Researching Cuba: Print and History

Henry Ferreira (Dept. Head, Printmaking) visited Cuba to explore possible connections for students and investigate how printmaking practices have evolved in the decades since the US embargo officially began in 1962. “Printmaking is proletariat in nature and the most egalitarian of mediums,” he notes. “It’s a cheap, fast and easy way to share information. I’m interested in how a culture forged by revolution and hardened by deprivation has nevertheless managed to foster and encourage art making.” While, Winifred Lambrecht traveled to Cuba to research the island from a more general cultural perspective. She envisioned offering a Wintersession course in which students explore the African roots of Cuban culture and changes in Cuban society due to impending changes in the country’s relations with the US. During a recent trip to the island, she interviewed artists and others about their perspectives on Cuban society, economics and the environment.