CUBA
Culture + Change
Spring 2016 6 credit Ingrated Travel Course
Sociology and Art
Student Cuba Final Projects for Danforth Gallery
Kristine [Wall 7]
une escritora
de la habana
When I started these courses and was first introduced to the culture of the Americas as a whole, I saw a distinct line between “our” America and “their” America, which existed in a faraway place south of the border. My perceptions of Latin American literature were just as clearly defined. Magic realism, a genre always used when describing any work remotely mystical, played into my perception of “us” being a completely different culture. What I discovered, through these classes and this trip was how long I had been.
This collection of stories is an exploration of what unites and separates us as Americans, as storytellers, and as people.
Along with a group of fifteen other students, I stepped foot outside the country. Cuba was our destination. Studying Cuban culture over the course of the semester, our trip across the border was the climax. Upon returning home, each student was charged with the task of collecting and then sharing their Cuban experience and self-driven research. The rich and vibrant tiles that I found in Cuba became the focus of my studies. Their colorful and resilient nature portray the spirit and history of the
Kim ReadingResearch
Revolution [Wall 8]
As a writer, my best research will always be experience. The more I can live, the more I can share through my writing and the richer my work will be. The island was an inspiration, not only for my visual work, but especially for my writing. Writing takes a ridiculous amount of research and when that research can be accomplished firsthand, the finished product is enriched immeasurably. Cuba is a land hovering on the edge of change, while living under the shadow of its past. Revolutionary attitudes have mingled with post-Soviet era frustration to create a strained atmosphere--straining against the past and toward the future.
Cuba, besides being culturally stimulating, was also visually breathtaking. Standing at the Malecon, driving over the mountains, and even just leaning out of my hotel room staring at the skyline of Havana inspired me in a way few things have before.
Tali CUBA TILE Project
[Wall 6]
Along with a group of fifteen other students, I stepped foot outside the country. Cuba was our destination. Studying Cuban culture over the course of the semester, our trip across the border was the climax. Upon returning home, each student was charged with the task of collecting and then sharing their Cuban experience and self-driven research. The rich and vibrant tiles that I found in Cuba became the focus of my studies. Their colorful and resilient nature portray the spirit and history of the Cuban people. This is an investigation of Cuba's historic Spanish and Moorish inspired tiles, of how these tiles came to Cuba, and of their current state and relevance. This is the story of the Cuban tile.
Steve "Music" Project
[Wall 3]
The rumba is a genre of Afro-Cuban music that comprises dance, percussion, and song. More specifically, it is an amalgamation of numerous transplanted African drum and dance traditions with a generous sprinkling of Spanish music
influences. People in Havana and Matanzas (“The Athens of Cuba”) use the word rumba as a synonym for party.
Ann- The Cultural Impact of Slavery Upon Women in Cuban Society
[Wall 2---24 foot banner]
Race, gender, and sexuality in Cuba intersect and merge, shaping Cuban culture in unique ways. It is intriguing how colorful and diverse the cultural landscape of Cuba is, weaving a tapestry that is singularly its own. Cuba’s heritage includes descendents of Spanish, French and British settlers and African slaves. How do these differing cultures, especially cultural traditions of once enslaved Black Africans, affect the lives of Cuba’s female population? In modern Cuba, the complexities of racial identity, social status and gender are affected by colonial attitudes toward women. Patriarchal attitudes towards women can also be observed within the workplace.These attitudes are deeply entrenched and can be linked to Cuba’s history of slavery.