Cuba, B Side
Portal is a photographer, audiovisual producer, professor of Art History between 2014-2017 at the University of Cienfuegos. Member of the Hermanos Saíz Association (AHS) and the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC). He has conducted workshops on audiovisual production and social photography with important Cuban and foreign directors and photographers. His photographs have been published in the cultural magazine Ariel, as well as in the Italian magazine Witness Journal. He has illustrated books for the publishing houses Mecenas and Reina del mar. He has had several photographic exhibitions, both personal and collective. Member of the registry of audiovisual and cinematographic creators of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC) and of the National Registry of Creators of Works of Plastic and Applied Arts. He has taught photography workshops at the Benny Moré Academy of Arts in Cienfuegos. Biennial Criticism and Graphics Award in photography by Tablas Magazine 2020. He holds the Seal for the 35th anniversary of the AHS.
My CIVITAS Cuba Experience
Stepping out of the airport, the warm bright sunlight beaming and fans of green palm tree leaves swaying in front of me, I felt like I was back in Senegal. With my fellow Lehman peers and Professor Bertrade Banoum and Professor Betty Wanguri, we escaped the freezing cold of New York City on a research trip to Havana, Cuba.
Thanks to CIVITAS, we not only got to share our knowledge and research during the 28th Scientific Workshop of Afro-American Social and Cultural Anthropology conference, but we also got to learn so much about the incredibly rich and complex history of Cuba. In the 10 days of our trip, we also visited Matanzas, Cienfuegos, and Trinidad, experiencing new art, architecture and meeting locals along the way.
On our first day, we were treated to a fashion show and got to meet the designers. They shared their ethos, their vision for their brand and the ways they come up with their designs. The models descended the staircase gracefully, and showed off the dresses and outfits that represented Cuban and Afro-centric culture.
Everyone should study abroad at least once
Drexel University offers several short-term study abroad courses called intensive courses abroad. These ICAs are typically taken during breaks between quarters and are followed by traditional classroom assignments like papers during the usual quarter time frame. One of the more unique opportunities offered by Drexel is the chance to go to Cuba. The United States has had turbulent relations with the island nation since the early 1960s, and travel to the country is still tightly controlled. Several students shared their impressions of the course with me in a series of discussions regarding Cuba and studying abroad.