We had the good fortune of connecting with Joel Cruz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joel, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I pursued a career in art because I believe in preserving culture through art. I believe if I can make ppl curious enough through art I can make them curious enough to dig deeper to research who they are .

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a diaspora Puerto Rican raised in New Haven, I am a self taught artist . I create Indigenous Caribbean art with the intent to preserve culture , I believe through art we can preserve culture and I chose to make art from the petroglyphs left behind by our ancestors, I create images that hopefully make people curious enough to want to dig deeper and learn about there roots or for someone interested in indigenous Caribbean culture to learn . I also create maracas , bowls , cups out of gourds from Boriken (Puerto Rico) and carve images on the petroglyphs that were used by the indigenous people in the Caribbean . I like using my art as a way to open conversations about a culture that is still well alive and still part of the Caribbean culture still.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Theirs a collective of ppl I can thank back in 2015 I went back to school to get my diploma and I met this teacher and best sellers author named Suzanne Palmieri. She seen one of my drawings and suggested that I should pursue a career in art she push me to continuously create with her help. I created my first portfolio. Shortly after that my sister Carmen Merced seen my portfolio and she created my first art page so I can start sharing my art publicly . Most recently Hazel Lebron has who has café named Madeleine’s Empanaderia in New Haven, ct she uses her cafe to give artist opportunity to be seen monthly. She has giving me the opportunity to be her curator. I’m thankful for all them and how they have helped me grow as an artist and as a person

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