Under the Spell of the Palm Tree: The Rice Collection of Cuban Art 

Tampa Museum of Art

February 6 - July 6, 2025

 

Curators: Gabriela Azcuy and David Horta

 

CURATORS' ESSAY

LIST OF ARTISTS

ARTWORKS 

EXHIBITION VIEWS

ARTIST'S VIDEOS 

EVENTS AND MEDIATION PROGRAMS

PUBLISHED CATALOG

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Under the Spell of the Palm Tree 

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Under the Spell of the Palm Tree: The Rice Collection of Cuban Art distills an expansive art odyssey into a concise and affecting love story. In losing themselves to a journey of exploration of Cuba, the Rice family of Tampa found an abiding passion for the country’s art and artists.

 

Their curiosity transformed into commitment. As their knowledge of Cuban culture deepened, their art collecting goals solidified. The members of the Rice family realized their passion had led them to a shared goal―to build an informed and significant collection of contemporary Cuban art. 

 

Under the Spell of the Palm Tree is a look into the heart of their evolving collection.

 

Deviating from a traditional historical narrative, the work is presented as more of a compass than a timeline―a map for a journey begun in 2013 and continuing today. 

 

As curators, we culled 87 works of art from among more than 235 in The Rice Collection. We organized the work into six broad themes: The Language of Forms and the Forms of Language; The Prophet’s Dream; The Great Journey; Sensory Landscapes of Memory and Desire; The Musings of Narcissus; and The Spirit of the Real, the Reality of the Spirit. This thematic organization guides the viewer through art genres and styles―and the perspectives of two generations of collectors in the Rice family.

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LIST OF ARTISTS

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Belkis Ayón, Waldo Balart, Abel Barroso, José Bedia, Cundo Bermúdez, Tania Bruguera, Iván Capote, Mario Carreño, Liset Castillo, Marco Castillo, Salvador Corratgé, Pedro de Oraá, Juan Roberto Diago, Roberto Diago Durruthy, Carlos Enríquez, Roberto Fabelo, Ernesto Javier Fernández, Adrián Fernández, José A. Figueroa, Carlos Garaicoa, Inti Hernández, Alex Hernández, Ricardo Miguel Hernández, Jesús Hdez-Güero, Alberto Lago, Wifredo Lam, Jorge Lavoy, Ernesto Leal, Glenda León, Reynier Leyva (Chino Novo), Kadir López, Jacqueline Maggi, Manuel Mendive, Frank Mujica, Mabel Poblet, Eduardo Ponjuán, René Portocarrero, Pedro Pablo Oliva, Ángel Ramírez, Sandra Ramos, Enrique Riverón, René Francisco Rodríguez, José Rosabal, Lázaro Saavedra, Emilio Sánchez, Tomás Sánchez, Esterio Segura, Rafael Soriano, Alfredo Sosabravo, José A. Toirac, Alexi Torres, Antonio Vidal, José Angel Vincench.