San Antonian makes Cuban-American relations a work of art

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It hasn't been easy for a group of artists and friends from San Antonio to set up an exchange between the Alamo City and Havana. But even natural disasters and other challenges couldn't discourage them from eventually accomplishing that.

The idea started with Angela Martinez, the owner of Slab Cinema and an art activist. She said visiting Cuba and some artists there definitely had its downsides: “Because they had two earthquakes, hurricanes, they were having rolling blackouts, and we were really concerned about going and being a burden. But the [Cuban] artists were very excited that we were coming. And one of them said, ‘you know, you're giving us an infusion of hope.’”

The trip was part of a larger project called The San Havana Project. “The San Havana Project is a collaboration between San Antonio artists and [artists in] Havana, Cuba ... where we work together to build community through art,” she said.

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Public art in Havana.

Courtesy photo / Anthony Garcia, Jojodancerphotos

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Nightlife on the streets of Old Havana.

Courtesy photo / Anthony Garcia, Jojodancerphotos

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Havana kids play in a quiet corner.

Courtesy photo / Anthony Garcia, Jojodancerphotos

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A couple on the streets of Old Havana.

Courtesy photo / Anthony Garcia, Jojodancerphotos

The plan was to exhibit San Antonio art in Cuba and Cuban art in San Antonio.

But it’s not easy, given the difficult history between both nations, dating back to the Bay of Pigs invasion and the nuclear missile standoff.

But artist Gary Sweeney feels that range of history was insufficient: “Well, it's been longer than that! It was right after we won the Spanish American War. We promised [the Cubans] their country.”

Sweeney is one of the San Antonio artists shown in the San Havana Project. He notes that the animosity between Cuba and the U.S. is partly rooted in those promises that were made but not kept.

“They have always been an oppressed people, whether it's Spain or the Dole pineapple company or [Cuban dictator Fulgencio] Batista — they have never had freedom,” he said.

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Members of the band Kubensi on a Havana rooftop.

Courtesy photo / Anthony Garcia, Jojodancerphotos

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A band plays in a Havana club.

Courtesy photo / Anthony Garcia, Jojodancerphotos

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A bicyclist outside Havana.

Courtesy photo / Anthony Garcia, Jojodancerphotos

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A farmer plows his field outside Havana.

Courtesy photo / Anthony Garcia, Jojodancerphotos

Successive presidents have warmed and cooled and warmed relations with the island nation, just 90 miles off the coast of Florida.

Despite the ups and downs, Cuba is a country that’s always seemed to move to its own beat. “If you can do cultural exchanges, that would certainly crack the door open for more openness between the two countries,” Sweeney added.

And that’s what’s at the heart of the San Havana Project.

But, Martinez said, with the complex web of government permissions to be navigated, it’s far easier said than done. “We had to get permission, and then we had to submit our documents. And then we kept going back and forth seeing if we had permission,” Martinez said. “So we didn't even know if we were having an art show until the day before, like last time.”

The same set of players worked on this same kind of project last December.

Anthony Garcia of Jo-Jo Dancer Photography was one of the three San Antonio artists who went to Cuba both times. He notes the exchange was reciprocal: San Antonio artists were displaying in Cuba, and Cuban Artists would be exhibited in San Antonio.

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Eduardo Santana (from left), Anthony Garcia, Gary Sweeney, and Jorge Lopez.

Courtesy photo / Angela Martinez

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Anthony Garcia takes pictures of Cubans.

Courtesy photo / Angela Martinez

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Gary Sweeney shows a young Cuban boy how to make a linoleum print.

Courtesy photo / Angela Martinez

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San Antonio artist and teacher Ricky Armendariz makes linoleum prints.

Courtesy photo / Angela Martinez

“They knew how hard we were trying to promote their work here in San Antonio — multiple shows and having their stuff really nicely printed, and then on display, like at the international airport and things like that,” Garcia said. “They knew we were really working for them. So when we got there, they were really working for us.”

Unfortunately, the continual hits Cuba’s economy has taken left them ill-prepared to provide even the basics for daily life. So the three artists and Martinez filled their suitcases with food items and powdered milk, along with items to spread some joy.

“We brought flutes, penny whistles, books, crayons, balloons,” Martinez said.

Sweeney thinks back on his time there and tries to appreciate how good people in the U.S. have it, compared to the challenges Cubans face.

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A Cuban boy holds the linoleum print he helped make.

Courtesy photo / Anthony Garcia, Jojodancerphotos

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Two teenagers display the linoleum prints they helped create.

Courtesy photo / Anthony Garcia, Jojodancerphotos

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A Cuban woman displays the linoleum print she helped make.

Courtesy photo / Anthony Garcia, Jojodancerphotos

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A Cuban woman with a tray of coconut bars she bakes and sells to tourists.

Courtesy photo / Anthony Garcia, Jojodancerphotos

“Let's see how we can make the best of this. And that's pretty much sums up the whole mindset of Cuban people,” he said.

The second San Havana trip wrapped up the first week of December. When they all few back to San Antonio, they passed the exhibit of Cuban photographers that’s up at the airport.

Sweeney encourages his fellow citizens to follow in his footsteps. “I think every American should go down and experience Havana or Cuba. Whatever your interests are, this is the place to go,” he said.

But with the power outages and food shortages, he has this caveat: “To be honest with you, I think I would like to wait and see if things improve.”

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Eduardo Santana and Jormay González Monduy

Courtesy photo / Anthony Garcia, Jojodancerphotos

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A Cuban mother and daughter

Courtesy photo / Anthony Garcia, Jojodancerphotos

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A Cuban father and son

Courtesy photo / Anthony Garcia, Jojodancerphotos

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A Cuban woman

Courtesy photo / Anthony Garcia, Jojodancerphotos

Garcia said he’s ready to go back soon regardless of blackouts and food shortages: “Jan. 13 — I think some somewhere around there, for hopefully about almost two weeks.”

Martinez plans a return trip in March: “I can't get back soon enough. I didn't even want to leave. ... It's a beautiful place, the people are beautiful, beautiful culture. It's just magical.”

They plan to exhibit the four Cuban artists' latest work in San Antonio. Details on when will be shared soon.

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