The Student Union exploded with Latin rhythm and flavor on Friday, from the strong beats of salsa and meringue music to the visually stimulating art at the 24th Annual Latino Art and Food Festival.
Three months of preparation went into the event, which exhibited a mix of unique artistic perspectives from many different Latin nations.
"This event is an opportunity for us to promote and honor our cultures, as well as celebrate our diversity amongst the nations that compose Latin America," said Joan Ferreira, a junior business administration major and the president of the Latin American Student Association.
"There is art from Chile, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, as well as Afro-Latino nations like Haiti," said Narcisa Paez, a junior sociology major and event coordinator.
About 80 people attended the event to support the Latin American Student Association as well as gain knowledge about Hispanic artistic influence.
"This is LASA's smallest event by far, our biggest being the annual culture show we put on in April," Paez said.
The art show featured traditional wooden and metal carved sculptures, oil paintings reflecting village life, as well as a graffiti piece that showed the modern side of the event. All the unique sights were lent to LASA by UB students from their trips to different Latin American countries.
Afro-Hispanic masks from the Dominican Republic were also exhibited, each representing a different deity.
"The Yoruba tribe who traveled from Nigeria to the Caribbean made these masks to honor their gods," Ferreira said.
Painted clay plates and bowls with drawings of life in Ecuador and Chile were on display next to Spanish clothing, quilts and blankets, as well as handmade Peruvian musical instruments.
"I was most impressed by the two paintings by Edwin Batista," said Christopher Warner, a senior computer science major. "I love the bold colors and the common Puerto Rican village setting, they were beautiful."
Paez said there was a reason the festival focused so much on art.
"We wanted to emphasize the importance of art in Latin America, and show the contribution that we have made to art around the world," Paez said.
After the art show, dinner was provided upstairs in the Flag Room, while attendees were treated to a variety of performances, from a slow and serious poetry to a fast paced, energetic dance.
The featured keynote speaker of the event was professor Craig Centrie of the Latino Studies and the Romance Language departments.
"We chose him because he wants to set up a Latino art class at UB, he knows the great contributions Latinos have made to art and wants to spread his knowledge to the whole university," Paez said.
By the end of the evening, coordinators and students agreed the event had been a success.
"Our goal was to leave people with the feeling that in four hours they experienced Latin America completely, from its food to its beautiful art to its dance and song," Paez said.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
