Havana Dreams: Gabby Goes to Cuba

Recently I was accepted to the University of Pennsylvania's Penn-in-Havana summer program. This program will introduce students to the art, architecture and public culture of Cuba, both historically and today. While in Cuba, I will tour various artists' studios, collections, architectural monuments, and historical sites, and attend the 2015 Habana Bienal exhibition of international contemporary art. While this opportunity is definitely worthwhile, I need your help with its associated costs...

I fell in love with Cuba long before I understood its intertwined history with the United States. I can remember the deep penetrating voice of Celia Cruz reverberating through my childhood memories. I can recall daydreaming of dilapidating edifices ejecting character, intensity and truth; the walls speak for themselves. I can picture my virgin feet caressing the aged cobblestone roads patterned together and broken apart like poetry. I can feel the calls to Yemayá, Ochún and Shangó as if they were the beats to my own heart’s rhythm. I can also remember, however, the piercing reality I felt when I began to comprehend the tensions between my home country and the country I spent so many hours painting in my thoughts and dreams. I knew I would get to Cuba one day but politics and unrest guarded my ambition.

I decided to apply to the Penn-In-Havana  program off of a leap of faith.

The Penn-In-Havana program provides dreamers like me with the opportunity to tap into our personal and professional endeavors in a place that, many times, seemed out of reach. As a prospective city planning graduate student, I am captivated by the unique historical preservation of Cuba’s urban center. The baroque grandeur and colonial influence of weary buildings are part of Cuba’s architectural identity. It is a distinguishing and historically rich city on the brink of major changes. Cuba is a city planner’s paradise to study the dynamics of urban culture.

Through previous work experiences I have learned the importance of art in developing and sustaining communities around the country. In Cuba, art is an endemic component of its being. By understanding the art of a community, you can begin to understand its people, its politics and its plight. While in Cuba, I will be attending the Bienal de la Habana , a global celebration of contemporary art that showcases artists from Afganistan to The Congo to Brazil to Jamaica and of course, Cuba. 

Cuba’s arts culture holds such a great political influence and embodies the pain, struggle, triumph and hope of an entire nation.

Recently, I was accepted into the Master of City Planning program at the University of Pennsylvania. This program ranks 3rd in the nation for its innovative and hands-on curriculum. I am truly blessed and constantly in a state of gratitude. My acceptance to the Penn-in-Havana program was the icing on the cake.

In a couple months, I will be on my way to Cuba but I NEED YOUR HELP.

Your donations will cover:

University of Pennsylvania program fee ($3300) which includes:
Stay in Havana for one week
Cultural activities/Excursions
Airfare from Tampa, FL to Cuba

I also plan to bring feminine hygeine products to donate to Cuban women in need during my stay which brings the total amount needed to $3500. 

All donations of ANY size are welcome and GREATLY appreciated.

I leave for Cuba on May 22nd and will return back to the States on May 30th. However, the tuition bill for the Penn-in-Havana program will be generated on April 29th.

Thank YOU for choosing to be a part of my journey! I will prove to be one of your greateast investments!