Street Art in Nicaragua Documentary

Hi everyone, I just wanted to share a part of my completed research project with you all about the life of street art and grafiti here in Nicaragua. I wrote a paper about how urban art is used as a form of communication in four types of conversations: political, social [movements], protest, and expressive [personal or otherwise]. I concluded my research by questioning the future of this art in Nicaragua, and thoughts on how it could be even more successful like its neighboring Latin American countries.

I created this short documentary to be paired with my research paper:

While most of it is in Spanish (some parts in English with Spanish subtitles), I hope you can all still enjoy it!

I went to Cuba?

 The semester is nearing the end and things are getting pretty busy here in Nicaragua. I've been living in the city of Matagalpa for the past two-to-three weeks, and I have about a week left here. I've been working hard on a my research project about the life of street art and graffiti in the country. I'll be making a short film to present my work that I can hopefully share with you all in the future. Since that is still a work in progress, I would like to take you guys back to March for an early #ThrowbackThursday.

I could never be disappointed with the view of the street from my house. 

I had the privilege to travel to Cuba for an educational excursion, and I can't express enough how amazing it was. It felt so good to be back on an island again, and a beautiful, colorful island at that. The people were always kind and interesting, always wanting to talk and share with you. The architecture was a Spanish-Colonial style, adding so much character to the city and your surroundings. The cars were old-school cruisers, wagons, and muscle cars - and I have a soft spot for older cars so sometimes I felt like I was melting from the joyous visual beauty of them. Sometimes, it was hard to think about why things in Cuba were so beautiful (to us) and rustic. The reality was that things were old, and often broken, because there was no money to fix things, and the blockade prevented the country from importing a lot of the new things they need or want, like new cars.

We were fortunate enough to hear from many guest speakers about the history, educational systems, economy, current world-standing, and future of Cuba. 

Did you know that Cuba has two monetary systems? Well, they do. That was an interesting subject to hear and talk about. Cuba is working to put the two together and once again, have only one form of payment. Though times can be hard for a lot of people in Cuba, I saw so much giving between the people. Over and over again, the citizens were helping each other with odd tasks or favors. Sharing cars is common, as is trading. We witnessed the trading of a refrigerator and a couch between two houses. When you can't afford what you need (or it isn't being imported), you work with your neighbors, and that was a pretty beautiful thing to see. 

We were lucky enough to make friends and learn from this band of amazingly talented people, "Los Francos."

Student work from the Institute. 

The most thriving and vibrant part of Cuba had to be the culture of the arts. Music, dance, sculpture, painting, printing, photography, cinematography, design, and so many other things were thriving arts in Cuba - it was truly a beautiful thing to see. The young generations were really good at embracing their artistic and creative talents as a means to express themselves, their thoughts, and their lives as Cubans.

It was such a special time for us to be in Cuba - when normalizing relations between them and the United States is such a hot topic, and hopefully continues to be. It will be exciting to see how the future plays out for Cuba and their people.

Hasta luego, Cuba.

Activism Through Art in Matagalpa - My Research Project

I've arrived in a new city! I've spent the last two months living in the capitol city of Managua in Nicaragua, but traveling to other places almost every other week, too. On Saturday, I moved to the city of coffee and chocolate, Matagalpa. I'll be staying here for the next month to begin my research project. It will be a nice change in pace to not be moving around all the time, but I already know I'll be very busy here (like always).

My house looks down from the mountains into the heart of Matagalpa. 

My project will focus on how the people of Nicaragua are using art in public spaces (street art, murals, graffiti) for social change or social movements. Here in Matagalpa, I've already seen a good amount of feminist art; the feminist movement is very alive in this particular city. It's exciting to see how the people are taking to the streets to express their feelings, perspectives, and ignite discussion. Much of the art says things like "La revolución sera feminista o no sera," or "Las mujeres bien portadas rara vez han hecho historia." In English, they say "The revolution will be feminist or it will not be," and "The well-behaved women have rarely made history."

It's exciting to see the amount of willpower and drive that the communities have to change things for the better. I've learned a lot about the people of Nicaragua, and they have such strong hearts. The excitement to continue my research and complete my project is overwhelming, and hopefully I can share it with you all when it is complete!

Aloha from Nicaragua!

I know that I have been out of the country and off of the island for more than two months now, and I am just getting my first blog done now. Internet is not always easily accessible here in the country, in fact, less than 16% of Nicaraguans have access to it. My time here has been incredible and priceless. I've had a plethora of experiences here that have been so diverse, humbling, and fulfilling. I moved in with my family after a few days here, and they have really been the biggest factor in learning more about the culture and Nica way of life. Our houses are all colorful with intricately designed metal around the windows, there is always food being sold in the "pulperias" of the neighborhood (a vendor selling food out of his/her house), and everyone looks out for everyone else in the neighborhood. We've been on the most amazing excursions to el campo (the country), the International Poetry Festival in the city of Granada, the Caribbean coast, and most recently, to Cuba to learn about their strong ties and influence within the Nicaraguan government. There is so much to share and talk about, but I'll focus on our time on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua.

To get across the country from our home-city, Managua, on the Pacific coast, we must trek 8 hours by bus to get to the river, at which we then take a panga boat three more hours until we reach the Atlantic city of Bluefields; it was a long day. This just served as the foreshadowing of the difference between the coasts of Nicaragua, which often gets noted, "as if they were two different countries."

Our 3-hour panga ride was quite scenic

From the city of Bluefields, we then traveled to the Garifuna community of Orinoco. The Garifuna people have descended from some of the only people who were taken from Africa, but not enslaved afterward. The captain of the vessel that was taking them to the Americas to become slaves fell ill during the journey, and their ship crashed on San Vincent island. The Garifuna people were the descendants of the Indigenous and African people who lived on the island before migrating west to Honduras, Belize, and Nicaragua. We were very fortunate to learn about their way of living in fishing, traditional medicine, and reviving their Garifuna culture of language, music, and dance which was almost lost. We felt embraced as guests and family in Orinoco, and were honored to have been a part of their lives.

A fruit in Orinoco used in traditional medicine.

Members of the community show us the "Punta," a Garifuna dance.

Always appreciating the peace and the people of Orinoco. 

Love at first sight

 Before the streets get too busy. There is hardly ever a time when the streets are not flooded with people.

 Enjoying the tour of the islands. It was amazing to find how many North Americans owned island homes here.

 The food here was a little salty, but very rich. It is a must have.