Cuba, Up Close and Personal via Photos and Conference

 

Photos: Chip Cooper

The Obama administration loosened some restrictions on relations with Cuba; then Cuba shut down again, at least enough that a stunning exhibition couldn’t take place as planned last year. You still can’t just hop on a plane and go like you might go to Puerto Rico. But The University of Alabama is offering a second chance to take a close look at Cuba, via the photographs and a conference, that hasn’t been possible for most Americans since 1962.

In 2003, The University of Alabama was able to travel to Cuba after receiving an academic travel license to initiate educational development and cooperation. UA photographer Chip Cooper has been several times since then and returned with stunning photos and an agreement to a joint exhibition, “Side by Side,” with Néstor Martí, which has already shown in Havana’s Julio Larramendi Gallery in the Hostal Del Havana, and will show at UA next month.

above: Nestor Marti (l) and Chip Cooper “Side by Side”

 

Havana at night

As part of UA’s second Cuba Week, October 10-13, 2010, you’ll be able to see images of Havana, other parts of Cuba, and the “beauty and grace” of the Cuban people as seen through these photographers’ eyes and lenses.

The exhibit’s opening is scheduled for October 11, 2010, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 in the Grand Gallery of Smith Hall on the UA campus. The photos will remain on exhibit through December.

For information on purchasing limited edition photos, contact Chip Cooper at ccooper@ur.ua.edu or 205-348-8329.

Longer-range plans include a book-length publication from The UA Press in 2011.

Cuba Week Conference

At this year’s Cuba Conference, UA faculty will highlight their collaborative research along with their Cuban counterparts, and UA students will discuss their Cuban study abroad experiences. Speakers will look at Cuba through a variety of topics, including geography, astronomy, biology, art, architecture, politics, archeology, and much, much more.

 

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