Non-State-Sponsored Artists
Distinct from many nations in Latin America, the Caribbean and the global north, the arts in Cuba are regulated by the Ministry of Culture. Artists are trained at a number of state institutions. The state does not recognize private art education. Many artists are trained at the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA), this is Cuba's premier art school, considered a top institution for fostering artistic talent since 1976. The ISA provides training in visual arts, music, dance and communication arts. Graduates of the ISA are exclusively employed by the Cuban state and licensed to work as artists within and outside of the country. Only licensed artists are permitted to exhibit and disseminate their works on the island. As such, the Cuban government formally distinguishes between licensed state artists and non-state artists, often described as "independent artists."
Independent artists, described in this guide as Non-state-sponsored artists, whether self-taught or previously trained within the Cuban education system, are artists deemed by the state to be producing art without a government-issued license to practice as artists. This limits access to formal employment as artists, exhibition space, and the ability to show and sell their works.
Cuba's training and employment of artists has been established since the early years of the revolution, and in 2018, Decree 349 expanded guidelines curtailing the private and public exhibition of art and increasing penalties for "independent artists" showcasing and disseminating their work. The artists listed within this guide under the category of "Non-State Sponsored Artists" have taken on the task of producing and disseminating digital art on and beyond the island, with the understanding that doing so would be in violation of Decree 349. Some of the artists listed within this guide under the "non-state-sponsored artist" category have been pioneers within Cuban digital art. The popularity of their works and the informal circulation of their art have influenced the state's interest and investment in digital art. This, alongside the global interest in digital art/AFT's, have played a significant role in the state's development of digital art forms. See the tab "State-Sponsored Artists" and the artists listed under that tab for examples of works by state licensed artists that incorporate themes of scarcity and resilience.
Commentary by K. L. Cespedes