Jose Campeche piece

By Trina Otero

During a two-week visit in Puerto Rico I was able to explore my heritage. I ate the most amazing foods, saw the most beautiful beaches, trekked through El Yunque Rainforest and swam in a pool beneath a waterfall, and absorbed the most vivid art I have ever seen.

I learned about Jose Campeche and Francisco Oller. Their works are the best I have ever seen, and I’m not sure if it’s because I connect to them somehow or if their talent just appeals to my eyes. I live very close to the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and nothing in there compares to the beautiful paintings I saw inside The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture.

When I returned to Indiana, I was inspired to create a photo gallery [on ChaCha] of artwork created by Hispanic/Latino artists. I dubbed the gallery “Art with Latin Roots: Contributing to US History.” I honestly felt as if I was enriching my education and my soul while putting together this gallery – the artists I found are very talented, full of imagination, and inspirational. I’d love for you to check it out!

Judy Baca art

I stumbled upon Judy Baca, a famous muralist from LA, while I was creating the photo gallery. If you don’t know about her, I urge you to check out my gallery and Google her. Her work is simply amazing. And she produced the longest mural in the world! [With the help of community members, including various gang members.]

Disfrute! [Enjoy]