NEW YORK, April 21, 2010 —Art collectors Howard and Patricia Farber announced today the establishment of Fundación Cuba Avant-Garde, an independent, private foundation created to advocate, promote, and support broader recognition and understanding of contemporary Cuban art and culture worldwide.

”Fundación Cuba Avant-Garde is committed to supporting US-based nonprofits and their international partners, whose programming and activities raise awareness of Cuban art and culture," said Howard Farber. “There is brilliant talent in all aspects of Cuban culture—including dance, music, cinema, literature, architecture, and the visual arts—both on the island and internationally. Our goal is to facilitate and bring needed attention to this global creative output.” 

In the current economic environment, Farber noted, cultural organizations are faced with tough financial decisions. “Through our strategic giving, we’re looking to ensure that programs that make a difference—artist residencies and educational publications, for instance—can still flourish.”   

To help fulfill its mission of fostering broader international recognition of Cuban art and culture, Fundación Cuba Avant-Garde has established the website Cuban Art News (www.cubanartnews.org). Featuring a mix of original coverage, aggregated content, and links, Cuban Art News offers news and updates on Cuban art and cultural activities worldwide. The website will cover art exhibitions, film festivals, dance performances, new books of interest, and other cultural topics.

Fundación Cuba Avant-Garde’s founders, Howard and Patricia Farber, have been actively involved in international culture for the past 40 years, both as art collectors and as patrons of the performing arts. “We’re tremendously excited to be taking this step in our evolving commitment to contemporary Cuban art and culture,” said Patricia Farber. “It is, in effect, a commitment to art and culture worldwide, and the part that Cuban artists of all disciplines can play in that international dialogue.”