Cuban art exhibition opens today at The Atrium in downtown Syracuse

Art for Art’s Sake will host the Central New York Artists’ Cuban Exhibition today (Sunday). Atrium In downtown Syracuse.

The exhibition includes paintings, collages, poems and more by 18 different artists inspired by Cuban history and culture. The event is at 201 E. Washington St. It will take place between 14.00-16.00 at Syracuse.

Richard Breyer and Dennis Kinsey founded Art for Art’s Sake, a collective of artists based in Syracuse, to increase visibility and opportunities for artists in Central New York.

“We felt there was a need for more opportunities for artists to showcase their work,” Kinsey said.

The organization hosted its first exhibition in May, inviting people to draw, photograph or paint something inspired by Billie Holiday’s story or music.

“We also thought about how we could expand the artist’s experience,” Breyer said. “Not just to show their work – which is very important – but also to learn something and then paint or draw or take photographs.”

They decided to do the same project with Cuba this fall. They invited artists to learn about the country’s history or listen to Cuban music and then create a work of art.

The news spread quickly among the artist community in Syracuse, where Breyer and Kinsey were active participants.

“I paint and know a lot of the artists in town,” Kinsey said. “It was a word of mouth thing.”

David Hicock, one of the 18 artists, created a “cluster of impressions” of Cuba from his perspective. One photo shows a car with a license plate labeled “Che,” a reference to the 1960 U.S. trade embargo that banned imports of cars and car parts from the United States.

“Cuba was fascinating to me,” Hicock said. “They are very close to us and we can’t seem to get along with them. “I would like to see relations get better.”

Breyer and Kinsey’s initiative has grown significantly in 2024, thanks in particular to their support of CNY Arts.

“There’s a kind of magic that happens when you take on things like that,” Breyer said. “Maybe I’m biased, but this happens more in Syracuse than other places. “When you ask for something, people respond.”

Tere Paniagua, executive director for cultural engagement of the Hispanic community at SU, leads the jury for this exhibition. Paniagua is also La Casita Cultural Center.

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