Arts and Culture in Puerto Rico
Long known for its natural wonders, beaches, and resorts, Puerto Rico also has a wealth of cultural offerings, largely due to its diverse population and influences. Puerto Rico represents a blend of races and traditions, most notably Taíno Indian, African, Spanish, and American. Immigrants from Cuba in the 1960s and, more recently, from the Dominican Republic, have further diversified the island of Puerto Rico. Pre-Columbian monuments and artifacts are a testament to Puerto Rico’s ancient past, while folk music, dance, art, and handicraft customs continue to evolve and thrive. The capital city of San Juan, particularly the old, colonial section, holds the bulk of Puerto Rico’s fine arts institutions and cultural organizations, followed by the city of Ponce. HIGH ARTS Two orchestras, Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Rico and the Orquesta Filarmónica de Puerto Rico perform classical work in concert halls and festivals. Every year, the city of San Juan celebrates cellist virtuoso Pablo Casals (1876-1973) at the Casals Festival. Although born in Spain, Casals moved to Puerto Rico and lived and worked there. Visiting artists, musical directors, choral groups, and chamber groups join the largely Puerto Rican festival orchestra in a series of concerts and events. At San Juan’s Centro de Bellas Artes (Fine Arts Center), the Caribbean’s largest performing arts center, various touring and regional ensembles present classical music, concerts, opera, and theater. Inside an 1855 market building, the San Juan Museum of Art and History now operates as a cultural center. Concerts, festivals, traditional music, and visual art comprise the calendar of events. Balleteatro Nacional de Puerto Rico (the National Ballet Theater of Puerto Rico) performs classic work under the artistic direction of Miguel Campaneria. Formed in 2005, the Western Ballet Theatre of Puerto Rico presents classic work in the city of Mayaguez, its environs, and in San Juan. The government-funded cultural program Le Lo Lai fosters Puerto Rican music and dance traditions with six weekly folkloric performances in public settings. Performances in San Juan and beyond highlight the island’s Spanish, Taíno Indian, and African roots. The weeklong Festival of Danza highlights Danza, a formal dance that resembles the waltz, and the music that traditionally accompanies it. MUSEUMS Along the cobblestone streets and behind the historic stone walls of San Juan, there is a treasure trove of historical structures, monuments, and fine arts institutions. The Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico Art Museum), situated within a turn-of-the-century work of architecture, has a comprehensive collection of Puerto Rican art, much of which incorporates regional culture, history, or natural wonders. Over 250 paintings span the 1600s through the contemporary era. Local artists such as impressionist painter Francisco Oller (1833-1917) and classic and religious painter José Campeche (1751-1859) form the heart of the collection. The Galería Nacional, or National Gallery, stands within a former convent and exhibits landmark paintings by early Puerto Rican artists as well as a significant body of work from the 1950s. The Museum of History, Anthropology, and Art has an immense collection, so curators rotate key pieces through the galleries. The objects on view date back to the pre-Columbian era and span the centuries to the present day. The Pablo Casals Museum honors the musician who moved to Puerto Rico and lived and worked there until his death. Manuscripts, documents, memorabilia, photographs, and films of concert performances illuminate the cellist’s career and life. Casa de los Dos Zaguanes (House of the Two Foyers) holds the Museo del Indio (Museum of the Indian), with displays of archaeological objects, artifacts, and ceramics from and about Caribbean indigenous people. Within the 1840s structure Asilo de Beneficencia (Home for the Poor), the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña (Institute of Puerto Rican Culture) exhibits pre-Columbian artifacts such as stone tools, idols, relics, and ceramics. The galleries also hold a reconstruction of a Taíno village. Museo Nuestra Raíz Africana (Museum of Our African Roots), within the Casa de los Contrafuertes, chronicles African customs in Puerto Rico with musical instruments, carved masks, maps, drums, and illustrations. The Casa Blanca (White House), constructed in 1521, is a National Historic Monument as well as a museum. Different rooms illuminate periods in the 1500s, 1600s, and 1700s. The building also holds an ethnographic museum and a selection of indigenous artifacts. Museo de las Américas (Museum of the Americas) highlights cultural traditions from North, Central, and South America, including carved figureheads, dugout canoes, and Puerto Rican Santo carvings (traditional carvings of saint figures). Documents, educational exhibits, and artifacts comprise the collection at the Museum of the Conquest and Colonization of Puerto Rico, located at the Ruinas de Caparra (Caparra Ruins), an ancient fort. Contemporary Puerto Rican paintings, sculpture, works on paper, photography, and mixed media work are on view at El Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico (The Museum of Contemporary Puerto Rican Art), located in Santurce. An 18th century residence houses the Casa del Libro (House of the Book). This book museum features nearly 5,000 objects, including rare early manuscripts and books, some of which are from the 15th century. Puerto Rico’s second largest city, Ponce, also holds some fine arts attractions. The Museo de Arte de Ponce (Ponce Art Museum) has a collection donated by former governor Luis A. Ferré. A honeycomb of naturally lit rooms emphasize work by Puerto Rican artists as well as Diego Rivera (1886–1957), Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640), Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641), and Bartolomé Murillo (1617–1682). Among the highlights of the work on view are Jan van Eyck’s Salvatore Mundi and Dante Gabriel Rossetti’sDaughters of King Lear. Edward Durell Stone (1902-1978), the designer of New York’s Museum of Modern Art, designed the building. Museo Castillo Serrallés, once the home of the family that produced Don Q rum, now exhibits the family collection of furnishings as well as photographs and paintings. The museums grounds provide an additional attraction, offering tropical plants and trees. The grounds of the museum are immaculately maintained with several varieties of orchids and other tropical plants and a panoramic view of Ponce and its bay. MUSIC Puerto Rico served as the birthplace of many musical forms, and also inspired the evolution of genres that originated elsewhere. Indigenous Taíno music has changed from its pre-Columbian roots, as have Spanish and African folk music. Various percussion instruments represent some of Puerto Rico’s folkloric music culture, especially tambours, made from hollowed-out tree trunks, and maracas. Percussion and stringed instruments form the backdrop for mountain folk music called jíbaro. Colonial Puerto Rico saw the popularization of romantic Spanish ballads while, more recently, Puerto Rico’s favorite musical style has been salsa. Puerto Rican people in New York created this sound, which combines Cuban, African, and Caribbean musical traditions. Salsa artists associated with Puerto Rico include Tito Puente, Willie Colón, Brenda K. Starr, Marc Anthony, and Gilberto Santa Rosa. In the 1970s, Jamaica began exporting its reggae sound. When the music hit Puerto Rico in the next decade, artists began combining it with rap. By the 1990s, this sound had developed a following and earned a name of its own: reggaetón. Popular artists associated with reggaetón include Arcángel,Calle 13, De La Ghetto, Tito El Bambino, Vico C, Ivy Queen, and Daddy Yankee. In the arena of popular music, Ricky Martin earned fame and Grammy Awards for his lively sound and his single Livin’ La Vida Loca. New York natives and spouses Jennifer López and Marc Anthony have also won awards for their Latin music. López won the 2007 American Music Award for Favorite Latin Artist, and Anthony, a five-time Grammy winner, is the all-time top selling tropical salsa artist. The Museo de la Música Puertorriquena (Museum of Puerto Rican Music) honors famous musicians and music associated with the island. THEATER AND PERFORMING ARTS In San Juan, the Teatro Tapia, built in 1832, is among the oldest theaters in the Western hemisphere. Programming is composed of theater, ballet, and music performances. FILM One of the standout artists in Puerto Rican film history is Jacobo Morales (b. 1934). In 1980, he created a screenplay, *Dios los cría* (God Created Them), and then directed and starred in the production. The drama consisted of five stories analyzing and critiquing contemporary Puerto Rican culture, and earned several awards. Morales garnered more attention with his 1989 film, *Lo que le pasó a Santiago* (What Happened to Santiago), which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Many films feature Puerto Rico as a setting as well as a film location. In addition, some movies with Cuban settings are filmed in Puerto Rico. Notable works include the biopic *Che!* (1969), the sequel *Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights* (2004), sci-fi cult film *Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster* (1965), horror film *Jacob’s Ladder* (1990), Sidney Lumet’s *Q and A* (1990), award-winning *The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca* (1997), Steven Spielberg’s *Amistad* (1997), and *Wuthering Heights* (2003). In 2006, actress Rosie Perez helped direct *Yo soy Boricua, pa’que tu lo sepas!, a documentary about New York’s annual Puerto Rican Day parade as well as Puerto Rican culture and its influence in the United States. Famous actors associated with Puerto Rico include Academy Award-winner Benicio Del Toro, Rosario Dawson, Raúl Juliá, Rita Moreno* (the first Puerto Rican woman to win Grammy, Emmy, Tony, and Oscar awards), Marc Anthony, stage and screen artist Hector Elizondo, movie and telenovela star Erik Estrada, José Ferrer (the first Latino actor to win an Academy Award), Luis Guzmán, Amaury Nolasco, John Ortiz, Joaquín Phoenix, Freddie Prinze (Senior and Junior), Armando Riesco, Broadway star Chita Rivera, Michelle Rodríguez, Saundra Santiago, Jon Seda, and Jimmy Smits. Puerto Rico hosts an International Film Festival every autumn, which includes screenings, special events, and guest artist presentations. Literary Arts Scores of writers across the genres hail from Puerto Rico. A partial listing begins with the poet and Latin scholar Francisco de Ayerra y Santa María (1630-1708). Lola Rodríguez de Tío (1843-1924) andJosé Gautier Benitez (1851-1880) wrote romantic poetry. Other Puerto Rican writers include José Gualberto Padilla (1829-1896), Alejandro Tapía y Rivera (1826-1882), poet Evaristo Ribera Chevremont (1896-1974), historian Antonio S. Pedreira (1899-1939), Enrique A. Laguerre (b. 1906), postmodern fiction author Ana Lydia Vega (b. 1946), and Julia de Burgos (1914–1953), considered to be one of Puerto Rico’s greatest poets. VISUAL ARTS The son of a liberated slave, José Campeche (1751-1859) painted in the tradition of Spanish court painters and religious art. His work is in many of Puerto Rico’s museum collections, as well as old San Juan’s churches and main cathedral. Francisco Oller y Cestero (1833-1917), studied impressionist painting in France and used the techniques to capture Puerto Rico’s tropical scenery. Other Puerto Rican artists include Ramón Fradé (1875-1954), Miguel Pou (1880-1968), Alfonso Arana (1927-2005), activist artist Elizam Escobar (b. 1948), muralist and street artist James De La Vega, architect and artist Ramon Frade Leon (1875-1954), contemporary artist Obed Gómez (b. 1966), Agusto Martín, abstract expressionist Julio Rosado del Valle (1922-2008), and Raphael Montañez Ortíz (b. 1934), founder of New York’s El Museo del Barrio. Ángel Botello (1913-1986) was a notable contemporary artist in Puerto Rico. His former colonial mansion in San Juan is now Galería Botello, exhibiting paintings and sculptures by the artist whose bold palette earned him the nickname "The Caribbean Gauguin." ARCHITECTURE Countless forts, monuments, old estates, churches, cathedrals, public squares, and statues fill Puerto Rico, particularly in the capital city. The 465-year-old area of Old San Juan first served as a military stronghold. Several cobblestone blocks (composed of adoquine, a blue stone brought over on Spanish ships) wind through several restored 16th- and 17th-century Spanish colonial structures. Finished in 1589, El Morro is a fort that stands 140 feet (43 m) over the sea. Walls 18 feet (5.5 m) thick served as defensive protection. Inside, the fort contains a labyrinth of tunnels, barracks, dungeons, ramps, and sentry boxes. The Catedral San Juan (San Juan Cathedral), the Western Hemisphere’s second-oldest cathedral, was rebuilt twice due to hurricanes, and restored in 1917. The Medieval cathedral holds a marble tomb of Puerto Rico’s first governor, Juan Ponce de León, and the relic of Roman martyr San Pio. In Ponce, the Casa Villaronga was once the home of Alfredo Wiechers, a notable architect. A trellised roof garden, stained glass, painted Spanish tile, and stucco details show characteristic elements of Ponce architecture. HANDICRAFT AND FOLK ART Puerto Rico’s most famous handicraft tradition is the carving of Santos, or saint figures. Using clay, stone, wood, or gold, artists fashion religious idols dedicated to patron saints and other holy figures. Many traditional Puerto Rican households have Santos on display, intended to protect the family from evil. Many craftspeople use handmade tools to form the Santos, dye them with vegetable and plant-based dyes, and incorporate natural objects or human hair. Carvers of Santos, known as Santeros, can be loosely divided into three categories: spiritual (1750-1970), transitional (1950-1990), and contemporary (1970-present). Some saint figures have attributes or symbols that identify them. For example, most representations of Saint Anthony include a book. The Capilla del Cristo (Chapel of Christ) in old San Juan contains several Santos, including virgins, the three kings, and male saints. Another Puerto Rican handicraft with enduring popularity is a form of lace making that draws from the 500-year-old Spanish tradition of mundillos, or tatted fabric. Several prime examples of the craft are on view at the Folk Arts Center at Old San Juan’s Dominican convent and for sale at the annual Puerto Rican Weaving Festival in Isabela. Papier mâché carnival masks, known as *caretas, are another island handicraft. Most masks depict fantastical, sinister beings, part animal and part demon. People wear the masks during carnival celebrations and processionals. The tradition may spring from Medieval Spain, when people wore frightening masks to scare the non-observant into attending mass. A diversity of folk art, handicrafts, and artwork are for sale at San Juan’s Centro Nacional de Artes Populares y Artesanias* (National Center of Popular Arts and Crafts). HISTORIC ART MOVEMENTS An economic upswing in the 1940s powered a new era of government funding for the arts. Through programs such as the Works Progress Administration and the Federal Art Project, the United States government commissioned Puerto Rican artists to create posters and graphics relevant to the community or with Puerto Rican themes. Some of these posters were political or social in nature, such as public health warnings, while others merely announced special events and festivals. This activity culminated in the formation of El Centro de Arte Puertorriqueño (Puerto Rican Art Center) in the 1950s, and saw the evolution of the form as it took on Mexican social realist themes and styles. Printmaking collectives continued to organize in the 1960s and 1970s, and workshops such as Taller Bija produced work with a political message. -World Trade Press

Arts and Culture in Puerto Rico

Long known for its natural wonders, beaches, and resorts, Puerto Rico also has a wealth of cultural offerings, largely due to its diverse population and influences. Puerto Rico represents a blend of races and traditions, most notably Taíno Indian, African, Spanish, and American. Immigrants from Cuba in the 1960s and, more recently, from the Dominican Republic, have further diversified the island of Puerto Rico. Pre-Columbian monuments and artifacts are a testament to Puerto Rico’s ancient past, while folk music, dance, art, and handicraft customs continue to evolve and thrive. The capital city of San Juan, particularly the old, colonial section, holds the bulk of Puerto Rico’s fine arts institutions and cultural organizations, followed by the city of Ponce.

HIGH ARTS

Two orchestras, Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Rico and the Orquesta Filarmónica de Puerto Rico perform classical work in concert halls and festivals.

Every year, the city of San Juan celebrates cellist virtuoso Pablo Casals (1876-1973) at the Casals Festival. Although born in Spain, Casals moved to Puerto Rico and lived and worked there. Visiting artists, musical directors, choral groups, and chamber groups join the largely Puerto Rican festival orchestra in a series of concerts and events.

At San Juan’s Centro de Bellas Artes (Fine Arts Center), the Caribbean’s largest performing arts center, various touring and regional ensembles present classical music, concerts, opera, and theater.

Inside an 1855 market building, the San Juan Museum of Art and History now operates as a cultural center. Concerts, festivals, traditional music, and visual art comprise the calendar of events.

Balleteatro Nacional de Puerto Rico (the National Ballet Theater of Puerto Rico) performs classic work under the artistic direction of Miguel Campaneria.

Formed in 2005, the Western Ballet Theatre of Puerto Rico presents classic work in the city of Mayaguez, its environs, and in San Juan.

The government-funded cultural program Le Lo Lai fosters Puerto Rican music and dance traditions with six weekly folkloric performances in public settings. Performances in San Juan and beyond highlight the island’s Spanish, Taíno Indian, and African roots.

The weeklong Festival of Danza highlights Danza, a formal dance that resembles the waltz, and the music that traditionally accompanies it.

MUSEUMS

Along the cobblestone streets and behind the historic stone walls of San Juan, there is a treasure trove of historical structures, monuments, and fine arts institutions.

The Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico Art Museum), situated within a turn-of-the-century work of architecture, has a comprehensive collection of Puerto Rican art, much of which incorporates regional culture, history, or natural wonders. Over 250 paintings span the 1600s through the contemporary era. Local artists such as impressionist painter Francisco Oller (1833-1917) and classic and religious painter José Campeche (1751-1859) form the heart of the collection.

The Galería Nacional, or National Gallery, stands within a former convent and exhibits landmark paintings by early Puerto Rican artists as well as a significant body of work from the 1950s.

The Museum of History, Anthropology, and Art has an immense collection, so curators rotate key pieces through the galleries. The objects on view date back to the pre-Columbian era and span the centuries to the present day.

The Pablo Casals Museum honors the musician who moved to Puerto Rico and lived and worked there until his death. Manuscripts, documents, memorabilia, photographs, and films of concert performances illuminate the cellist’s career and life.

Casa de los Dos Zaguanes (House of the Two Foyers) holds the Museo del Indio (Museum of the Indian), with displays of archaeological objects, artifacts, and ceramics from and about Caribbean indigenous people.

Within the 1840s structure Asilo de Beneficencia (Home for the Poor), the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña (Institute of Puerto Rican Culture) exhibits pre-Columbian artifacts such as stone tools, idols, relics, and ceramics. The galleries also hold a reconstruction of a Taíno village.

Museo Nuestra Raíz Africana (Museum of Our African Roots), within the Casa de los Contrafuertes, chronicles African customs in Puerto Rico with musical instruments, carved masks, maps, drums, and illustrations.

The Casa Blanca (White House), constructed in 1521, is a National Historic Monument as well as a museum. Different rooms illuminate periods in the 1500s, 1600s, and 1700s. The building also holds an ethnographic museum and a selection of indigenous artifacts.

Museo de las Américas (Museum of the Americas) highlights cultural traditions from North, Central, and South America, including carved figureheads, dugout canoes, and Puerto Rican Santo carvings (traditional carvings of saint figures).

Documents, educational exhibits, and artifacts comprise the collection at the Museum of the Conquest and Colonization of Puerto Rico, located at the Ruinas de Caparra (Caparra Ruins), an ancient fort.

Contemporary Puerto Rican paintings, sculpture, works on paper, photography, and mixed media work are on view at El Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico (The Museum of Contemporary Puerto Rican Art), located in Santurce.

An 18th century residence houses the Casa del Libro (House of the Book). This book museum features nearly 5,000 objects, including rare early manuscripts and books, some of which are from the 15th century.

Puerto Rico’s second largest city, Ponce, also holds some fine arts attractions. The Museo de Arte de Ponce (Ponce Art Museum) has a collection donated by former governor Luis A. Ferré. A honeycomb of naturally lit rooms emphasize work by Puerto Rican artists as well as Diego Rivera (1886–1957), Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640), Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641), and Bartolomé Murillo (1617–1682). Among the highlights of the work on view are Jan van Eyck’s Salvatore Mundi and Dante Gabriel Rossetti’sDaughters of King Lear. Edward Durell Stone (1902-1978), the designer of New York’s Museum of Modern Art, designed the building.

Museo Castillo Serrallés, once the home of the family that produced Don Q rum, now exhibits the family collection of furnishings as well as photographs and paintings. The museums grounds provide an additional attraction, offering tropical plants and trees. The grounds of the museum are immaculately maintained with several varieties of orchids and other tropical plants and a panoramic view of Ponce and its bay.

MUSIC

Puerto Rico served as the birthplace of many musical forms, and also inspired the evolution of genres that originated elsewhere.

Indigenous Taíno music has changed from its pre-Columbian roots, as have Spanish and African folk music. Various percussion instruments represent some of Puerto Rico’s folkloric music culture, especially tambours, made from hollowed-out tree trunks, and maracas. Percussion and stringed instruments form the backdrop for mountain folk music called jíbaro.

Colonial Puerto Rico saw the popularization of romantic Spanish ballads while, more recently, Puerto Rico’s favorite musical style has been salsa. Puerto Rican people in New York created this sound, which combines Cuban, African, and Caribbean musical traditions. Salsa artists associated with Puerto Rico include Tito Puente, Willie Colón, Brenda K. Starr, Marc Anthony, and Gilberto Santa Rosa.

In the 1970s, Jamaica began exporting its reggae sound. When the music hit Puerto Rico in the next decade, artists began combining it with rap. By the 1990s, this sound had developed a following and earned a name of its own: reggaetón. Popular artists associated with reggaetón include Arcángel,Calle 13, De La Ghetto, Tito El Bambino, Vico C, Ivy Queen, and Daddy Yankee.

In the arena of popular music, Ricky Martin earned fame and Grammy Awards for his lively sound and his single Livin’ La Vida Loca. New York natives and spouses Jennifer López and Marc Anthony have also won awards for their Latin music. López won the 2007 American Music Award for Favorite Latin Artist, and Anthony, a five-time Grammy winner, is the all-time top selling tropical salsa artist.

The Museo de la Música Puertorriquena (Museum of Puerto Rican Music) honors famous musicians and music associated with the island.

THEATER AND PERFORMING ARTS

In San Juan, the Teatro Tapia, built in 1832, is among the oldest theaters in the Western hemisphere. Programming is composed of theater, ballet, and music performances.

FILM

One of the standout artists in Puerto Rican film history is Jacobo Morales (b. 1934). In 1980, he created a screenplay, Dios los cría (God Created Them), and then directed and starred in the production. The drama consisted of five stories analyzing and critiquing contemporary Puerto Rican culture, and earned several awards. Morales garnered more attention with his 1989 film, Lo que le pasó a Santiago (What Happened to Santiago), which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Many films feature Puerto Rico as a setting as well as a film location. In addition, some movies with Cuban settings are filmed in Puerto Rico. Notable works include the biopic Che! (1969), the sequel Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004), sci-fi cult film Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster (1965), horror film Jacob’s Ladder (1990), Sidney Lumet’s Q and A (1990), award-winning The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca (1997), Steven Spielberg’s Amistad (1997), and Wuthering Heights (2003).

In 2006, actress Rosie Perez helped direct Yo soy Boricua, pa’que tu lo sepas!, a documentary about New York’s annual Puerto Rican Day parade as well as Puerto Rican culture and its influence in the United States.

Famous actors associated with Puerto Rico include Academy Award-winner Benicio Del Toro, Rosario Dawson, Raúl Juliá, Rita Moreno (the first Puerto Rican woman to win Grammy, Emmy, Tony, and Oscar awards), Marc Anthony, stage and screen artist Hector Elizondo, movie and telenovela star Erik Estrada, José Ferrer (the first Latino actor to win an Academy Award), Luis Guzmán, Amaury Nolasco, John Ortiz, Joaquín Phoenix, Freddie Prinze (Senior and Junior), Armando Riesco, Broadway star Chita Rivera, Michelle Rodríguez, Saundra Santiago, Jon Seda, and Jimmy Smits.

Puerto Rico hosts an International Film Festival every autumn, which includes screenings, special events, and guest artist presentations.

Literary Arts

Scores of writers across the genres hail from Puerto Rico. A partial listing begins with the poet and Latin scholar Francisco de Ayerra y Santa María (1630-1708). Lola Rodríguez de Tío (1843-1924) andJosé Gautier Benitez (1851-1880) wrote romantic poetry. Other Puerto Rican writers include José Gualberto Padilla (1829-1896), Alejandro Tapía y Rivera (1826-1882), poet Evaristo Ribera Chevremont (1896-1974), historian Antonio S. Pedreira (1899-1939), Enrique A. Laguerre (b. 1906), postmodern fiction author Ana Lydia Vega (b. 1946), and Julia de Burgos (1914–1953), considered to be one of Puerto Rico’s greatest poets.

VISUAL ARTS

The son of a liberated slave, José Campeche (1751-1859) painted in the tradition of Spanish court painters and religious art. His work is in many of Puerto Rico’s museum collections, as well as old San Juan’s churches and main cathedral.

Francisco Oller y Cestero (1833-1917), studied impressionist painting in France and used the techniques to capture Puerto Rico’s tropical scenery.

Other Puerto Rican artists include Ramón Fradé (1875-1954), Miguel Pou (1880-1968), Alfonso Arana (1927-2005), activist artist Elizam Escobar (b. 1948), muralist and street artist James De La Vega, architect and artist Ramon Frade Leon (1875-1954), contemporary artist Obed Gómez (b. 1966), Agusto Martín, abstract expressionist Julio Rosado del Valle (1922-2008), and Raphael Montañez Ortíz (b. 1934), founder of New York’s El Museo del Barrio.

Ángel Botello (1913-1986) was a notable contemporary artist in Puerto Rico. His former colonial mansion in San Juan is now Galería Botello, exhibiting paintings and sculptures by the artist whose bold palette earned him the nickname "The Caribbean Gauguin."

ARCHITECTURE

Countless forts, monuments, old estates, churches, cathedrals, public squares, and statues fill Puerto Rico, particularly in the capital city. The 465-year-old area of Old San Juan first served as a military stronghold. Several cobblestone blocks (composed of adoquine, a blue stone brought over on Spanish ships) wind through several restored 16th- and 17th-century Spanish colonial structures.

Finished in 1589, El Morro is a fort that stands 140 feet (43 m) over the sea. Walls 18 feet (5.5 m) thick served as defensive protection. Inside, the fort contains a labyrinth of tunnels, barracks, dungeons, ramps, and sentry boxes.

The Catedral San Juan (San Juan Cathedral), the Western Hemisphere’s second-oldest cathedral, was rebuilt twice due to hurricanes, and restored in 1917. The Medieval cathedral holds a marble tomb of Puerto Rico’s first governor, Juan Ponce de León, and the relic of Roman martyr San Pio.

In Ponce, the Casa Villaronga was once the home of Alfredo Wiechers, a notable architect. A trellised roof garden, stained glass, painted Spanish tile, and stucco details show characteristic elements of Ponce architecture.

HANDICRAFT AND FOLK ART

Puerto Rico’s most famous handicraft tradition is the carving of Santos, or saint figures. Using clay, stone, wood, or gold, artists fashion religious idols dedicated to patron saints and other holy figures. Many traditional Puerto Rican households have Santos on display, intended to protect the family from evil. Many craftspeople use handmade tools to form the Santos, dye them with vegetable and plant-based dyes, and incorporate natural objects or human hair. Carvers of Santos, known as Santeros, can be loosely divided into three categories: spiritual (1750-1970), transitional (1950-1990), and contemporary (1970-present). Some saint figures have attributes or symbols that identify them. For example, most representations of Saint Anthony include a book. The Capilla del Cristo (Chapel of Christ) in old San Juan contains several Santos, including virgins, the three kings, and male saints.

Another Puerto Rican handicraft with enduring popularity is a form of lace making that draws from the 500-year-old Spanish tradition of mundillos, or tatted fabric. Several prime examples of the craft are on view at the Folk Arts Center at Old San Juan’s Dominican convent and for sale at the annual Puerto Rican Weaving Festival in Isabela.

Papier mâché carnival masks, known as caretas, are another island handicraft. Most masks depict fantastical, sinister beings, part animal and part demon. People wear the masks during carnival celebrations and processionals. The tradition may spring from Medieval Spain, when people wore frightening masks to scare the non-observant into attending mass.

A diversity of folk art, handicrafts, and artwork are for sale at San Juan’s Centro Nacional de Artes Populares y Artesanias (National Center of Popular Arts and Crafts).

HISTORIC ART MOVEMENTS

An economic upswing in the 1940s powered a new era of government funding for the arts. Through programs such as the Works Progress Administration and the Federal Art Project, the United States government commissioned Puerto Rican artists to create posters and graphics relevant to the community or with Puerto Rican themes. Some of these posters were political or social in nature, such as public health warnings, while others merely announced special events and festivals. This activity culminated in the formation of El Centro de Arte Puertorriqueño (Puerto Rican Art Center) in the 1950s, and saw the evolution of the form as it took on Mexican social realist themes and styles. Printmaking collectives continued to organize in the 1960s and 1970s, and workshops such as Taller Bija produced work with a political message.

-World Trade Press

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13 Mart 2013 Çarşamba