 p.m.

Excerpts translated by Ivette Romero. For original article (in Spanish) and sample artwork, see https://elpostantillano.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32127:abre-la-exposicion-el-arte-como-re-existencia-lo-afropuertorriqueno-en-el-museo-de-historia-antropologia-y-arte-de-la-upr&catid=385&Itemid=1067

[Shown above: Detail from Gerardo Castro’s “Conjurando el pasado.”]