Siempre Pa’lante is a multidisciplinary exhibition curated by artist JOËL Cintron containing new work by JOËL and other Puerto Rican artists local to the Greater Hartford region. The exhibition’s title translates to “Always Forward” and draws inspiration from the commonly used Puerto Rican phrase,
“Sigue Pa’lante” or
“Keep moving forward.”

  • SIEMPRE

  • VAMOS

  • PA'

  • LANTE.

Meet the Boricuas

The purpose of this exhibition is to proudly celebrate Puerto Rican culture while exploring the complicated history of the island of Borinkén (or Borinquen), which was named “Puerto Rico” (or “Rich Port”) by the Spanish in 1493. The island served as a Spanish colony from 1493 until 1898, when it was transferred to the United States after the Spanish-American War. Although Puerto Rico is listed as a “unincorporated territory” or “commonwealth” of the United States, the island has and continues to experience colonial exploitation and underrepresentation in the United States government. For these reasons, many Puerto Ricans migrate to the mainland for better-paying jobs and a better life for their families.

This exhibition seeks to educate and explain why many Puerto Ricans chose to call Hartford and Connecticut home.

Purpose

Curator’s Statement

As a kid growing up as a third-generation Colombian-Puerto Rican American, I often struggled with my identity, especially growing up in Newington, where there weren’t many students like me: students whose grandparents migrated here and spoke Spanish at home. I often felt like an outsider, wondering why my maternal and paternal grandparents chose to move to this tiny state in the Northeast United States. 

For this exhibit, I chose to focus on my Puerto Rican roots. I learned through research that without Puerto Ricans migrating en masse to Hartford during the 1950’s there would be no Spanish-speaking community nor resources for other Latinx people who would follow from the likes of Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and other Hispanic countries. Although Puerto Ricans born after April 25th, 1898 were granted U.S. citizenship in 1917 with the Jones-Shafroth Act, their migration to the mainland is comparable to any other immigrant group. They have experienced the same trials of assimilation: learning the language and social mores, xenophobia, lack of resources and representation. This exhibition’s goal is to celebrate Puerto Rican culture while exposing the many disadvantages, historical traumas, and identity crises that Puerto Ricans continue to face in the United States.

Similar to a museum exhibition, I created multiple layers of storytelling throughout the TheaterWorks lobby with a historical timeline, an interactive map of Puerto Rico, a visual slideshow, and a gallery transformed into a Puerto Rican living room-installation, complete with artwork from local Boricua artists. 

Siempre Pa’lante is dedicated to the memory of my abuelito (German), my abuelita (Nereida), my dad (Herman), and my aunt (Eva) who are no longer with us. The living room assembled is an homage to the one they lived in on South Street in the South End of Hartford, filled with Puerto Rican artifacts.

-JOËL Cintron

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