Cuban Artist Julio Cepeda’s “Made in Cuba” exhibition will be opening on Friday, September 7, 2018. This was a long process, but GoggleWorks Center for the Arts is extremely happy to have him in Reading, PA. In Russ Slocum’s article “Made in Cuba” Makes it to Berks (Finally), he describes the process of getting Julio Cepeda to the states and the difficulty of getting his visa through an interview with Martha and Jay Ressler, members of the Art Plus Gallery, and how they came across Julio’s work.
Julio Cepeda is a found-object artist from Trinidad, Cuba. He manages to make one person’s trash into his own personal treasure. He can turn discarded work into sculptures and 3-D murals of extraordinary beauty, intrigue, and intellectual depth. This process creates a sense of familiarity with the work that he is doing for the community. By using found objects in Berks County, then there is a story that can be told that is representative of what we throw away in the city.
This is an awesome opportunity for the inner-city Reading community to gather into a space that will ultimately be able to represent them in some capacity. His story is one that will resonate with a lot of the local community, but they will also be able to gain a new perspective on how one can view Reading, PA from a completely different country. Julio hopes that people will be able to appreciate his art and want to know more about it. He says “Reading reminds him of his hometown in Trinidad, Cuba.” This was a touching statement, since there is so much culture that can go unnoticed and he is happy to represent the community in the most honest way that he knows how.
Julio Cepeda will also be hosting a workshop on Assemblage that people will be able to attend. Work with him and discover how ordinary objects can be grouped and transformed into more complex and beautiful pieces of art. This style of work is very unique to Julio and what he does. Leave this workshop with a finished piece of recycle, assemblage art and a new way of working. If you are interested, please register HERE.
Julio’s exhibition will open up on Friday, September 7, 2018 at 5:30 p.m. in the Cohen Gallery West and will continue up until October 12. Los Monstros will be playing live salsa music during the event. Belly: Kitchen and Drinkery will be serving refreshments. Parking and admission is free to the event. If you have any questions, please call 610-374-4600.