CRAM - Cuba Exchange

CRAM's relationship with Taller Cultural "Luis Diaz Oduardo" in Santiago de Cuba began in 2008 during an exhibition of José Armando Medina at the Niagara Artists' Centre when he met CRAM Director Tobey C. Anderson and they began to collaborate and develop the relationship between the two groups of artists.

In April 2009 CRAM organized "Terra Incognita", a group exhibition of Cuban artists held at R@Gallery in Niagara Falls, Ontario. 

"Dos Grupe de Siete (+1) / Two Groups of Seven(+1)" was an exchange group exhibition at Galeria Oriente in Santiago de Cuba with CRAM members Tobey C. Anderson, John Venditti, and Alan Flint as Artists-in-Residence at Taller Cultural in April-May 2009. 

Cuban artists selected for the Exchange Exhibitions were:  Israel Tamayo Zamora, Miguel Angel Lobaina, José Armando Medina, Jorge Luis Chávez, Vivian Lozano Caballero, Jorge Knight Vera, Orestes Larios Zaak, Gregario Pérez Escobar.  The CRAM artists were:  Tobey C. Anderson, Carolyn Wren, John Venditti, Melanie MacDonald, Steve Remus, Sandy Fairbairn, and Ernest Harris, Jr.

The Canadian exchange exhibition "Dos Grupos de Siete (+2)" was held at Mount Carmel Museum - Art Gallery, Niagara Falls October 2 - 30, 2009 and included local sculptor Ryszard Litwiniuk. Cuban artists Israel Tamayo Zamora, Miguel Angel Lobaina, José Armando Medina, Jorge Luis Chávez, Vivian Lozano Caballero came to St. Catharines for 4 weeks as artists-in-residence September 27 - October 15, 2009.

"La IIave (The Key)" was a group exhibition of small works by Taller Cultural artists held at CRAM September 18 - October 12, 2009.  See exhibition panorama.

Artist residencies brought Mauricio Reyes Aranda, Vivian Lozano, and Jorge Luis Chavez to St. Catharines for residencies and exhibitions at CRAM and Pan Cafe in 2010. John Venditti, Alan Flint, Carolyn Wren, and Tobey C. Anderson went to Cuba the same year for residencies.

In the fall of 2010 six members of the "La Raza" Group went to Santiago de Cuba for a mural project and residency. Also in 2010, Toronto print artist Jerry Silverberg travelled to Cuba twice for residencies and print projects at Taller Cultural.

Anderson and Wren presented "The Lion and The Lamb", a two person exhibition at Galeria Universal in March 2011. In November and December 2011 Anderson is in residence for 6 weeks on an Ontario Arts Council International Residencies Program grant.

In 2013 three Cuban artists will bring the work of 12 artists from Santiago de Cuba for a group exhibition and residencies at the St. Thomas-Elgin Public Art Centre.

Encuentro Internacional de GRABADO

In December, 2009 Carolyn Wren, Tobey C. Anderson, and Alan Flint traveled to Santiago de Cuba for Encuentro Internacional de GRABADO, a formative international print event organized at Taller Cultural.  For the month of January 2010 John Venditti was an international participant in Internos, the bi-annual international mural event.

Alan Flint was Artist-in Residence for the 2nd print event in 2010, and in December 2011 Flint, Anderson, and Carolyn Wren will represent Canada at the 3rd event, "Grafik"

CRAM Press

Cuban Print Master José Armando Medina supervises Canada's smallest print studio and coordinates small format intaglio, colograph, silkscreen, and relief print projects.

CRAM International Print Symposium
October 2009
Participants from Cuba, United States, and Canada met to discuss developing an international print event in St. Catharines.

Visual Culture of the Americas Workshop 2010
April 17, 2010
Hosted by Brock University in collaboration with SUNY Buffalo
Waterless Lithography Workshop
CRAM Press

Contact: Dr. Maria del Carmen Suescun Pozas
Download workshop, activity and conference outlines

Downtown Banners

CRAM artists created 20 images for banners of famous local celebrities that are installed throughtout the downtown core.  Sponsored by the St. Catharines Downtown Association, new celebrity images will be added on a bi-annual basis.

Steve Remus, Melanie MacDonald, Ernest Harris, Jr., Natasha Pedros, and Tobey C. Anderson.