Speakers and More 

Vivian Estalella — Featured Artist 

Cuban-American artist Vivian Estalella was born and raised in Miami, Florida in a family of strong independent women. As a little girl, she never played with dolls or toys. Instead, she preferred to spend her time coloring. She was always happier with a box of crayons or paints than a Barbie doll. Always creative, she enjoyed the arts from a very young age. At the age of 15, a trip to Mexico awakened her passion for painting. The intensely rich colors of Mexican art struck a cord and, together with her Cuban roots, formed a style that is both distinctive and uniquely vibrant. The sights, sounds, exotic tastes, and passionate people of the tropics, along with the female form, are all prevalent in her work.

Vivian's work has been featured by many prominent organizations such as the Smithsonian’s Friends of the National American Latino Museum and the world-renown Louvre Museum, and her collection has been displayed at countless art shows. She was also a resident artist at Viernes Culturales, Miami's monthly art fair in historic Little Havana for several years. Today, Vivian’s work can be seen in private collections and exhibited at seasonal art shows. She also teaches art classes and gives back to the community at every opportunity. Many pieces have been donated to auctions benefiting various local charities. 

Attend the exhibit opening for "Hispanidad: A Tapestry Rich in Culture"

Exhibit runs September 20 to October 15 in the Multicultural Center, Baker Room 213 

"Bananeras: Women Transforming the Banana Unions of Latin America" written by Dana Frank — Featured Book 

Women who pick and pack bananas in Latin America have organized themselves and gained increasing control over their unions, their workplaces, and their lives — while making gender equity central in their effort. Highly accessible and narrative in style, and written by the author of the award-winning Buy American: The Untold Story of Economic Nationalism, Bananeras recounts the history and growth of this vital movement and shows how Latin American woman workers are shaping and broadly reimagining the possibilities of international labor solidarity.Includes photographs.

“A wonderful book—entertaining, enlightening, and inspiring. A unique blend of personal stories grounded in a solid analysis of the globalization of the banana economy, the rise of a regional banana workers movement, and the intense internal struggle for gender justice within Latin America's historically male-dominated unions.” — Stephen Coats, former Executive Director, US Labor Education in the Americas Project

Attend the book discussion

Access the book digitally via the Ohio University Libraries