Informational Newsletter: July-September 2025

We are delighted to share the achievements reached between July and September 2025, a period in which we reaffirmed our commitment to educate and inspire through our passion for the arts of the Caribbean. During these months, our galleries, educational programs, and cultural activities brought together children, youth, teachers, artists, and the general public who came to experience transformative moments at the Fundación Cortés. In this quarter, 864 people visited our exhibition halls, coming from 11 countries and multiple towns across Puerto Rico.

So far this year our exhibition halls have welcomed 3,005 visitors, and the program Educa Cortés: The Art of Wellness and Mental Health has reached 1,039 children through 40 workshops.

Educa Cortés: The Art of Wellness and Mental Health

Over these three months we held 10 workshops of the program Educa Cortés: The Art of Wellness and Mental Health, reaching 322 children from various towns in Puerto Rico including Bayamón, Carolina, Morovis, San Juan, San Sebastián, and Ponce.

Throughout 2025, we have developed 15 new program curricula in which works from the Colección Chocolate Cortés serve as educational tools and sparks for conversation, allowing us to accompany participants in meaningful processes of reflection and learning. Each piece opens the door to explore different aspects of wellness and growth: From the Fighting Series, by Bahamian artist John Edward Cox, provides a framework to discuss how to identify emotions and find ways to channel them; Dos hermanos, by Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo, enriches conversations about self-esteem and personal value; and Solidaridad, by Dominican artist Mayra Johnson, facilitates the analysis of teamwork and leadership.

Double Your Impact 13+13 Campaign

On July 11 we launched the campaign Double Your Impact 13+13, an initiative to celebrate the 13th anniversary of the Fundación Cortés and support our educational and cultural programs. The campaign, which ended on September 11, invited the community to give with the assurance that their contributions would be matched thanks to the commitment of our social investors.

The initial challenge was to raise $13,000, which would be doubled to $26,000. However, thanks to the enthusiasm and solidarity of those who joined this celebration, we reached nearly $100,000—an achievement that fills us with pride and gratitude.

The funds raised will go directly to strengthening our educational and cultural programs, ensuring that children, youth, and communities in Puerto Rico continue to receive transformative experiences through Caribbean art.

To everyone who contributed—thank you for making it possible for us to continue educating and inspiring through our passion for the arts of the Caribbean!

Noches de Arte y Música: El Colmo de lo Exquisito

We continue to share experiences that bring together art, music, and community through our concert series:

• Wednesday, July 2 – Jerry Medina y la Banda: With the unmatched energy of maestro Jerry Medina, Puerto Rican trumpeter and two-time Grammy winner, we enjoyed an unforgettable evening with Trompeta Criolla and his group.

• Wednesday, August 6 – A lo Celia: Viaje Musical Afrocaribeño: We welcomed three talented Caribbean artists —Tanya Aponte, Paola Vázquez “Ola María”, and Wendy Vizcaino— under the production and participation of bassist Ramón Vázquez Martirena. The evening offered a vibrant repertoire inspired by the great Celia Cruz and Afro-Latin roots.

• Wednesday, September 3 – En clave de jazz: Al son del conservatorio: Cuban pianist Orlando Cardoso presented his new album Passing By, joined by Francisco Alcalá (drums) and Ramón Vázquez Martirena (bass). Additional guests included the trio of bassist Kristian González Luna, pianist Zammy Oswald, and cuatrista Yelipsi Tirado Morales from the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico. This event marked the beginning of a new collaboration with the Conservatorio de Música, which promises future joint experiences. The evening also served as the stage to celebrate the 13th anniversary of Fundación Cortés. The celebration concluded with a very special moment thanks to the spectacular cake prepared by Chocolate Cortés’ Executive Chef, Ricardo de Obaldía, with which we sang happy birthday together with our community.

  
  

In total, these three nights brought together more than 260 participants, who experienced Caribbean music from an intimate, educational, and celebratory perspective.

We also want to highlight the voices of those who join us in these experiences. We share a heartfelt testimony from Alan and Carmen Meyers, allies of the Fundación Cortés, who expressed with gratitude and enthusiasm what it meant to participate in one of our Noches de Arte y Música:

"Buen Día, I just want you know several things about the event last Wednesday. Carmen and I had an absolutely wonderful amazing time. I have been going to museum and Art donor events since 1984 both in Manhattan and Brooklyn to all the august Art institutions. This was by far the best and most enjoyably satisfying experience. First and second places, this and the ten year anniversary celebration. These events were just so genuine attended by kindred spirits instead of people trying to impress others. The planning and table arrangements were excellent. The band was top notch and I briefly was able to talk to the great woodwind player, whose very first note on the flute drew me in ever deeper to the overall experience.

The Fundación Cortés along with your guidance is something that provides hope and light into the ever darkening abyss of the world's worsening conditions. We are ever buoyed by our experiences there. So glad also for your educational aspects which broaden youthful experience and propels them to fully appreciate Art for the rest of their lives."

Publication of the Provocaciones Catalog

This quarter we launched the official catalog of the exhibition Provocaciones: Obras inéditas de la Colección Chocolate Cortés, curated by Mercedes Trelles Hernández, PhD. Available for a donation of $40, the publication captures the richness and diversity of the works on display and is a valuable resource for the appreciation and study of Caribbean art. We remind you that the exhibition can be visited free of charge on Thursdays from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the galleries of the Fundación Cortés.

Cortés in Private

In addition to our educational and cultural initiatives open to the public, the Fundación Cortés offers Cortés in Private, a program that makes our exhibition halls available for private events. This service gives companies, organizations, and individuals the opportunity to host their activities in a unique setting, surrounded by works from the Colección Chocolate Cortés and located in the heart of Old San Juan, with the option of complementing the experience with catering services from Chocobar Cortés. For more information, please call (787) 529-6108.

Alliances

In July, our Executive Director, Adelisa González-Lugo, participated as a member of the Communications and Mobilization Committee in the official launch of the work of the Multisector Coalition for Reading ¡Todos a Leer! for the year 2026. From the community, educational, and philanthropic sectors, we reaffirm our commitment to advancing initiatives that strengthen reading and writing skills among the children and youth of Puerto Rico. In September, we celebrated the 3rd anniversary of the Coalition, an occasion on which we received a deeply moving message:

"Gracias a Fundación Cortés por ser parte del Comité Timón que ha hecho posibles los logros que celebramos hoy en la Coalición. Su apoyo ha sido fundamental para que, en estos tres años, avancemos juntos hacia la visión de que todas las niñas y niños de Puerto Rico lean y escriban al nivel de su grado." - Todos A Leer

On August 14, our Executive Director and our Manager participated in the AFC Summit 2025 of FirstBank and Asesores Financieros Comunitarios, a space that brought together leaders of the nonprofit sector to share successful practices and sustainability strategies. We are deeply grateful to FirstBank for its sponsorship, which made our participation in this gathering possible.

As a result, and thanks to the initiative of Bárbara Rodríguez Burgos, Vice President of the Executive Committee of University Chapters of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce, together with the support of Jesús Cruz Maeso, Executive Secretary of University Chapters, we forged a new collaboration for which we already have a confirmed date. The first event will combine networking, wellness through art, and a wine tasting paired with Forteza chocolate.

Save the Date:

• Saturday, November 152:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

• University students (18+)

• Suggested donation: $10 (non-members) | $5 (members)

• Reservations / info: capitulosuniversitarios@camarapr.net

We also celebrated our more than three-year collaboration with the Centro Educativo de Design Thinking, with whom we have integrated our model to train teachers from public schools. Thanks to this alliance we have been invited to professional talks and events, and new opportunities have opened up with Baldwin School, where we have already implemented Educa Cortés with educators.

Finally, in September our Executive Director traveled to the Dominican Republic, where she worked on regional collaboration projects. It was an honor to attend the opening of the exhibition Luis Cruz Azaceta: Traveling Show to Santo Domingo, sponsored by Cortés Hermanos and presented on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Lyle O. Reitzel Gallery. This high-caliber exhibition celebrates the trajectory of Azaceta, one of the most influential artists of our time, whose work is part of the permanent collections of institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, the Whitney Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and also the Colección Chocolate Cortés, of which we are proud to say he is part.

We also had the opportunity to visit the Banco Popular Dominicano, where we were welcomed by José Mármol and Mariel Bera, who shared with us the valuable work carried out through their Banca Responsable program.

The trip also included a visit to the Centro de la Imagen de la República Dominicana, made possible thanks to Mayra Johnson, artist of our exhibition Provocaciones: Obras inéditas de la Colección Chocolate Cortés. There we delivered the catalog of the show and explored possibilities for future collaboration with colleagues and cultural leaders such as Tamara Valdés San Pedro, Clifford, and Carlos Acero, Director of the Centro de la Imagen.

To close with a sweet touch of cacao, we visited the Centro Cultural Taíno Casa del Cordón, located in Santo Domingo’s Colonial Zone, where its director Carmen Rita Cordero offered us a special tour of this historic space.

These experiences not only strengthen the ties of the Fundación Cortés with institutions and artists in the region, but also broaden our scope of action toward a Caribbean more connected through art and education.

In the press and media: