It was such a pleasure to help Wanda Nieves bring her incredibly beautiful and urgent art exposition to New York. We were especially delighted to once again team with the awesome crew of El Barrio’s ArtSpace PS 109 to cover the walls of the Main Gallery with Wanda’s bright and exquisite color palette. Thanks to our Executive Director, Leticia Rodriguez, for another great job.
From our official press release:
La Casa de la Herencia Cultural Puertorriqueña proudly presents “Borinquen” Wanda Nieves’ Exposition, on Saturday, June 3, at 6:00 pm, at El Barrio’s Artspace PS 109. Join us in welcoming Wanda Nieves, who is coming directly from Puerto Rico to present over fifty pieces of artwork of our island’s natural beauty.
Wanda Nieves was born and raised in New York City. She moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1979 to study at the Escuela de Artes Plásticas del Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña where she obtained a BA in Fine Arts with a concentration in Graphics and Drawing.
Her art is a tribute to Puerto Rico’s past and present natural beauty, which she immortalizes in her paintings. The exhibition has a special meaning due to the constant threat of contamination that our island’s coasts, marine sanctuaries and subsoil are exposed to. Wanda has been influenced by the local topography of the island, which is evident in her artistic expression, and the development of a realistic form of painting and drawing.
For more than forty years, Wanda has witnessed and experienced the changes in Puerto Rico’s natural resources due to natural disasters, coastal erosion caused by climate change and social contamination which have altered and damaged the beautiful landscapes of the island and have led to the extinction of the regional flora and fauna.
The extinction of the island’s flora and fauna motivated her to further preserve Puerto Rico’s natural beauty via her art. Wanda believes that as Puerto Ricans, we all have an obligation to stop the destruction of our country. She hopes that we all contribute towards the preservation of our nation, and that the message of non-contamination reaches those who have the power to make possible the necessary changes to preserve “Borinquen” for our next generations.
Wanda’s Art Exposition includes a collection of paintings and collages made in Mixed Mediums, including oil paint on canvas, acrylics, watercolors, air brush, color pencils, pastels, markers, and collage on paper.