Cultural Exchange to Cuba Tuesday, October 25 through Tuesday, November 1, 2016 Join the Newark Museum on a fascinating 7 day/6 night trip to Cuba. The island remains a mystery to all but the most adventurous Americans. The Newark Museum is once again collaborating with Cuba Cultural Travel, a US based tour company. The emphasis of the trip will be cultural interaction with the Cuban people. Cuba has a rich and varied heritage dating back to colonial times. We will be hosted by a variety of local scholars and artists who will offer in-depth commentary on art, history, architecture and religion. Our expert guides will give us a privileged “behind the scenes view” seldom granted to American visitors. The vibrant contemporary art scene will play a prominent role in our itinerary and we plan on meeting artists, visiting studios, museums, galleries and art schools. Representing the Newark Museum on this trip is our own Chief Curator and Curator of Decorative Arts, Ulysses Grant Dietz. We know that he will add a depth of knowledge and insight and fun and will enhance your experience. Havana offers a treasure trove of architectural styles that few cities can match. From Colonialism to Modernism, the city has benefited from the fact many neighborhoods have remained unchanged for generations. Music is omnipresent in Havana and our schedule will satisfy all tastes. From Latin Jazz to the sounds of the Buena Vista Social Club, music is never far away as you walk the streets of Old Havana. We invite you to join us and take advantage of this unique opportunity to explore Cuba before the inevitable changes take place. NOTE: We are awaiting news regarding non-stop commercial flights becoming available from a variety of U.S. cities, including Newark. Airfare costs & flight schedules should become known this summer. Airfare will be ADDITIONAL to the cost of trip. At the time of this writing, the cost for the JFK-HAV-JFK charter flight is approximately $900USD and does not include baggage fees. We will contact you directly once confirmed flight information becomes available. RESERVATIONS ARE LIMITED AND ARE ON A FIRST-COME, FIRST SERVED BASIS. Best regards, Merle Lomrantz Director of Member Travel Services JOURNEY -TO- CUBA A Cross-Cultural Educational Exchange October 25 - November 1, 2016 Organized by Cuba Cultural Travel ITINERARY (Subject to Change) DAY 1 Tuesday, October 25 Morning Depart for Havana. Flights and cost to be determined. Afternoon Check-in to Hotel Parque Central. This five star hotel is considered the finest hotel in Havana and perfectly located in the central part of Havana. All rooms include a safe deposit box free of charge. Hotel Parque Central Neptuno, esquina Prado y Zulueta, Havana, Cuba Tel. 53 7 860 6627 Some historic landmarks surrounding your hotel include: Havana’s Central Park and the first monument erected in Cuba (1904), dedicated to National Hero Jose Marti. The Capitolio Nacional, a fabulous monumental building inspired in the Capitol model and built in 1929 by Cuban and foreign artists. Gardens designed by famous French landscaper Jean Claude Nicolas Forestier. The Bacardi Building, erected in 1930 and remaining today one of the most fabulous examples of art deco in Cuba. The Sevilla Hotel, remodeled in 1923 by the American firm of Schultze & Weaver, and the recently restored lavish Palacio de los Matrimonios, the former Casino Espanol of Havana, built in 1914 by Luis Dediot. Evening Meet in hotel lobby and walk a few steps from the hotel to Centro Asturias. The evening begins with cocktails at Bar Asturias and a private performance of Cuban music and dance. The band leader is Professor Alberto Faya has been working as a musician, professor and researcher within the Cuban musical world since 1973. He has won national awards in music and musicology. He will be joined by several young musicians who will treat us to a lively journey through the history of Cuban music. Welcome dinner at Las Terrazas on the 3rd floor of Centro Asturias. DAY 2 wednesday, october 26 Complimentary breakfast is served daily at the restaurant on the lobby level from 7am to 10 am. 9:30 am Lecture by Arch. Isabel de Risgol, a renowned architectural historian and conservationist. This presentation will take place in a conference room at the Parque Central Hotel. ITINERARIES SUBJect to CHANGE © 2016 CUBA CULTURAL TRAVEL Depart for walking tour of Havana Vieja. Please make sure to wear comfortable shoes! Visit the Plaza Vieja. This plaza is the oldest plaza in Havana, dating from the 16th century. Learn about the massive historic reservation program which began in this Plaza under the leadership of City Historian, Eusebio Leal. We visit the Director at the Escuela de Taller where we will learn about the Restoration Project that is underway in Havana Vieja. This urban rehabilitation project is preserving the architectural history and cultural heritage of this beautiful city. We will visit a construction site and meet with engineers, builders, woodworkers and other craftsman utilizing traditional handcrafting methods to preserve the authenticity of these once - and soon to be once again - resplendent structures. Visit the Plaza de San Francisco, a cobbled plaza surrounded by buildings dating from the 18th century, dominated by the baroque Iglesia and Convento de San Francisco dating from 1719. 1:00 pm Lunch at Paladar Mercaderes. This impeccably restored mansion is a welcome retreat from the bustling streets of the old city. We enjoy delightful tapas and a selection of seasonal specialties. Visit Plaza De Armas, a scenic tree-lined plaza formerly at the center of influence in Cuba. It is surrounded by many of the most historic structures in Havana as well as important monuments. Visit the Taller de Gráfica Experimental located on the Plaza de la Catedral. The Taller is Havana’s printmaking and lithographic workshop. It is a studio, a school and most of all, an art institution that preserves and develops the sophisticated art of print making with relative freedom of spirit and form. We will be welcomed by artist Yamilis Brito and several fellow printmakers that belong to the guild. The artists will display their works and be available for personal exchanges. We will return to the hotel via Obispo Street, a pedestrian promenade, stopping at some of the most significant buildings uch as the Art Deco Style La Moderna Poesia, the Ambos Mundos Hotel, and the banks of the former Havana Wall Street. Some may choose to visit La Bodeguita del Medio, the most famous of Hemingway’s haunts. Dancing and fun where Hemingway enjoyed the famous mojito and famously declared “Mi Daquiri en Floridita y mi Mojito en Bodeguita”. Remainder of afternoon free. 7:30 pm Dinner at Paladar San Cristobal. About a 10-minute walk from Parque Central, this cozy paladar has a reputation of excellence in both atmosphere and local cuisine. The food is refined and balanced (enjoy dishes like gazpacho, tender lobster, crème carmel) and the nostalgic atmosphere is unforgettable, adorned in a unique style of art nouveau. DAY 3 thursday, october 27 9:15 am Meet in the hotel lobby and board bus. 9:45 am Artist studio visit: The Merger. A collaborative venture created under the name of “The Merger” consisting of artists Mario Miguel Gonzalez (Mayito), Niels Moleiro Luis, and Alain Pino. The Merger recreates ubiquitous and mundane objects on a grand scale, presenting palatable socio-political metaphors to their viewers. ITINERARIES SUBJect to CHANGE © 2016 CUBA CULTURAL TRAVEL 10:45 am Artist studio visit: 3/31. This new cooperative is home to three young and very talented Cuban artists: Adrian Fernandez, Alex Hernandez & Frank Mujica. They belong to an emerging constellation within the island’s contemporary visual arts scene working in three different mediums (photography, painting, and drawing) and refined technique, the artists explore conflicts and problems existing in present day Cuba. The artists will receive us in their studio space and discuss their work. Visit to Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA). One of the few major architectural projects completed in Cuba in the early 1960s, this remarkable post-revolution campus is the premier school in Cuba for students studying music, visual arts and performing arts. Castro commissioned Cuban architect Ricardo Porro and two Italian architects, Vittorio Garatti and Roberto Gottardi forthis tuition-free, educational institute built on a former golf club. “Cuba will count as having the most beautiful academy of arts in the world.” – Fidel Castro (1961) We will be joined by Architect Universo Francisco Garcia Lorenzo, 1988 graduate of Civil Engineering & Architecture Institute in Russia. Universo has done extensive work for the Ministry of Construction La Habana (1988-2010) and is currently with the Projects & Engineering Services for the Ministry of Culture. Since 2007 he has also served as a Professor of Architectural Design at the Instituto Superior Politecnico in Havana. Tour the whimsical home & studio of artist José Fuster who has made a major contribution to rebuilding and decorating the fishing town of Jaímanitas in the outskirts of Havana, where he lives. Jaímanitas is now a unique work of public art where Fuster has decorated over 80 houses with colorful ornate murals and domes. 1:30 pm Lunch at La Foresta in the Playa neighborhood. This upscale restaurant features a garden terrace, spacious lounge area and delicious, contemporary cuisine. Optional visit to Sephardic Community Center in Vedado (to be arranged by your escort.) 4:30 pm Return to the hotel. 7:30 pm Dinner at the famous La Guarida Restaurant. One of the best restaurants in Havana and famous not only for its delectable dining, but also as the location for the film “Strawberry and Chocolate.” It is housed on the third floor of a large, old town house carrying the charming ambience of the 1920’s.