Our Island of Treasures: Puerto Rican Voices from Indiana
@ The National Puerto Rican Museum
3015 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60622
On view through Friday, February 19th
“These are the treasures we carry with us — across oceans, across generations, and into every place we call home.”
Our Island of Treasures: Puerto Rican Voices from Indiana brings together the work of the ¡WEPArt! Colectivo, a collective of ten Puerto Rican artists based in Indiana, united by a shared passion for celebrating, preserving, and exploring their cultural identity.
This exhibition was born from a desire to challenge disparaging narratives about Puerto Rico and its people by celebrating the treasures of La Isla del Encanto. Rather than defining the island through moments of crisis or misconception, Our Island of Treasures reframes Puerto Rico as a place of extraordinary cultural, historical, ecological, and artistic abundance. Through visual storytelling, the artists share the profound connections they hold with the island’s people, history, landscapes, and spirit, bringing those experiences to audiences across Indiana, the Midwest, and beyond.
Each ¡WEPArt Colectivo! member offers a distinct artistic perspective that contributes to a vibrant and meaningful collective voice. Working across a rich tapestry of mediums, the artists explore themes of memory, ancestry, migration, folklore, resilience, ecology, and belonging. Their works celebrate Puerto Rico’s natural beauty, cultural heritage, and evolving identity – particularly as experienced from afar. Together, the exhibition forms a rich tapestry of artistic expression that reflects both individual journeys and a shared cultural inheritance.
While each artist tells its own story, collectively they affirm that Puerto Rican identity is not confined by geography but continues to evolve wherever Puerto Ricans preserve their culture, build community, and create.
This exhibition is presented by The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture in partnership with ¡WEPArt! Colectivo.
¡WEPArt! Colectivo Members
Elisa Barety, Visual Artist | Indianapolis, IN (Mayagüez, PR)
D. Del Reverda-Jennings, Interdisciplinary Artist | Indianapolis, IN (Ponce, PR)
Mirvia Sol Eckert, Visual Artist | Indianapolis, IN (South Jersey, NJ)
Ita García, Visual Artist | Indianapolis, IN (San Juan, PR)
Angel Olivera, Fashion Designer | Indianapolis, IN (Orlando, FL)
Ricardo G. Rosa Marcano, Multimedia Artist | Greenfield, IN (Cidra, PR)
Frances Ruiz, Visual Artist | Fishers, IN (San Juan, PR)
Carlos Sosa Pagán, Multidisciplinary Artist | Indianapolis, IN (South Bronx, NY)
Nettie Viera, Visual Artist | Indianapolis, IN (Quebradillas, PR)
André Zhang Sonera, Photographer | Indianapolis, IN (San Sebastián, PR)
Curator:
Daniel Del Real
Official Website
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Tags: André Zhang Sonera, Angel Olivera, Carlos Sosa Pagán, D. Del Reverda-Jennings, Daniel Del Real, Elisa Barety, Frances Ruiz, Ita García, Mirvia Sol Eckert, Nettie Viera, Our Island of Treasures, Puerto Rican Voices from Indiana, Ricardo G. Rosa Marcano, The National Puerto Rican Museum
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