Constant Storm: Art from Puerto Rico and the Diaspora

September 24 – December 4, 2021
USF Contemporary Art Museum + Online

HOURS: Monday-Friday 10am – 5pm; Thursday 10am–8pm; Saturday 1-4pm; Closed Sundays and USF Holidays (November 11, 25, 26, 27). Visitors to the museum are expected to wear masks and practice social distancing.

Constant Storm: Art From Puerto Rico and the Diaspora will gather, display, record, and conceptualize artistic responses to Hurricane Maria by artists from Puerto Rico and the diaspora. Through artworks and their narratives and socially engaged initiatives, voices from the island and Puerto Rican communities in New York and Florida will materialize a synoptic view of Puerto Rico’s fragile recovery as part of an evolving, 121-year-old historical crisis.

Participating artists include: Rogelio Báez Vega, Sofía Gallisá Muriente, Jorge González Santos, Karlo Andrei Ibarra, Ivelisse Jiménez, Natalia Lassalle-Morillo, Miguel Luciano, SkittLeZ-Ortiz, Angel Otero, Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz, Gabriel Ramos, Jezabeth Roca González, Gamaliel Rodríguez, Yiyo Tirado Rivera.

Curated by Christian Viveros-Fauné, CAM Curator at Large, and Noel Smith, Former Deputy Director and Curator of Latin American and Caribbean Art: organized by USF Contemporary Art Museum

 

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ONLINE EXHIBITION

Exhibition Home   //   Curatorial Essay | Ensayo Curatorial   //   Acknowledgements and Foreword | Agradecimientos y Prólogo   //   Rogelio Báez Vega (EN) | Rogelio Báez Vega (ES)    //   Jorge González Santos (EN) | Jorge González Santos (ES)    //   Karlo Andrei Ibarra (EN) | Karlo Andrei Ibarra (ES)    //   Ivelisse Jiménez (EN) | Ivelisse Jiménez (ES)    //   Miguel Luciano (EN) | Miguel Luciano (ES)    //   Natalia Lassalle-Morillo & Sofía Gallisá Muriente (EN) | Natalia Lassalle-Morillo & Sofía Gallisá Muriente (ES)    //   Angel Otero (EN) | Angel Otero (ES)    //   Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz (EN) | Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz (ES)    //   Gabriel Ramos (EN) | Gabriel Ramos (ES)    //   Jezabeth Roca González (EN) | Jezabeth Roca González (ES)    //   Gamaliel Rodríguez (EN) | Gamaliel Rodríguez (ES)    //   Yiyo Tirado Rivera (EN) | Yiyo Tirado Rivera (ES)

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

The exhibition Constant Storm: Art from Puerto Rico and the Diaspora comes a year late, having been postponed from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. On behalf of the entire CAM team, we extend our most heartfelt gracias to the exhibition artists for their patience in agreeing to the postponement. They have contributed beautifully realized and insightful works, some created especially for the exhibition. These are sure to illuminate our appreciation and understanding of contemporary Puerto Rican art and culture for years to come. 

The very talented faculty and staff of CAM organized every aspect of the project. Director Margaret Miller unfailingly championed and supported the exhibition. Shannon Annis, Curator of the Collection and Exhibitions Manager, orchestrated the management of the exhibition, as assisted by Curatorial Associate/Preparator Eric Jonas. Exhibitions Designer Tony Palms worked closely with the artists to design the show while collaborating with Jonas to install the works. Student Tijonne Allen assisted with the installation. Curator of Education Leslie Elsasser arranged outreach and educational events and opportunities for students and the public. New Media Curator Don Fuller and Graphic Designer Marty De la Cruz created and distributed our printed and digital publications. Program Coordinator Amy Allison worked with all members of the team to ensure a smooth operation. Chief of Security David Waterman oversaw visitor services. Communications Specialist Mark Fredricks coordinated Miguel Luciano's residency as well as additional media outreach. Deputy Director for Business Operations Randall West managed all budgetary and business matters. 

We would additionally like to thank Dr. Alessandra Rosa, Visiting Instructor in the USF Sociology Department, for her contributions to the symposium "Bregando with Disasters: Post-Hurricane Maria Realities and Resiliencies;" Dr. Laura Harrison and her team from the USF Access 3D Lab, for providing a 3D virtual tour of the exhibition; Dr. Bárbara Cruz and her team from the USF College of Education, for producing the 19th edition of InsideART curricula for K-12 education; and Julia Taveras, of the ¡Film Translation Board!, San Juan, for translating exhibition texts. 

We are also very appreciative for the services provided by St. Cate Fine Arts preparators; Eliezer Pagan, of The Wooden Box, for coordinating shipping from San Juan; Embajada in San Juan for the loan of Jorge González Santos’ work; and Lehmann Maupin Gallery, for facilitating the loan and transport of Angel Otero's work from New York.

Noel Smith, former CAM Deputy Director and Curator of Latin American and Caribbean Art
Christian Viveros-Fauné, CAM Curator-at-Large 

 

FOREWORD

Constant Storm: Art from Puerto Rico and the Diaspora brings together several generations of artists living on the archipelago and others who have left and are working in communities in New Jersey, New York, and Florida. The core theme of the exhibition is reflected in the title; it offers diverse perspectives from artists responding to and reflecting on weather disasters brought on by climate change like Hurricane Maria, along with continuing social, political, and economic difficulties in Puerto Rico. The curators have included artists that confront these issues and embrace ideas and strategies for constant renewal. 

This exhibition was curated collaboratively by Noel Smith, Deputy Director of the Contemporary Art Museum and Curator of Latin American and Caribbean Art; and Christian Viveros-Fauné, Curator at Large. Both Noel and Christian made studio visits in Puerto Rico and at various locations in mainland United States to develop this exhibition. 

The past 17 months have been a time of intense self-reflection and realignment in response to the continuing COVID pandemic and marked by significant social and civic unrest. The USF Contemporary Art Museum is committed to serving as a platform through its temporary exhibitions and related educational programs designed to raise awareness, explore issues, and provoke action. The curatorial premise and process of organizing Constant Storm is a testament to these values. 

My deep appreciation to the curators, participating artists, funders, and the staff for organizing this timely exhibition. 

Margaret Miller
Director and Professor
USF Institute for Research in Art

 

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Constant Storm: Art from Puerto Rico and the Diaspora is made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and supported by the Tampa Bay Rays and the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The symposium Bregando with Disasters: Post Hurricane Maria Realities and Resiliencies is supported by a Humanities Centers Grant from Florida Humanities. The USF Contemporary Art Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.