Modern Cuban Painters from Havana to New York Revisited

A historical exhibition at the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum FIU revisits the emergence of Cuban modernism on the international stage during the mid-20th century. On view from May 2 through October 18, Modern Cuban Painters from Havana to New York Revisited examines a pivotal 1944 moment when Cuban art was introduced to U.S. audiences through a landmark exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Curated by Elizabeth T. Goizueta and Cristina Figueroa Vives, the exhibition explores the role of MoMA founding director Alfred H. Barr Jr. and the broader New York art scene in shaping the reception of Cuban modernist painters. The presentation brings together paintings, drawings and archival materials that contextualize the movement’s development and its international reach. Featured artists include Mariano Rodríguez, Mario Carreño, Carlos Enríquez, Roberto Diago, Cundo Bermúdez, René Portocarrero, Wifredo Lam, Fidelio Ponce and Amelia Peláez, whose work contributed to defining Cuba’s modern artistic identity during this period. Image: Mariano Rodríguez, El desayuno(The Breakfast), 1943. Oil on canvas, 30 ½ x 41 inches. © Mariano Rodríguez Estate. Photo: Cora Jean Rafe.