Once again we are privileged to welcome an amazing group of international artists into our community. Clustered from two geographical locations – South America and Eastern Europe – these six artists have already formed a strong bond with each other and with aspects of the Cleveland art scene. As you will see from their first few weeks here, they have enbraced the cold, the city, our cultural institutions and many of our young people already. We can’t wait to see what will come over the next two months.

This is the second in a series of ongoing blogs introducing you to our new artists.

Beatriz Garcia-Huidobro – Chile
Hosted by Verb Ballets

Beatriz is now fully engaged in her Creative Fusion activities! She has been attending Facing History High School where she helps students with creative writing in Spanish. Beatriz has translated Verb Ballets’ Carnival of the Animals narration into Spanish and the Facing History students are working on the recitations. In May, Verb will perform the ballet at the school and the students will deliver the narration in both Spanish and English. She has also begun visiting the residents at Eliza Jennings and Eliza Bryant nursing homes to gather personal stories. She will work with the Verb dancers to create works about these life stories that will be performed at the nursing homes in May.

Beatriz has enjoyed getting to know the Verb dancers on a social level. They have visited the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Rock Hall, where she was especially impressed by the Elvis Presley exhibit. She has also met two professors of Literature at Case Western Reserve University. One of them is Chilean and the other is Cuban. Beatriz assisted with two lectures: one about poet César Vallejo and the other about teaching Quechan in Peru. She has been invited to give a lecture there in April where she will discuss the Chilean social novel in the twentieth century. Beatriz has also begun working on a Chilean story as a screenplay for a ballet.