Newsletter: April – June 2026

fcinfo2025
Aug 12
6 min read

We share the most noteworthy moments and activities we have carried out at Fundación Cortés during the April–June 2026 period. During this second quarter, we continued implementing our flagship program, Educa Cortés: El Arte del Bienestar y la Salud Mental, through which we conducted 6 workshops, reaching 190 participants from 6 different municipalities (Guaynabo, Loíza, San Juan, Aguadilla, Arecibo, and Caguas).

This program seeks to address cultural deprivation, academic learning gaps—with an emphasis on the reading comprehension crisis—and the mental health crisis, integrating works of art as educational resources for emotional management, creativity, and active learning.

Through tailored workshops, we foster teamwork, creative expression, socio-emotional development, and critical thinking, aligned with the five core values of Fundación Cortés: Culture, Identity, Self-Sufficiency, Social Justice, and Dignity.

Additionally, we have developed 3 new curricula inspired by works from the exhibition “Territorios: Esplendor/Réquiem/Futuro”, inaugurated in May 2026 and curated by Diana Cuellar Ledesma, PhD, featuring artists from 14 nations. These thematic units have begun to be implemented in our workshops with excellent results, addressing key topics such as self-esteem, leadership, motivation, emotional management, and history.

2026 Evaluation Results:

During this quarter, we completed the analysis of the service and quality evaluations collected between April and June 2026 for the program Educa Cortés: The Art of Wellness and Mental Health. In total, the experiences of 190 participants were evaluated, and the results reflect a very high level of satisfaction and support the effectiveness of the Foundation’s educational model:

88.42% of participants rated the treatment they received as satisfactory.
76.32% felt satisfied learning while surrounded by art.
79.23% highlighted the friendliness of the staff.
89.24% expressed a desire to visit the art galleries again.
79.47% expressed interest in continuing to learn about Caribbean art.

The results confirm that the program is not only an educational experience, but also an emotional and cultural experience that leaves a lasting impression on those who participate.

Below is one of the testimonials we have received from participants in our program:

Inauguration:

On May 27, we inaugurated the exhibition “Territorios: Esplendor/Réquiem/Futuro”, curated by Dr. Diana Cuéllar Ledesma. The works explore the interaction between human beings and their surroundings across multiple scales, worldviews, and historical-political contexts, with an organic emphasis on the Caribbean, in keeping with the profile of the Colección Chocolate Cortés.

Framed within the context of the global climate crisis, the exhibition proposes a conceptual evolution: replacing the traditional notion of “nature” with that of “territory,” broadening its meaning to include not only living elements such as plants and animals, but also non-living components—water and minerals—and intangible dimensions such as light, wind, temperature, and soundscapes.

The works presented explore the interaction between human beings and their surroundings across multiple scales, worldviews, and historical-political contexts, with an organic emphasis on the Caribbean, in keeping with the profile of the Colección Chocolate Cortés.

The curatorial journey is organized into four thematic sections:

• The Sacred: the historical veneration of natural elements as territories of balance and transcendence.

• The Profane: the consequences of extractivism, pollution, mass tourism, and geopolitical tensions.

• The Ludic: territory as a space for enjoyment, community, and well-being—beaches, parks, and gardens.

• The Mystical: imagined territories such as outer space and the depths of the ocean, where mystery and possibility reside.

As a guiding thread, the exhibition draws inspiration from Félix González-Torres’s aporia: “Somewhere better than this place. Nowhere better than this place,” a reminder of the urgency of preserving the planet’s habitability.

At Fundación Cortés, we believe in art as a powerful tool for raising awareness, encouraging reflection, and transforming realities. The exhibition includes works by renowned international artists such as Allora & Calzadilla, Carlos Garaicoa, Ana Mendieta, Sebastião Salgado, Enoc Pérez, Antonio Martorell, José Bedia, Hulda Guzmán, Joscelyn Gardner, among many others, representing a diversity of voices and perspectives that enrich the contemporary discourse on territory. It is also worth noting that the exhibition features a work by the great Puerto Rican Master, Francisco Oller y Cestero.

Un Banquete de Aquí y de Allá: Un Abrazo Cultural

On May 31, we successfully celebrated the third edition of our fundraising event, “Un Banquete de Aquí y de Allá: Un Abrazo Cultural”. More than 450 people joined us for an evening of art, culture, gastronomy, music, and solidarity between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic at the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, in Santurce, San Juan. Through this event, we paid tribute to our brothers and sisters from the Dominican Republic.

It was a tropical afternoon filled with all the vibrant elements of two sister Caribbean islands. Puerto Rican leading actress Cordelia González served as master of ceremonies for the third consecutive year and guided guests through a very special afternoon, during which we celebrated and supported Fundación Cortés in continuing its philanthropic work.

The musical compilation was produced by Ramón Vázquez Martirena, featuring Manolito y la Orquesta La Zonika to the rhythm of salsa, followed by El Conjunto Quisqueya to the rhythm of merengue. The songs were accompanied by dancers who demonstrated the dance style corresponding to each genre.

During the welcome cocktail, we received our guests with delicious appetizers prepared by chef Patrick Escobar alongside students from the International School of Tourism and Culinary Arts at Universidad Ana G. Méndez. Thanks to the extraordinary work of our collaborating organization APUGA (Academia Puertorriqueña de Gastronomía), we enjoyed an exquisite culinary offering featuring 11 internationally recognized Puerto Rican and Dominican chefs, including Augusto Schreiner, Dayanny de la Cruz, Erika Solórzano, Juan Peña, Lorraine Colón, María Franco, María Mercedes Grubb, Marisoll Hernández, Natalia Vallejo, Ricardo de Obaldía, and Saverio Stassi.

Adlín Ríos Rigau, Walter Otero, Alexis Figueroa, and Lyle O’Reitzel (Dominican gallerist) were responsible for the outstanding work as art curators, bringing together the creativity of both islands. Eleven works by local and Dominican artists were presented in the lobby of the Teatro Raúl Juliá at the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico and were auctioned live under the direction of Centro Casas, which once again supported the event as a sponsor. We thank all the artists for donating their pieces.

This event is not only a celebration but also reaffirms our commitment to the Educa Cortés Program: The Art of Wellness and Mental Health. Thanks to the generosity of our attendees and the collaboration of our strategic partners, we were able to raise essential funds to expand the program’s impact, allowing more children and young people to access transformative artistic and educational experiences completely free of charge.

We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to all the participants, donors, and collaborators of Un Banquete de Aquí III, and give special recognition to:

Thanks to your support, we continue bringing art, education, and well-being to communities throughout Puerto Rico.

Guided Tours:

For the inauguration of the exhibition “Territorios: Esplendor/Réquiem/Futuro” in May 2026, we organized a guided tour led by curator Diana Cuéllar Ledesma, PhD. Held on May 30th, this tour offered an enriching perspective on the exhibition and the Colección Chocolate Cortés, while opening the door to a deeper dialogue about the works and allowing participants to explore art from new perspectives. Since its opening, the exhibition has been visited by more than 800 people from 18 municipalities in Puerto Rico and 10 different countries, including Colombia, Spain, the United States, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay, reflecting its international reach and relevance.

Partnerships:

Fundación Cortés continues to strengthen its network of strategic partnerships to advance our mission of educating and inspiring with our passion for the arts of the Caribbean.

Strategic partnerships and collaborations:

Health Fair of the Compañía de Turismo de Puerto Rico.
Jury participation for Congressional Art Competition 2026
Participation in United Way's Earth Week activity.
Participation in the Semana de la Lengua at Baldwin School.
Activity with the Non-Profit Sector Organizations of the Coalición Multisectorial por la Lectura: ¡Todos a Leer!
Meeting with Vitrina Solidaria to establish collaborative partnerships.
Presentation of Fundación Cortés and workshop for Department of Education activity for school principals from the Isabela region.
Participation in an event presenting the achievements of True Self Foundation.
Meeting for the Iniciativa Dulce Tradición with Escuela Montessori Cuna San Cristóbal.
Meeting with documentary filmmaker Ramón Rivera-Moret.

Special Visits:

Visit from Liberty Foundation: Yadira Valdivia.
MassMoCA group.
Visit/guided tour from Hyde Square Task Force, Boston.

New Members of the Board of Directors:

Fundación Cortés welcomed four new members to the Board of Directors: Carlos Cortés Shehab, Ignacio Javier Cortés Shehab, Inez Stewart, and Ángel Torres Irizarry.

Games for a Good Cause:

Fridays featuring dominoes, Rummikub, and Happy Hour at Chocobar Cortés have become ideal opportunities to connect and build new friendships. On the third Friday of every month, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., guests have the opportunity to learn and play while also enjoying the restaurant’s delicious menu.