"It is difficult to write the history of a city without mentioning the creators who shape its face," says Othoniel Morffis, president of the Provincial Council of Plastic Arts (CPAP). 

Las Tunas, Cuba.- "Men build cities and these in return give back the essence of their children," says art critic Iris Cruz. The Homenaje a mi Ciudad (Homage to my City) exhibition, inaugurated in the aforementioned institution, captures that breath.

At the inauguration, a poem is heard in the voice of the actress Liusmila Díaz, from Total Teatro: “Why do we make art? Because we cannot and we do not want to let what we have died.” And even the cacophony sounds beautiful to us because of its message. Then the melody of the Chamber Orchestra seeps through the pores. "The city wanted to have a name, / not that of a pen of melancholic cacti ...,” say the verses by intellectual Carlos Tamayo, along with other authors. A confluence of arts; applause.

The first major exhibition held in the province since the COVID-19 began its long momentum summarizes the honor that generations of Las Tunas artists profess to their city, about to turn 224 years old, and to Rogelio Ricardo Fuentes, who was recently awarded the Distinction For the National Culture.

Upon entering the room of the CPAP, we are greeted by Paloma, by Rafael Ferrero. Nearby, is Ayuda, by Armando Hechavarría, whose metal hands seem to touch our souls. And so, along with the works of these founders of the Las Tunas sculpture movement, now deceased, we find others who follow in their footsteps.

“Through 50 creations, 47 avant-garde artists from Las Tunas are represented, from those who designed a path to young people from the Hermanos Saíz Association (AHS) and the José Martí brigade of art instructors (BJM). There are a variety of techniques and styles, including sculpture, installation, painting, drawing, photography,” explains Othoniel Morffis, the curator.

“More than four decades ago I came to Las Tunas when it was a small city. I am fortunate to be at the founding moments of several important institutions such as the now called El Cucalambé professional art school. This exhibition is a beautiful tribute to the Balcón de Oriente (Balcony of Eastern Cuba) and to all of us who have given our hearts to its cultural development,” says Rogelio Ricardo.

For the “purebred” from Las Tunas, as Gustavo Polanco's work is named, it is a necessary exhibition. I invite you to discover your homeland in it.