New USJ Art Exhibit Captures Political Spirit Of Puerto Rico

University of Saint Joseph

WEST HARTFORD, CT — A local university will host a special art exhibit showcasing Puerto Rican art and the political volatility of the U.S. territory.

The Art Museum at the University of Saint Joseph Friday will open the exhibition "(R)evolution: Identity and Power in Puerto Rican and Diasporican Art," a reflection upon colonialism and Puerto Rican resistance—with a public reception on Friday, March 22, from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

The exhibition will run from March 22 through June 8. The USJ campus is located at 1678 Asylum Ave., West Hartford.

The centerpiece and inspiration for this exhibition is Miguel Luciano’s painting "Cómo se
dice Boricua en Inglés (1998)," created in response to the centennial of the U.S.
annexation of Puerto Rico following the Spanish-American War.

The painting features a machete-wielding vejigante, the demon/trickster figure associated with the Loiza Aldea festival of Santiago Apostôl, confronting Uncle Sam, alluding, together with smaller vignettes, to themes of suppression of native language and culture, economic
colonialism, and racial and ethnic stereotypes and hierarchies.

Bringing works about these issues by other artists together with Miguel Luciano’s
painting, the exhibition sheds light on the ongoing effects of colonialism in Puerto Rico.

“Miguel’s painting provides an important inflection point from which we can look back at
Puerto Rico’s history and forward to the current challenges faced by Puerto Ricans on
the island and in the diaspora,” said Ann Sievers, director of the art museum and
curator of the exhibition.

One of the artists showcased, Miguel Luciano, will deliver an artist talk on Tuesday, April 23, at 7 p.m. at USJ’s Hoffman Auditorium in Bruyette Athenaeum.

Luciano's talk is free of charge, but advance registration is encouraged at this link.

For further information on this event and other exhibition-related programming, click on this link.