With close to a dozen Cuban films on the program—including several New York and world premieres—the 12th annual Havana Film Festival New York lived up to its name, offering moviegoers throughout the city an opportunity to catch the latest fiction features, documentaries, and short films from the island.

Last month, Cannibal/Carnival: Elio Rodríguez and Douglas Pérez Castro opened at London’s Breese Little Gallery, where it runs through July 21. In this two-part series, Orlando Hernández, the exhibition’s curator, shares his reflections on the artists’ work: their commonalities, their differences, and their contributions to contemporary art in Cuba. Look for Part 2 tomorrow.

For citizens of other countries, national awards for curatorship and art criticism may seem like an impossible ideal. But they’re an annual occurrence on the island, offering a glimpse of the cultural currents that have shaped exhibitions and arts writing in Cuba over the previous year or so. Here, a look at the recently announced winners and their work.

In Cuban theater, the name of Carlos Díaz (b. Bejucal, 1955) is invariably associated with some form of provocation. Writer and critic Norge Espinosa Mendoza invited the director of El Público to share his memories and experiences of twenty years in the theater.

Carlos Estévez opens a show in Zurich, Jorge Santos Marcos solos in Miami, an exhibition of Cuban photography opens in Chelsea, and Carlos Quintana gets ready for a show in NYC.

Late last month, the Lucas Awards celebrated the island’s thriving, inventive music video scene in a weekend of concerts and presentations in Havana’s Karl Marx Theater. Here’s a quick round-up of the top clips, leading off with a quadruple winner.

Sparked by an article in the New York Times about picadillo, in September 2014 we published an article about Cuban cookbook author and television chef Nitza Villapol. It struck a chord with readers, who had their own memories of growing up with Concina al minuto. To kick off the holidays, here’s an encore appearance by Nitza, video included.

This past year has seen some notable public art installations, particularly in the New York area and Southern California. Here’s a quick look at some of the works by (and about) Cuban and Cuban American artists that debuted in 2018–2019.

Recent openings and upcoming shows shift the exhibition spotlight to Havana, as a German magazine expands the focus on Cuban graphic design. In New York, a new show opens at The 8th Floor, Agustín Fernández solos in Miami, and Cuban artists join a subconscious dream show in California.