Puerto Rican artists honored in Chicago

Art+by+Kayla+Johnson

Art by Kayla Johnson

It’s all about culture at the 3rd Annual Gala held at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture. The gala, called “Raices: A Celebration of Our Roots,” will be honoring two special guests this year: Lin-Manuel Miranda and Antonio Martorell.

Miranda was born in New York City, and there he developed a love for musical theater and hip-hop. He is the creator of the award-winning musical “Hamilton” and the composer of “In the Heights,” and also he is the most recent recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in Drama. He is currently married to his wife Vanessa Nadal, a scientist, lawyer and MIT graduate, and together they raise their son, Sebastian.

Martorell was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, and is an artist whose line of work includes set and costume design, printmaking and illustration, and according to the festival producers, he is known as “one of the most prolific Puerto Rican artists of the late 20th century and the early 21st century.” In 2006, his residence at the University of Puerto Rico was burned down, but it only further fueled his creative genius. His artwork has been showcased all of over the world.

The gala was held at the museum on Thursday, September 22, from 6 to 9 p.m. From 6-7:30 p.m., there was a small mixer inside the museum itself, which holds Martorell’s legendary artwork and is where special donors could take a picture with Miranda himself. The main event took place from 7:30-9 p.m. outside the museum and featured speeches from the various guests, including the two recipients themselves, live music and dancing and authentic Puerto Rican food. In short, the gala was a special and a memorable night for everyone attending.