WEPArt Colectivo

WEPArt Colectivo A multidisciplinary collective of Boricua artists based in Indiana dedicated to celebrating, preserving, and sharing Puerto Rican culture.

¡Aún con nuestros corazones hinchado de alegría!❤️💙🤍 Our hearts are still full of joy!The opening of “Our Island of Trea...
07/28/2026

¡Aún con nuestros corazones hinchado de alegría!
❤️💙🤍 Our hearts are still full of joy!

The opening of “Our Island of Treasures: Puerto Rican Voices from Indiana” was more than an opening reception — it was a celebration of our community, our culture, and the stories that connect us across generations and geography.

To everyone who joined us at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture (The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture), thank you for making this milestone so meaningful. Whether you traveled from Indiana, Illinois, Puerto Rico, or beyond, shared a conversation with an artist, brought your family, or experienced NMPRAC for the first time, your presence reminded us why we do this work.

We are deeply grateful to Billy and Veronica Ocasio, Yesica Ortiz, Ignaik Cruz 🇵🇷, Elías Carmona Rivera, and the rest of the The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture Family for believing in our vision and welcoming our collective into this special and meaningful space.

Thank you to our partners, supporters, volunteers, families, and friends who helped make this exhibition possible – This moments belong to ALL OF US. Your encouragement carried us every step of the way.

As Indiana-based Puerto Rican artists collective, this exhibition is both a love letter to our island and a reflection of the lives we’ve built beyond its shores. We hope these images capture share a glimpse of the joy, pride, and connection we experienced together on opening day.

If you weren’t able to join us, “Our Island of Treasures” remains on view through February 2027. We hope you’ll have the opportunity to visit and experience these stories for yourself.

From the ¡WEPArt! (weh-pah) Colectivo 🇵🇷 to our community — ¡gracias por caminar este camino con nosotros! 🇵🇷❤️



📸 Credits: Elías Carmona Rivera; Jose “Quique” Serrano; Ethan Riccie; M. Sol Eckert; nettieviera_art; and André Zhang Sonera

Meet the Artist: André Zhang Sonera (André Zhang Sonera)1️⃣ Day Until OpeningOur final featured artist is photographer, ...
07/24/2026

Meet the Artist: André Zhang Sonera (André Zhang Sonera)
1️⃣ Day Until Opening

Our final featured artist is photographer, André Zhang Sonera.
🇵🇷📸🇨🇳

André explores identity, memory, and place through photography that transforms everyday moments into reflections. As a Puerto Rican-Chinese artist, his work examines the intersection of heritage and belonging —finding beauty in the spaces where cultures meet.

Tomorrow, the ¡WEPArt! (weh-pah) Colectivo 🇵🇷’s stories come together in “Our Island of Treasures.” We can’t wait to share our treasures with you.

• Opening Reception •
Saturday, July 25, 2026
11:00 AM–2:00 PM CT
National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture (The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture)
Chicago, IL

Meet the Artist: Nettie Viera (nettieviera_art)2️⃣ Days Until OpeningToday’s featured WEPArt Colectivo member is Nettie ...
07/23/2026

Meet the Artist: Nettie Viera (nettieviera_art)
2️⃣ Days Until Opening

Today’s featured WEPArt Colectivo member is Nettie Viera
Painter. Chiropractor. Lifelong creative.
🎨🩻🪷

Nettie explores Puerto Rican identity through expressive landscapes, abstracts, and still lifes that celebrate spirituality, joy, and connection to place. Through bold color and expressive forms, she reminds us that home is more than where we live - it’s the stories, traditions, and spirit we carry with us every day.

Experience Nettie’s work in Our Island of Treasures: Puerto Rican Voices from Indiana, opening in two days on July 25, 2026 at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture (The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture)



Meet the Artist: Carlos Sosa Pagán (Carlos Sosa)3️⃣ Days Until OpeningHow do you honor tradition while creating somethin...
07/22/2026

Meet the Artist: Carlos Sosa Pagán (Carlos Sosa)
3️⃣ Days Until Opening

How do you honor tradition while creating something entirely your own?
🎖️🇵🇷🏠

Today’s countdown features multidisciplinary artist Carlos Sosa Pagán.

Carlos merges contemporary design with Puerto Rican symbolism, history, and Indigenous visual traditions. His work honors the past while imagining new ways to celebrate cultural pride.

Experience Carlos’ work in Our Island of Treasures: Puerto Rican Voices from Indiana, opening in three days on July 25 at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture (The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture).



Meet the Artist: Frances Ruiz (Frances A. Ruiz)4️⃣ Days Until OpeningWhat happens when you “paint with paper”?📃✂️🖌️Today...
07/21/2026

Meet the Artist: Frances Ruiz (Frances A. Ruiz)
4️⃣ Days Until Opening

What happens when you “paint with paper”?
📃✂️🖌️

Today’s featured artist is Frances Ruiz, a Puerto Rican visual artist whose vibrant collages celebrate movement, memory, and emotion.

Frances continues to draw inspiration from Puerto Rico while weaving together the experiences that have shaped her life both on and off the island. Rich organic colors, layered textures, and dynamic compositions invite viewers to discover hidden details on the beauty of culture carried across generations and geography.

Her work beautifully reflects the connections that remain, regardless of distance.

Uncover Frances’ hidden messages in Our Island of Treasures: Puerto Rican Voices from Indiana, opening this Saturday, July 25 at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture (The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture)



¡Felicidades to our The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture Familia on their well deserved accreditation fr...
07/21/2026

¡Felicidades to our The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture Familia on their well deserved accreditation from American Alliance of Museums — the highest recognition a museum can achieve in the US!

NMPRAC is now the FOURTH Latino Museum in the United States to achieve this achievement and the ONLY Puerto Rican museum in the Continental US to earn this accreditation!

This is a victory for Puerto Rican artists and creatives both in the diaspora and in the Island, for cultural champions and keepers, and every person who believes that Puerto Rican arts deserves to be preserved, shared, and celebrated.

Congratulations to the entire NMPRAC Familia for their vision, leadership, and unwavering commitment to our cultural heritage and its treasures — ¡Sigamos Plantando Banderas! 🇵🇷

Con mucho cariño,

The Familia

📸: Our first introduction/visit to NMPRAC in February 17, 2024 thanks to a collaboration/museum exchange between Anaís Cezanné Caro and Daniel Del Real.

Meet the Artist: Ricardo Rosamar (Ricardo Gabriel Rosa Marcano) 5️⃣ Days Until OpeningToday’s featured artist is Ricardo...
07/20/2026

Meet the Artist: Ricardo Rosamar (Ricardo Gabriel Rosa Marcano)
5️⃣ Days Until Opening

Today’s featured artist is Ricardo Rosamar.
An artist that brings tridimensional life to his craft.
🎨📐💐

Working across both 2D and 3D media, Ricardo creates colorful works that celebrate heritage while embracing innovation. His art reflects the bridge between where we come from and where we continue to grow.

His perspective reminds us that Puerto Rican identity continues to evolve across generations and geography.

Let Ricardo’s work flourish your senses in Our Island of Treasures: Puerto Rican Voices from Indiana, opening this Saturday, July 25, 2026 at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture (The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture) in Chicago.



Meet the Artist: Ángel Olivera (Angel Olivera) 6️⃣ Days Until OpeningArt isn’t confined to a canvas, it can also be fash...
07/19/2026

Meet the Artist: Ángel Olivera (Angel Olivera)
6️⃣ Days Until Opening

Art isn’t confined to a canvas, it can also be fashioned.
🧵🪡👗

Meet Ángel Olivera, whose artistry comes alive through fashion.

Ángel has spent decades creating custom garments that combine craftsmanship, elegance, and artistic expression. Every design tells a story of heritage, creativity, and identity.

Discover how fashion becomes fine art in Our Island of Treasures opening this Saturday, July 25, at the National Musuem Puerto Rico of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture (The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture).

 PuertoRicanArtists

Meet the Artist: Ita García (Ita Garcia Mosaiks)7️⃣ Days Until OpeningToday’s our spotlight shines on Ita García.Artist....
07/18/2026

Meet the Artist: Ita García (Ita Garcia Mosaiks)
7️⃣ Days Until Opening

Today’s our spotlight shines on Ita García.
Artist. Educator. Community builder.

🎨📚🏘️

For years, Ita has celebrated Puerto Rican heritage through murals, mosaics, installations, and vibrant mixed-media works that bring people together. An educator and mentor to others, she uses her craft to inspire the next generation of creatives and artisans.

Her joyful use of color reflects the beauty, resilience, and traditions that continue to inspire her, reminding us that culture flourishes when it is shared in community.

Our Island of Treasures: Puerto Rican Voices from Indiana, opens (A WEEK FROM TODAY!) Saturday, July 25 at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture (The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture) in Chicago.

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Indianapolis, IN

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