31 days of posts viva Cuba exhibit

Here are some shots of the Cuba exhibit at Denver's science museum...
I grew up in Tampa Florida. It was a mix of many ethnicities, including white folk (the term "crackers" comes from people who's ancestors worked driving cattle and cracked whips) Cubans (people who moved there to make cigars in Ybor City and people displaced during the revolution).

We went to Ybor city a lot, to eat at the Columbia restaurant. Then as a young adult, I went to party with other artists who took up residence there before it became chichi. I went often to grab a Cuban sandwich, cafe con leche, baguette of cuban bread, or bowl of black beans.

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so I thought I knew about Cuba. This exhibit was a wonderful lesson in the forming of 4000 islands into a country, of it's people, religions, history, natural wonders,

Nature "painted snails"

archeology, economics, and most of all ART!

cigars were a big export, but also sugar cane. My Dad used to bring home sugar cane from a days work buying and selling crops of citrus. I remember chewing the fibers to release the sugar.

Being so close to Florida, it was a place to see and be seen on vacations.

being careful not to be eaten by a jumping croc!

this was a stone cave painting... there was a land bridge from central America at one point, and so the ancient art reminds me of old Mexican artifacts.
The have a form of carnival

and at least 7 religions, outlawed for a while under Castro, but now legal again. There is nearly 100% literacy among citizens who also receive health care. Castro gave up smoking in the 80's I think, as a model for others to quit too. 

the artists working now are producing some gorgeous work.

 there were interactive touch screens to see it all


 I enjoyed the wall of posters as well as fine art being made all over the country

a poster... isn't the graphic cool? Love the mouth and the words in white

another poster... love the way the street map forms a croc!
Hope you enjoyed the little tour...support local museums!

We also loved going through the mind bender exhibit one more time, and I noticed this for sale...

I'm almost done with the 31 days of posts... I'll be going back to about 3 posts a week in January