No Seasoning: Afro-Cuban Outsider Art Arrives in Miami

An unprecedented exhibition arrives in Miami: No Seasoning brings together for the first time the works of seven Afro-descendant Cuban artists working outside the margins of the conventional art world.

Art from the Margins

The Copperbridge Foundation in North Miami will host this historic show, curated by renowned Cuban art critic Elvia Rosa Castro. It is the first exhibition of its kind to be presented in this city.

The participating artists are:

• Pedro Pablo Bacallao Perdomo
• Gloria de la Caridad García
• Misleidys Castillo
• Isaac Crespo
• Daldo Marte
• Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara
• Martha Iris Pérez Santana

The Double Stigma

What makes this exhibition unique is that it addresses two layers of marginalization these artists face: racial discrimination as Afro-descendants in Cuba, and the stigma associated with outsider art - artists who create outside established cultural and institutional norms.

As curator Castro explains, these creators live in “extremely vulnerable conditions and systemic disadvantages.” Their art, however, transcends these limitations with a visual power that defies stereotypes.

Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara: Art as Resistance

Among the featured artists is Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, founder of the San Isidro Movement and one of the most recognized voices in Cuban artistic activism. In 2021, Time magazine named him among the 100 most influential people in the world.

Otero Alcántara, a self-taught artist born in Havana’s San Isidro neighborhood, has been arrested multiple times for his performances criticizing the Cuban government. He is currently serving a five-year sentence in a maximum-security prison in Guanajay. Amnesty International declared him a prisoner of conscience in 2021.

His early works included sculptures of human figures, animals, and comic book characters created from salvaged materials - a perfect example of Cuban outsider art ingenuity.

A Breath of Authenticity

The title No Seasoning encapsulates the show’s philosophy. Castro describes it as a “ten-minute stop” - a moment of respite and pure authenticity in a world dominated by:

• Standardization
• Censorship
• Logocentrism
• Rigid social conventions
• Persistent colonial structures

It is, according to the curator, an exhibition of “radical nakedness” in the sense of honesty, transparency, and absence of socio-cultural rituals.

Beyond Collage

The presented works span multiple media:

• Collage
• Drawing
• Sculpture
• Photography

Each piece offers a resilient, exceptional, and non-stereotypical vision of how these artists confront their reality. The works come from the NAEMI Collection (National Art Exhibitions of the Mentally Ill), thanks to the support of Juan Martin, NAEMI’s Executive Director.

Special Programming

In addition to the exhibition, complementary events will be held:

Panel Discussion - March 4, 2026 “Channeling Wellness Through the Arts” - Elvia Rosa Castro will converse with Silvia Quintana, CEO of Broward Behavioral Health Coalition, about how art contributes to wellness and recovery.

Drumming Circle - May 22, 2026 The South Florida Wellness Network will conduct a participatory percussion experience led by a person in recovery, marking the exhibition’s closing.

Practical Information

• Opening: Friday, February 27, 2026, 7pm - 10pm
• Exhibition: February 27 - May 23, 2026
• Hours: Monday through Friday, 10am - 6pm
• Location: Copperbridge Foundation, 12500 NE 4th Ave, North Miami, FL 33161
• Admission: Free
• Registration: Eventbrite

A Necessary Window

In times when Cuba faces an unprecedented economic crisis, exhibitions like No Seasoning serve a vital function: they give international visibility to Cuban artistic voices that would otherwise remain silenced.

Outsider art, by definition, exists outside systems of power. These seven Afro-descendant Cuban artists demonstrate that the most authentic creativity often emerges precisely from those margins.