Herencia Taina: Legacy and Life Exhibition Installation, 1997
Date1997
Mediumslides
ClassificationsGraphics
Credit LineConnecticut Cultural Heritage Arts Program collections
CopyrightIn Copyright
Object number2015.196.343.1-.21
DescriptionPhotographs of the "Herencia Taina: Legacy and Life" exhibition displays and installation.
(.1) & (.20) Various carved objects of spirit beings, amulets, ceremonial, and spiritual pieces displayed in the exhibit. From the object label: “These objects show the ways in which amulets representing spirit beings or personal spirit animals, body stamping with colored designs, and 3-pointed cemís symbolizing the spirit being Yúcahu were all part of Taino religious practice. Fasting and vomiting spatulas were used to purge the body before rituals to gain visions through inhaling tobacco and cohoba. These and other ceremonies were communal spiritual journeys back to the ancestors. Today's artists re-create this journey through their art work.”
The objects pictured include: a cast stone duho (chair) by Antonio Blasini, Ponce loaned by FOMENTO; a carved stone human figure from Puerto Rico loaned by Peabody Museum, Yale; a carved stone effigy figure from Puerto Rico loaned by Peabody Museum, Yale; a santo made by Angel Rodríguez, Jayuya loaned by Lynne Williamson; a stone cemí and a carved stone disc with face loaned by Peabody Museum, Yale; a Cohoba pipe made of driftwood, for inhaling ground cohoba seeds, made and loaned by Mel González; a vomiting spatula for purging before ceremonies made and loaned by Mel González; a small modern cast stone cemí made by Antonio Blasini, Ponce and loaned by Roberto Borrero; and archaeological artifacts from Puerto Rico (3 conch shell amulets; round clay body stamp; 1 shell amulet; ceremonial stone axe; 1 stone figure) loaned by Roberto Múcaro Borrero.
(.2) Installation of Herencia Taina exhibit in the ICR Gallery.
(.3) Higüera (gourds) carved by Graciela Quiñones-Rodriguez. Higüeras, which grow on trees in a variety of sizes, have been used as utensils and vessels by Puerto Ricans for centuries. Tainos would use them for ceremonial bowls or as everyday cups or ladles. They are cut open, the inedible pulp scooped out, then dried. The artist sometimes carves them with hand tools while green and soft on the outside, but she also uses an electric dremel to carve the hardened gourds. The designs are inspired by Taino motifs she sees on rock carvings and pottery or learns about from other researchers. Objects clockwise from the top include: Diosa Caguana y Fertilidad, the spirit being Atabey is surrounded by smaller symbols suggesting fertility; Criatura Vegetal, one interpretation of how people came to be is that they developed from plants; Diosa Sencilla, this design of a spirit being is one of the artist's favorites. The unusual border departs from Taino motifs as the artist combines other styles.; Criatura Taína, this design uses a central symbol which suggests a baby, while on the sides are playful motifs possibly representing fertilized eggs; Diosa con Ornamentos, the figure of Atabey, with dancing figures around the sides giving a sense of movement; and Carita Yabucoa, the symbols are taken from rubbings of petroglyphs in Yabucoa discovered in 1996. In the center is Divinidad Feminina, a depiction of a fertility spirit being, with one interpretation of the geometric border designs being the division of cells of a fertilized egg. The artist feels that such geometric designs are charged with energy.
(.4) Wall text and images explaining Taíno Lifeways.
(.5-.6), (.8), & (.15) Part of the installation including art works and instruments by Mel Gonzalez, a poster of Jayuya, and the gourd cuatro made by Graciela Quiñones-Rodriguez. Posters from the Festival Nacional Indígena, donated to the exhibit by Félix González, Centro Cultural Jayuyano. Each year a Puerto Rican artist is commissioned by the Institute of Culture to create a poster for the annual Festival of indigenous culture held in Jayuya. The tradition of beautifully designed, colorful silkscreened posters announcing events is very strong in Puerto Rico.
Objects Pictured:
- Spirit Mask, Turtle shell, grass, nuts, fish spines, ocelot fur, feathers. This mask represents Mabuyuawayunque, the dark spirit of the jungle, a metaphor for the unknown. Although the earth provides people with sustenance, there are also dangers if the ways of nature are not understood and respected. The face is both amusing and frightening, neither male nor female but signifying all the ancestors. The feathers come from owls, the messengers of death, as well as from macaws symbolizing the green and blue of the earth and the red of fire and blood.
- Musical Instruments, Melanio González, Loaned by the Artist.
Mayahuacan: This type of drum is common throughout the southern Americas and the Caribbean. It is essentially a hollowed log with a resonator formed by cutting a H-shape in the top. They provided a form of communication "announcing" an event or a ceremony taking place, then were played as accompaniment to dancing. The big mayahuacan, made from cedar, is played often by the artist when he performs with the music group Cacibajagua. As in all his recreations of Taino artifacts, González has imbued the drum with symbols which have special meaning. It is carved in the shape of a cemí, the three-pointed stones representing the earth spirit Yúcahu. The ornamentations honor different elements of Taino culture: the shells of the sea, brass meaning the gold of the ancestors, buffalo rib teeth to honor North American Indians, and carved designs signifying the fertility of the plowed earth. The drumsticks have natural latex rubber heads, Brazil nuts from the original Taino homeland of the Orinoco River, and feathers of múcaro (owl) and parrot. One of the smaller drums is shaped like a cayman.
Wanwana: Used only for special occasions by men, this hollow wind instrument common to the indigenous Americas is made from Gulf Coast cane. The word means "breath of life," and in ceremonies it "clears the way" of evil thoughts or spirits, so that goodness can flourish; it sounds both a blessing and a warning. The geometric snake design represents change; the black and red remind the artist of the near-death experience he once had, and the múcaro (owl) feathers are messengers from the past, or perhaps death.
Maracas: Tainos made maracas (a Guaraní Indian word) out of an elongated gourd with an extended skin handle. As Africans and Tainos shared cultures on the island, the maracas changed, becoming more commonly made from dried higüeras filled with small seeds or pebbles. The pair with geometric designs, made in Peru, were given to González by a South American healer. The pair with the frog design were made by Antonio Ortiz Vegerano of Luquillo, PR; loaned by FOMENTO.
Rattle: Brazil nuts, snake designs, plowed earth designs, the frog representing new life, ocelot fur all decorate this percussion instrument created out of the artist's personal vision.
(.7), (.11), & (.14) Art works by Imna Arroyo.
- Atabey, Watercolor and ink on paper, Loaned by Gail Cueto. In Taino mythology Atabey is the "mother of the waters" and the sky, governing and being part of the moon, the tides, female cycles, and fertility. In this work Atabey, who is often carved on stone as at Caguana Ceremonial Park in Utuado, Puerto Rico, is given a three-dimensional form to show she is embedded in nature. The cemí is shown because "this is the spirit of the mountain, and she's the water, and she comes out of the mountain which is how the rivers are formed." The artist uses the cocoon or seed images as symbols of the human potential within ourselves.
- La Semilla/The Seed - A Puerto Rican Identity Piece, watercolor. According to the artist: "This piece is about recognizing these symbols and their place in the shaping of an identity...The Puerto Rican flag echoing the shape of el cemí...I wanted to put them together because there are four elements that define the symbolic language of this watercolor. The Taino heritage; the Spanish heritage is symbolized by a chalice...and I used real gold leaf because that's part of our colonial heritage and the reason why the Spanish came to the island, and the price we paid for the gold is part of it. The woman is African...she has a fertility symbol hanging, made of gold...we know that the people that came from Africa came from the Gold Coast...The sky and the sum are important elements. You can't live without water or without light, light always gives you a sesnse of celebration, of moving forward."
- Herencia Latina, Silkscreen on silk fabric, with stitching and beadwork. Part of a series of banners from the Celebrating Cultures Project initiated by the Printmaking Club at Eastern Connecticut State University. Imna Arroyo has been the advisor of the club since 1994. The artist draws upon familiar Taino imagery such as the cemí, combining these with other Puerto Rican and Latin American symbols. She has rubbed real hojas de laurel into the screen with litho crayon, reflecting the Spanish use of laurel leaves. For the artist, the banner brings together Spanish, African, and indigenous elements, as they have combined to produce Latino culture.
- Ancestral Call: Abuela Criolla, oil on canvas. One of two portraits of the artist's grandmothers, this painting reflects the Spanish and Indian roots of her maternal grandmother. The other portrait is called Abuela Africana. The artist says: "By looking at the family pictures, (I saw that) this woman is indeed a criolla. And my other one is very African...coming from my own family, I'm bringing that heritage forward and identifying it and acknowledging it and claiming it."
(.9) Mel Gonzalez's art work in the section showing a model bohio and domestic objects.
(.10) A close view of a carved wooden duho (chair) on the bottom with a cedar carving of 'Baibrama' - the male spirit of agriculture and harvest.- standing on top of it.
(.12) The Mano a Mano exhibit in the ICR Gallery in 1999, another CCHAP exhibit about Puerto Rican folk arts.
(.13) Speakers at the Herencia Taina panel discussion. Pictured are Roberto Mucaro Borrerro (left), Don José Juan Arrom and Doña Arrom (center), and Mel Gonzalez (right).
(.16) The exhibit entrance for “Herencia Taína: Legacy and Life” with a pottery piece by Daniel Silva, which was loaned by Fomento.
(.17-.18) Mel Gonzalez's art work in the section showing a model bohio and domestic objects.
(.19) Indigenous poetry made by contemporary potters in Puerto Rico.
Back left: Modern bowl made by La Familia Cabachuela, Adornos similar to the archaeological examples are on either handle; Loaned by Roberto Múcaro Borrero.
Front left and front right: Ancient clay adornos, Loaned by Roberto Múcaro Borrero.
Center: Modern pottery made by Daniel Silva, Vieques, Puerto Rico, Loaned by Fomento.
Back right: Modern pottery made by Daniel Silva, loaned by Fomento. “Archaeological finds in many regions of Puerto Rico show that clay was used to create pottery by the Tainos and their predecessors. A few modern potters have researched traditional Taino pottery, and use these methods to recreate Taino pottery forms. After handbuilding the pots from island clay, artists such as Daniel Silva and the Cabachuela family place them in the shade for a few days to dry. Then they are placed in the sun for two days, then fired in the foguera method - placed face down and covered with dead leaves, then "baked" in a bonfire.”
(.21) Carved and woven objects.
NotesSubject Note: "Herencia Taina: Legacy and Life" was an exhibit and related programs examining the history of Puerto Rico's indigenous people, the Taino through contemporary art expressions and interpretations, on view May 3-November 30, 1997 at the Institute for Community Research.(.1) & (.20) Various carved objects of spirit beings, amulets, ceremonial, and spiritual pieces displayed in the exhibit. From the object label: “These objects show the ways in which amulets representing spirit beings or personal spirit animals, body stamping with colored designs, and 3-pointed cemís symbolizing the spirit being Yúcahu were all part of Taino religious practice. Fasting and vomiting spatulas were used to purge the body before rituals to gain visions through inhaling tobacco and cohoba. These and other ceremonies were communal spiritual journeys back to the ancestors. Today's artists re-create this journey through their art work.”
The objects pictured include: a cast stone duho (chair) by Antonio Blasini, Ponce loaned by FOMENTO; a carved stone human figure from Puerto Rico loaned by Peabody Museum, Yale; a carved stone effigy figure from Puerto Rico loaned by Peabody Museum, Yale; a santo made by Angel Rodríguez, Jayuya loaned by Lynne Williamson; a stone cemí and a carved stone disc with face loaned by Peabody Museum, Yale; a Cohoba pipe made of driftwood, for inhaling ground cohoba seeds, made and loaned by Mel González; a vomiting spatula for purging before ceremonies made and loaned by Mel González; a small modern cast stone cemí made by Antonio Blasini, Ponce and loaned by Roberto Borrero; and archaeological artifacts from Puerto Rico (3 conch shell amulets; round clay body stamp; 1 shell amulet; ceremonial stone axe; 1 stone figure) loaned by Roberto Múcaro Borrero.
(.2) Installation of Herencia Taina exhibit in the ICR Gallery.
(.3) Higüera (gourds) carved by Graciela Quiñones-Rodriguez. Higüeras, which grow on trees in a variety of sizes, have been used as utensils and vessels by Puerto Ricans for centuries. Tainos would use them for ceremonial bowls or as everyday cups or ladles. They are cut open, the inedible pulp scooped out, then dried. The artist sometimes carves them with hand tools while green and soft on the outside, but she also uses an electric dremel to carve the hardened gourds. The designs are inspired by Taino motifs she sees on rock carvings and pottery or learns about from other researchers. Objects clockwise from the top include: Diosa Caguana y Fertilidad, the spirit being Atabey is surrounded by smaller symbols suggesting fertility; Criatura Vegetal, one interpretation of how people came to be is that they developed from plants; Diosa Sencilla, this design of a spirit being is one of the artist's favorites. The unusual border departs from Taino motifs as the artist combines other styles.; Criatura Taína, this design uses a central symbol which suggests a baby, while on the sides are playful motifs possibly representing fertilized eggs; Diosa con Ornamentos, the figure of Atabey, with dancing figures around the sides giving a sense of movement; and Carita Yabucoa, the symbols are taken from rubbings of petroglyphs in Yabucoa discovered in 1996. In the center is Divinidad Feminina, a depiction of a fertility spirit being, with one interpretation of the geometric border designs being the division of cells of a fertilized egg. The artist feels that such geometric designs are charged with energy.
(.4) Wall text and images explaining Taíno Lifeways.
(.5-.6), (.8), & (.15) Part of the installation including art works and instruments by Mel Gonzalez, a poster of Jayuya, and the gourd cuatro made by Graciela Quiñones-Rodriguez. Posters from the Festival Nacional Indígena, donated to the exhibit by Félix González, Centro Cultural Jayuyano. Each year a Puerto Rican artist is commissioned by the Institute of Culture to create a poster for the annual Festival of indigenous culture held in Jayuya. The tradition of beautifully designed, colorful silkscreened posters announcing events is very strong in Puerto Rico.
Objects Pictured:
- Spirit Mask, Turtle shell, grass, nuts, fish spines, ocelot fur, feathers. This mask represents Mabuyuawayunque, the dark spirit of the jungle, a metaphor for the unknown. Although the earth provides people with sustenance, there are also dangers if the ways of nature are not understood and respected. The face is both amusing and frightening, neither male nor female but signifying all the ancestors. The feathers come from owls, the messengers of death, as well as from macaws symbolizing the green and blue of the earth and the red of fire and blood.
- Musical Instruments, Melanio González, Loaned by the Artist.
Mayahuacan: This type of drum is common throughout the southern Americas and the Caribbean. It is essentially a hollowed log with a resonator formed by cutting a H-shape in the top. They provided a form of communication "announcing" an event or a ceremony taking place, then were played as accompaniment to dancing. The big mayahuacan, made from cedar, is played often by the artist when he performs with the music group Cacibajagua. As in all his recreations of Taino artifacts, González has imbued the drum with symbols which have special meaning. It is carved in the shape of a cemí, the three-pointed stones representing the earth spirit Yúcahu. The ornamentations honor different elements of Taino culture: the shells of the sea, brass meaning the gold of the ancestors, buffalo rib teeth to honor North American Indians, and carved designs signifying the fertility of the plowed earth. The drumsticks have natural latex rubber heads, Brazil nuts from the original Taino homeland of the Orinoco River, and feathers of múcaro (owl) and parrot. One of the smaller drums is shaped like a cayman.
Wanwana: Used only for special occasions by men, this hollow wind instrument common to the indigenous Americas is made from Gulf Coast cane. The word means "breath of life," and in ceremonies it "clears the way" of evil thoughts or spirits, so that goodness can flourish; it sounds both a blessing and a warning. The geometric snake design represents change; the black and red remind the artist of the near-death experience he once had, and the múcaro (owl) feathers are messengers from the past, or perhaps death.
Maracas: Tainos made maracas (a Guaraní Indian word) out of an elongated gourd with an extended skin handle. As Africans and Tainos shared cultures on the island, the maracas changed, becoming more commonly made from dried higüeras filled with small seeds or pebbles. The pair with geometric designs, made in Peru, were given to González by a South American healer. The pair with the frog design were made by Antonio Ortiz Vegerano of Luquillo, PR; loaned by FOMENTO.
Rattle: Brazil nuts, snake designs, plowed earth designs, the frog representing new life, ocelot fur all decorate this percussion instrument created out of the artist's personal vision.
(.7), (.11), & (.14) Art works by Imna Arroyo.
- Atabey, Watercolor and ink on paper, Loaned by Gail Cueto. In Taino mythology Atabey is the "mother of the waters" and the sky, governing and being part of the moon, the tides, female cycles, and fertility. In this work Atabey, who is often carved on stone as at Caguana Ceremonial Park in Utuado, Puerto Rico, is given a three-dimensional form to show she is embedded in nature. The cemí is shown because "this is the spirit of the mountain, and she's the water, and she comes out of the mountain which is how the rivers are formed." The artist uses the cocoon or seed images as symbols of the human potential within ourselves.
- La Semilla/The Seed - A Puerto Rican Identity Piece, watercolor. According to the artist: "This piece is about recognizing these symbols and their place in the shaping of an identity...The Puerto Rican flag echoing the shape of el cemí...I wanted to put them together because there are four elements that define the symbolic language of this watercolor. The Taino heritage; the Spanish heritage is symbolized by a chalice...and I used real gold leaf because that's part of our colonial heritage and the reason why the Spanish came to the island, and the price we paid for the gold is part of it. The woman is African...she has a fertility symbol hanging, made of gold...we know that the people that came from Africa came from the Gold Coast...The sky and the sum are important elements. You can't live without water or without light, light always gives you a sesnse of celebration, of moving forward."
- Herencia Latina, Silkscreen on silk fabric, with stitching and beadwork. Part of a series of banners from the Celebrating Cultures Project initiated by the Printmaking Club at Eastern Connecticut State University. Imna Arroyo has been the advisor of the club since 1994. The artist draws upon familiar Taino imagery such as the cemí, combining these with other Puerto Rican and Latin American symbols. She has rubbed real hojas de laurel into the screen with litho crayon, reflecting the Spanish use of laurel leaves. For the artist, the banner brings together Spanish, African, and indigenous elements, as they have combined to produce Latino culture.
- Ancestral Call: Abuela Criolla, oil on canvas. One of two portraits of the artist's grandmothers, this painting reflects the Spanish and Indian roots of her maternal grandmother. The other portrait is called Abuela Africana. The artist says: "By looking at the family pictures, (I saw that) this woman is indeed a criolla. And my other one is very African...coming from my own family, I'm bringing that heritage forward and identifying it and acknowledging it and claiming it."
(.9) Mel Gonzalez's art work in the section showing a model bohio and domestic objects.
(.10) A close view of a carved wooden duho (chair) on the bottom with a cedar carving of 'Baibrama' - the male spirit of agriculture and harvest.- standing on top of it.
(.12) The Mano a Mano exhibit in the ICR Gallery in 1999, another CCHAP exhibit about Puerto Rican folk arts.
(.13) Speakers at the Herencia Taina panel discussion. Pictured are Roberto Mucaro Borrerro (left), Don José Juan Arrom and Doña Arrom (center), and Mel Gonzalez (right).
(.16) The exhibit entrance for “Herencia Taína: Legacy and Life” with a pottery piece by Daniel Silva, which was loaned by Fomento.
(.17-.18) Mel Gonzalez's art work in the section showing a model bohio and domestic objects.
(.19) Indigenous poetry made by contemporary potters in Puerto Rico.
Back left: Modern bowl made by La Familia Cabachuela, Adornos similar to the archaeological examples are on either handle; Loaned by Roberto Múcaro Borrero.
Front left and front right: Ancient clay adornos, Loaned by Roberto Múcaro Borrero.
Center: Modern pottery made by Daniel Silva, Vieques, Puerto Rico, Loaned by Fomento.
Back right: Modern pottery made by Daniel Silva, loaned by Fomento. “Archaeological finds in many regions of Puerto Rico show that clay was used to create pottery by the Tainos and their predecessors. A few modern potters have researched traditional Taino pottery, and use these methods to recreate Taino pottery forms. After handbuilding the pots from island clay, artists such as Daniel Silva and the Cabachuela family place them in the shade for a few days to dry. Then they are placed in the sun for two days, then fired in the foguera method - placed face down and covered with dead leaves, then "baked" in a bonfire.”
(.21) Carved and woven objects.
ICR's Connecticut Cultural Heritage Arts Program, in conjunction with project scholar Ruth Glasser and designer Ricardo Mulero, planned an exhibit, workshops, and concert to present a wide range of arts practiced by musicians and visual artists who are inspired by Taino heritage. Participating artists included Imna Arroyo (Eastern Connecticut State University), Graciela Quiñones-Rodriguez (West Hartford), Mel Gonzalez (Meriden), and Robert Borrero (New York), who created contemporary interpretations and folk art works illustrating Taino heritage, such as musical instruments, gourd carvings, paintings, and textile art, as well as interpretive information for these. Their works were juxtaposed with Taino artifacts from archaeological collections, along with photographs and posters from the continuing indigenous festival held in Jayuya, Puerto Rico, to show the strong influence that Taino culture still holds for Puerto Ricans. The exhibit project also presented several public events including a concert, a workshop for teachers, and a roundtable discussion. An illustrated brochure in both English and Spanish was produced. The project was supported by the Connecticut Humanities Council, the Connecticut Commission on the Arts, the Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation, the Greater Hartford Arts Council, and the Institute for Community Research.
The heritage of the Taino Indians is often proudly proclaimed by Puerto Ricans as one of the three strands of their multi-racial society. What that heritage consists of, how much of it has survived, and its relative importance in the overall culture of the island has been a hotly debated topic for centuries. The Tainos, indigenous people living in Puerto Rico when colonists arrived in the late 15th century, provide an example of the politics and complexities of interpreting a culture which has only a small present-day community and no living language, but is both remembered from the recent past and still represented in blood lines, place names, some everyday practices, and spiritual and political inspiration.
Recreated musical instruments made by members of the group Cacibajagua showed how contemporary Puerto Ricans have been both adopting Taino heritage and basing their work on serious study of archaeology and indigenous materials. Cacibajagua demonstrated their music at a concert on May 1, 1997, at Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford.
Biographical Note: Melanio Gonzalez is a Meriden-based visual artist and musician with Taino family roots who has conducted research on Taino history with an emphasis on musical forms. He makes and plays musical instruments indigenous to the Caribbean, such as the mayahuacan (log drum), maracas, drum sticks, seed rattles, cane flutes, and tree branch trumpets. Mel also makes masks and other ceremonial objects. He is a founding member and performer with the group Cacibajagua (the mythical cave from which all Taino emerged), which bases its presentations on members' research.
He has compiled an impressive body of information on Taino history and archaeology, difficult to do because of controversy and secrecy surrounding the topic of Taino identity. Mel has explored sources beyond the written, academic, and accepted, uncovering oral histories from his own family and the people living quiet, traditional lives in the central mountains of the island. He has presented his research into the Taino people of Puerto Rico at the American Indian Archaeological Institute in Washington, CT, and at El Museo del Barrio's NYC exhibit on Taino archaeology.
Mel makes Taino regalia and musical instruments, decorative carvings and sand paintings. His creations are technically excellent because he spends time making them perfect both in background research on the form, and in execution. Mel has developed effective presentations on Taino art and culture for a variety of audiences. During the Herencia Taína exhibit at ICR, Mel served as a project advisor and presented music workshops to school groups and other audiences during the exhibit. He also participated in the panel discussion Taino Culture in Contemporary Life: Revival or Reaffirmation? His music group Cacibajagua presented a concert on May 1, 1997 at Charter Oak Cultural Center as part of the Connecticut Heritage Music Series, a collaboration between the Charter Oak Cultural Center and CCHAP from September 1996 through June 1997. In 1999 he again served as a project advisor for Mano a Mano: Puerto Rican Traditional Arts from Island to City at ICR.
Mel loaned the following objects to the Herencia Taina exhibit: Big log drum, 2 smaller drums, Gourd tobacco holder, Pirana jaw necklace, Caiman tooth necklace, Cane flute, Ceremonial spatula, Cohoba pipe, 2 gourd ladles, Bohio model, bark branch trumpet, War Club, Chair, Mask, Maracas, and a nut rattle. He has donated two pieces to the CCHAP collection at CHS: a drawing of a native man, and a painting of a Taino spirit being on slate.
Biographical Note: Graciela Quiñones-Rodriguez is a Puerto Rican educator, social worker, artist and luthier who apprenticed with William Cumpiano (Easthampton MA) and has built cuatros, tiples, and bordonuas. Graciela is also a cuatrista and higüera (gourd) and santos carver. She served as an advisory committee and exhibiting artist and workshop leader for CCHAP’s three Puerto Rican projects, starting as a community scholar with Herencia Taina, CCHAP’s 1998 Taino exhibit project, researching the techniques of higüera preparation and decoration for use as household utensils, ornaments with Taino or political iconography, or musical instruments. She also worked as an artist-presenter for the Massachusetts Cultural Council summer institute on Puerto Rican cultural heritage for Springfield MA teachers. Graciela is a highly respected arts educator, woodcarver, and singer with the Connecticut Latin music group Tierra Mestiza; she is a CT Commission on the Arts Master Teaching Artist and Artists Fellowship winner. As part of the Southern New England Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program in Year 3 (2000-2001), she worked with master luthier Bill Cumpiano. Together they built cuatros, tiples, and bordonuas, older forms of Puerto Rican stringed instruments. As part of the apprenticeship they built a cuatro on the basis of a photograph of an unusual form from the early 1900's, which has a bent wood body rather than a hollowed-out base. They demonstrated their partnership work at the Lowell Folk Festival in 2000.
Additional materials exist in the archive relating to this event and these artists.
Cataloging Note: This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services MA-245929-OMS-20.
Status
Not on view
