Informational Newsletter: April-June 2025

We are excited to share the highlights of the second quarter of the year—a period in which we continued to strengthen our mission to educate and inspire with our passion for the arts of the Caribbean. From April to June, our exhibit halls, workshops, and special activities welcomed hundreds of students, educators, artists, and both local and international visitors. In total, 1,133 people visited our exhibit halls, coming from 25 countries and various towns across Puerto Rico.

Educa Cortés: The Art of Wellness and Mental Health

Over the past three months, we conducted 16 in-person workshops through our Educa Cortés program, serving a total of 384 participants from 10 towns in Puerto Rico, including Arecibo, Bayamón, Cabo Rojo, Carolina, Hormigueros, Mayagüez, Naranjito, Ponce, San Juan, and Toa Alta. Visits included public schools, university programs, protective homes, educators-in-training, and grassroots community organizations.

Through tailor-made curricula that integrate artworks from the Provocaciones exhibit, purposeful reading, reflective exercises, emotional work, and group dynamics, we foster self-esteem, leadership, emotional regulation, teamwork, and critical thinking in children and youth across Puerto Rico.

So far this year, we have carried out this program thanks to the generous support of partners such as FirstBank, Peter Alfond Foundation, Someone Else’s Child Foundation, Fundación Antonio Fas Alzamora, the Special Joint Commission for Legislative Funds for Community Impact, and all the business entities and individuals who contributed generously during our fundraising event held in February: Un Banquete de Aquí II. Their support has been essential to continue this educational and transformative work.

On June 26, we hosted a special workshop focused on emotional expression through comics, in collaboration with Zaemelys Ramos Rodríguez, who is currently pursuing her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Alliant International University. We deeply thank Zaemelys for her collaboration and her genuine interest in our educational program.

2024 Evaluation Results

This quarter, we completed the analysis of service and quality evaluations collected throughout 2024 for the Educa Cortés: The Art of Wellness and Mental Health program. In total, we evaluated the experiences of 928 participants, whose responses reflect a very high level of satisfaction and validate the effectiveness of Fundacion´s educational model:

• 94.61% rated the treatment received as satisfactory

• 88.47% felt satisfied learning surrounded by art

• 94.29% highlighted the kindness of the staff

• 92.56% expressed a desire to return to the art galleries

• 86.85% expressed interest in continuing to learn about Caribbean art

The results confirm that the program is not only educational but also an emotional and cultural experience that leaves a lasting impression on its participants.

We share one of the testimonials we’ve received from those who have participated in our program:

El Colmo de lo Exquisito: Tardes/Noches de Arte y Música

This quarter, we continued presenting our concert series El Colmo de lo Exquisito, events that combine visual art, quality music, and community. Three editions were held during April, May, and June:

• Wednesday, April 2 – Dominican Jazz Project. Pianist Stephen Anderson led a night dedicated to contemporary jazz with Dominican and Caribbean influences, accompanied by notable musicians from the project.

• Wednesday, May 7 – Ariacne Trujillo in Puerto Rico. The renowned Cuban pianist and vocalist gave a vibrant performance blending trova, Latin jazz, and Afro-Cuban music.

• Wednesday, June 4 – El Laberinto del Coco. Puerto Rican percussionist Héctor "Coco" Barez presented his innovative project centered on bomba and its contemporary fusions, along with a collective of 14 Puerto Rican musicians and artists.

  
  

These three evenings gathered a total of 214 participants, who experienced Caribbean music from an intimate, educational, and celebratory perspective. These performances were made possible thanks to the sponsorship and support of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, whose commitment to local art and culture strengthens our cultural offerings.

Experiencia Cortés: Entre el Bajo y el Cuatro

As part of our cultural programming, on May 31 we held a new edition of our Experiencias Cortés program, featuring bassist Ramón Vázquez Martirena and cuatro player Fabiola Méndez. Through live music, creative dialogue, sound improvisation, and a curated wine and chocolate tasting, Between the Bass and the Cuatro invited attendees to connect art with the senses, wellbeing, and emotion.

It was an intimate, powerful and multisensorial experience where we engaged with the Provocaciones: Unpublished Works from the Chocolate Cortés Collection exhibition from a new perspective, through the musical interpretations of Ramón and Fabiola. The event opened a profound dialogue, encouraging deep observation and reflection on how visual art and music can interweave to communicate powerful messages.

Guided Tours

As part of our cultural offerings, this quarter we welcomed artist and academic Edgard Rodríguez Luiggi, who led a guided tour of the Provocaciones exhibit. His thoughtful perspective allowed participants to delve into the themes within the artworks, fostering a dialogue between art and history.

Alliances

This quarter, we continued strengthening our network of alliances with institutions committed to culture, education, and social wellbeing in Puerto Rico. We offered a workshop for the Humanidades Puerto Rico team, creating a space for training, reflection, and self-care; we participated in the Todos a Leer literacy summit, actively contributing to the national conversation on Puerto Rican children’s reading comprehension crisis; and collaborated with Dreyfus in the event My First Job, an educational experience about Puerto Rican trades and professions.

As part of our commitment to forming the next generation of professionals in the arts and humanities, this quarter we welcomed Carola Arias, a student at Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, who completed her professional internship at Fundación Cortés. During her time with us, Carola developed a strategic social media plan focused on amplifying our work digitally and helping us establish clear guidelines for future outreach. We are deeply grateful for her contribution, which will undoubtedly help expand the visibility of our programs and values.

Lastly, we want to highlight important alliances with Santillana Puerto Rico and Triple-S, who donate items for the EducaKits distributed to our workshop participants. Thanks to their generosity, we are able to enrich these kits with reading and writing materials, reaffirming our collective commitment to providing tools that address the reading comprehension crisis among students in Puerto Rico.

Who makes this possible

Thanks to the generosity of our donors and sponsors, we continue offering our educational and cultural programs free of charge. To date, we’ve received the support of numerous individuals and institutions committed to our mission, to whom we extend our heartfelt gratitude.

We especially want to acknowledge the steadfast commitment of strategic partners like the Peter Alfond Foundation, who have accompanied and supported our educational mission. We share with gratitude this testimonial message:

“The Peter Alfond Foundation has been a proud supporter of Fundación Cortés' Educa Cortés program and their overarching mission to improve the well-being of underserved communities across Puerto Rico through learning opportunities based in nature, art, and Caribbean culture. From their partnership with Finca Escuela de La Perla to their alliance with the Todos a Leer multisector literacy programs aimed at supporting improved literacy outcomes across the archipelago, Fundación Cortés has been responsive to the most pressing needs of Puerto Rico, integrating these needs into their neuroaesthetic approach to improving the wellbeing of communities throughout Puerto Rico.”

“What makes Fundación Cortés unique is their ability to address cultural disconnection, academic challenges, and mental health concerns through the integration of Caribbean art. They employ a comprehensive model that creates a lasting impact by empowering communities with culturally grounded solutions that strengthen both individual well-being and collective identity.” - Kinyta Smalls, Executive Director Peter Alfond Foundation PR

We are deeply grateful to the Peter Alfond Foundation for their trust, generosity, and shared vision of transforming Puerto Rico through art, culture, and education.

We also want to recognize: Chocolarte, Joaquín Viso & Olga Lizardi, Cortés Hermanos, Fundación por Pobreza Infantil, Lawrence Kent, Puerto Rico Tourism Company, FirstBank, Nabil & Lucy El-Hage, Someone Else’s Child Foundation, BBS Legal, Darjo Foundation, Fundación Vilá-Biaggi, Brent Johnson, Avory and Co., Mary Ann Zacharía Foundation, Motorambar, Dora Cortés, José C. Figueroa Trust, Walmart, Fulcro Insurance, Eduardo Cabrera & Silvia Bonachera, José Andino, Ranger American, Ramón Vázquez Martirena, María V. Santos, Martino Industrial Air, Manuel Vázquez Martinez & Roberto González, Ricardo González, Berta & Guillermo Martínez, Tito & Delia Colorado, Jenny Adams & Daniel Moss.

To all those who support us and join this cause: thank you for making this mission of educating and inspiring through art possible!

Team recognition

We are proud to share that two members of our team, Daniel Coss and Jade Rosario, received awards at the 2025 Ponte Los Cortos Festival, standing out among young creators with awards for Best Director and Best Poster, respectively. This achievement not only honors their talent and effort but also reflects the positive impact of having been part of Fundación Cortés—first as students, and now as active members of the educational staff.

In the press and media: