Modern Cuban Painters: From Havana to New York

Join us for a panel discussion celebrating the launch of “Modern Cuban Painters: From Havana to New York,” a new book that delves into themes of resistance and the integration of 1940s Cuban modern art into the United States' cultural landscape. This work highlights the legacy of artists who led the shift toward modernity in Cuba.

Published by the Fundación Mariano Rodríguez, “Modern Cuban Painters: From Havana to New York,” commemorates the 80th anniversary of both the historic exhibition “Modern Cuban Painters” at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) as well as the seminal book “Pintura Cubana de Hoy.” Featuring essays by scholars Elizabeth Thompson-Goizueta and Luz Merino Acosta, as well as curator Susanna Temkin, and a chronology by Cristina Figueroa, this publication examines New York’s role as a cultural hub that welcomed prominent Cuban modernists like Lam, Carreño, Cundo, Mariano, and Amelia into a dynamic space of intercultural dialogue.

In 1942, Alfred H. Barr, the founding director of MoMA, visited Havana for the first time amidst a period of creative splendor, fueled by the work of avant-garde artists. This visit laid the groundwork for “Modern Cuban Painters” (1944), MoMA’s landmark exhibition—the first to showcase the impact Cuba’s Modern Art movement had in the U.S. The exhibition included “Pintura Cubana de Hoy” (1944), an essential text in Cuban modern art history with essays by critic José Gómez Sicre and edited by art patron María Luisa Gómez Mena, an influential but often overlooked advocate of Cuban art.

Location: Roberto C. Goizueta Pavilion, Second Floor

Click here to Register