Artists from Santiago de Cuba Succeed in US

Artists with the Bayate group, based in the Julio A. Mella municipality, in this province, had an outstanding participation in the Popular Art Fair held in the city of Santa Fe, in New Mexico. Group leader Luis Joaquin Rodriguez, one of the artists who exhibited his works there, told Prensa Latina that the group finished fifth among popular artists from some 70 countries who took part in the contest.

Rodriguez stressed that the acknowledgement highlights the community legacy of artistic work of this initiative. The group has participated in the last three annual editions of the event and we are prepared to make it in the announcement for 2017.

The naive painter, also known by "El Estudiante" (The Student), stated that the approval to be included depends on a rigorous evaluation by a committee of experts, so participation in the fair is a stimulus by itself.

He noted that the organizers visited the municipality of Santiago de Cuba early this year and verified the local projection of this movement of painters, also called "primitive", which was developed in the region in the early 1990s.

Among the other nations awarded at the event are India, Cambodia and Kenya. The latter was the main winner with a group of women who make interesting crafts, mainly with textiles.