Art Exhibit Marks Hispanic Heritage Month

Emilia Chang - Aya Huma - 2021

(PRESS RELEASE)_October 3, 2022 (Lake Worth Beach, Fla.) — The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County is celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month this fall with a groundbreaking new exhibition highlighting the work of some of the county’s extraordinary Latin American artists.

Free and open to the public October 28 through January 14, the council’s Contemporary Art of the Latin American Diaspora exhibition will highlight diverse works from 24 Palm Beach County artists of Latin American and Hispanic descent. The show will take place in the Council’s Main Gallery at its downtown Lake Worth Beach headquarters; exhibition hours are Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.

Guest curator Juliana Forero, Ph.D. (founder and art director of South Florida arts organization Nomad Art Projects) has woven a story with the work of artists whose families come from Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Guatemala, and Cuba, among others. Her aim was to highlight the range of Latin American experience by celebrating the art of its people. After a year of preparation, unified and diverging themes emerged from which Forero developed a narrative of these many peoples’ experiences of crossing, sharing and protecting their unique heritage.

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​“This exhibition is very contemporary and global,” said Forero, who is originally from Colombia. “The scope of work and range of talents and techniques in this exhibition are truly international and showcase contemporary art through a Latin American lens. We touch on themes of duality, embracing cultural differences and exploring identity.”

Contemporary Art of the Latin American Diaspora will feature an exhilarating variety of art, including printmaking and large-scale sculptures. The Palm Beach County artists featured in the exhibition are Séfora Ambulódegui, Milena Arango, Juan Bernal, Gabino A. Castelán, Emilia Chang, Dana Donaty, Andrea Facusse, Diana Garcia, Arlet Gomez, Lucia Gomez, Nestor Guzman, Patricia Maguire, Eduardo Mendieta, Erika Meza y Javier Lopez, Enido Michelini, Luis Montoya and Leslie Ortiz, Christine Anne Nightingale, Marianela Perez, Missy Pierce, Jamie Rodriguez, Izel Vargas and Joseph Velasquez.

“Our cultural equity ethos states that ‘creating an art-filled community means seeing, celebrating and serving all,’” said Dave Lawrence, the Cultural Council’s president and CEO. “Our work in increasing diversity and representation across all of the Council’s programs and exhibitions remains a priority this season and beyond. This new exhibition highlighting the work of Palm Beach County’s supremely talented Latin American and Hispanic artists is not to be missed.”   

The exhibition will include didactic materials and opportunities for tours in both Spanish and English. The council will host a Member Preview on Thursday, October 27, at 5:30 p.m. Artists from the exhibition will be present to answer questions and discuss their work. A free Art Talk will also take place Saturday, November 5, at 2 p.m., featuring an engaging panel discussion led by Forero.

“Many of the artists are exhibiting for the first time at the Cultural Council, and we’re honored to showcase their work in such an exciting contemporary exhibition,” said Jessica Ransom, the Council’s director of artist services. “We’d like to encourage everyone to join us for this remarkable exploration of lived experiences.”

The exhibition is sponsored by the Merrill G. and Emita E. Hastings Foundation, Publix, Florida Weekly, The Palm Beach Post and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County.