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Mel Fisher Maritime Museum

Key West

Voyage To FreedoM: Cuban Rafters

Participants

Holly Ackerman, PhD is the Librarian for Latin American, Iberian and Latino Studies in the Duke Libraries’ Department of International and Area Studies. She is an active participant in the Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials and the Latin American Studies Association. Holly is the author of The Cuban Balseros: Voyage of Uncertainty which established the foundational demography and history of the 1994 Cuban raft crisis. She has also published on topics related to the Cuban diaspora and Caribbean migration. Her work has appeared in the journals Cuban Studies; Encuentro de la cultura cubana; and Latino Studies. She is a contributing editor and author in the award-winning collection of essays Cuba.

Meiyolet Mendez is the Interim Esperanza Bravo de Varona Chair, Cuban Heritage Collection at University of Miami as the Librarian for the Cuban Heritage Collection (CHC), one of three special collections in the University of Miami Libraries. She manages the Reading Room, provides instructional sessions, research consultations, acquires material of interest to the mission of the Collections, and coordinates exhibits.  Born in Cuba, Mei came to the USA at age 14. In her role as exhibit coordinator, she works on physical and digital exhibitions, often those with Cuban themes.

Commander Clinton J Prindle is the Chief of Response for Coast Guard Sector Key West.  He is responsible for coordinating all Coast Guard response operations in the Florida Keys and Southern Florida Straits.  His primary tasks are ensuring effective maritime border security, mitigating spills and hazards to the critical maritime ecosystems of the Florida Keys, rescuing mariners in distress, and enforcing federal maritime law. CDR Prindle is a certified law enforcement boarding officer with over 300 safely executed boardings. 

Rob O'Neal has been living in Key West since 1996 and working as a photojournalist with the Key West Citizen newspaper since 1997. He shoots regularly for the Associated Press with freelance assignments from Havana to Grand Bahama. Originally from Ohio, he quickly fell in love with Key West’s beauty. His coffee table book                 Key West Photo Safari features images from Key Largo to Key West. Rob chronicles Cuban arrivals for the newspaper and was first on the scene at the Marianna’s landing in Key West. 

Raul L Rodriguez is an architect with more than 30 years of experience in the fields of architecture, urban design and interior design. Mr. Rodriguez is the current chairman of the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum board of trustees. He has served as Chairman of the Florida Building Commission, as Chairman of the Miami-Dade County Art in Public Places Trust and Chairman of the Historical Association of Southern Florida. He is a frequent speaker on Cuban architecture and culture.

Yordan Silvera is a multidisciplinary artist, designer and illustrator born in Havana. He studied fine art painting at Escuela San Alejandro, the Cuban National Academy of the Art, and graphic design at The Corcoran College of Art and Design. Art has always been part of his life. Growing up between Havana and Washington DC, he lives a constant dichotomy between politics and patriotism, religion and morality. His work reflects everyday impressions and experiences as a Cuban-American artist in the middle of a political and ideological back and forth between the two countries in which he grew up.


Yordan has graciously lent the museum use of his painting The Journey  from the Freedom Sail Series; this painting reflects a very common issue in nowday’s Cuba. "In seeking freedom and better opportunities, Cubans will try anything in their journey to cross the 90 miles to reach the United States. They will even transform cars and trucks into some sort of a water vehicle. Some make it, and others die in the attempt."

For information call the Mel Fisher Maritime museum at 305-294-2633

Exhibition and public programs have been funded in part by:

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