Latin Identity And Empowerment Through Art

Julia Conant, Social Media Editor

Everyone knows that a picture can tell a thousand words. With that being said, an art gallery full of student-produced artwork has the ability to empower a large group of people.

Last Thursday, the Central Connecticut Art Gallery premiered their Latina Identity and Empowerment exhibit. The front room of the gallery was covered in artwork done by Dr. Heather Rodriguez’s Sociology and Latino Studies students. The artwork was the students’ way of bringing up a conversation about race and ethnic identity.

“Art for this assignment was defined as the creation of a visual object intended to bring awareness to specific social issues or inequalities experienced by a particular group, in this case Latinas,” the curator’s statement read. “This assignment encouraged students to make connections between larger societal issues, social institutions, and the Latino Experience.”

All 17 of the pieces featured in the exhibit conveyed a Latino/Latina empowering message. Each of the students wrote a statement to go along with their piece, to make it clear to viewers what their piece stood for. One piece that stood out was Alondra Valerio’s “Sancocho de valores,” which translates to “stew of values.” Valerio’s piece was particularly eye catching due to her use of 3D objects.

“Sancocho is a very popular Dominican dish. Known for its hearty ingredients like various meats, yucca, and plantains, it is the epitome of Dominican Republic’s food culture,” Valerio’s statement said.

Instead of putting these hearty ingredients into the bowl, Valerio placed items that she felt represented Dominican women, such as awards, shells and jewelry.

“I thought it was important to add this because it is another way of showing what makes up a Dominican woman’s identity as well as getting a glimpse into the culture itself,” Valerio’s statement continued.

One piece in the gallery that made a powerful statement was Kasey Morales’ “Tribulations.” It details the hardships Latinas face everyday. There are several features of the painting that represent a unique challenge Latinas constantly face.

“The fruit basket represents how Latinas are tropicalized. We are seen as exotic, hypersexualized beings with no substance,” Morales wrote in her statement. “The utensil is about how women are expected to be housewives and cook… The money is about the males associated in our lives. They are the ones who earn the money in the household. The angel is about religion and how we are expected to be indulged in holy studies and be Catholic.”

Some pieces focused on the idea that Latin identity stems from your Latin roots. One of these pieces was Rosemarie Ayala-Soto’s “Las Raises: The Roots.” Her piece features a tree with hands instead of a tree trunk reaching into the dirt. Each of the tree’s roots are named after one of Ayala-Soto’s ancestors.

“The wrist/tree trunk signifies the shared common history, bonds, solidarity, strength, pride, and the ‘root of all’ future growth,” Ayala-Soto wrote. “This piece serves as a constant reminder of who I am and where I come from — a young woman from Guayama, Puerto Rico with a long line of farmers, sugarcane workers, teachers, pilots, bankers, cooks, military and Independence fighters.”

In the other gallery room, Dr. Daisy Verduzco Reyes of UConn gave a presentation based around her book “Learning to be Latino: How College Shapes Identity Politics.” In her presentation, she discussed topics such as self identification, ethnic boundaries and racial equalities, which are all covered in-depth in her book.

Overall, the exhibit was an excellent way for people who do not know much about Latin culture to educate themselves and for Latin students to gain a sense of identity and empowerment.