Loíza in Chicago

Opened: May 2012

Loíza in Chicago was the first exhibition curated and designed entirely by PRAA, inaugurating its new cultural facilities and laying the foundation for the Exhibitions & Collections Program. The exhibition celebrated El Carnaval de Loíza—the Fiestas de Santiago Apóstol—with vivid photographs and authentic handmade masks and costumes crafted by Loíza artisans.

The show transported audiences to the vibrant Afro-Puerto Rican town, where vejigantes wearing coconut masks, bomba and plena rhythms, and community parades embody centuries of cultural fusion and resilience.Beyond the visual spectacle, the exhibition contextualized Loíza as a historic stronghold of Afro-Puerto Rican identity and cultural pride. Visitors explored the spiritual and communal dimensions of bomba, the performative role of vejigantes, and the layered meanings of devotion during the July festivities.

Interpretive texts explained how craft traditions such as mask carving and costume-making transmit knowledge across generations, becoming an archive of technique, ritual, and memory. Photographs were paired with object labels that highlighted materials, makers, and the symbolism embedded in color and form, making the material culture of the carnival accessible to first-time audiences and returning community members alike.After its debut, Loíza in Chicago toured in collaboration with the Chicago Park District, reaching new audiences at Humboldt Park Field House, Douglas Park Field House, and the South Shore Cultural Center.

The traveling presentation emphasized accessibility and neighborhood engagement, expanding the exhibition’s impact well beyond a single gallery run. In tandem with PRAA’s growing curatorial capacity, the exhibition established core practices—community consultation, cultural context, and artifact-forward storytelling—that continue to shape the program today.

This exhibition became the first in PRAA’s “Carnival Trilogy,” followed by Ponce in Chicago (2013) and Hatillo in Chicago (2014).