Oscar B. Cintas - Cintas Foundation

Cintas Foundation

The foundation’s original name, the Cuban Art Foundation, was changed in 1962 to honor its founder. The legacy of Oscar B. Cintas has fostered the development of Cuban artists outside of Cuba for the last 41 years, promoting the professional development of these artists and the continuity of Cuban traditions in art. The foresight of Oscar Cintas has resulted in more than 300 fellowships and grants to creative writers, architects, composers, visual artists and filmmakers, many of whom have later achieved national and international renown. The roster of Cintas fellows is a testament to the talent and creativity of the Cubans and their direct descendants who have lived outside the island since 1959. The Cintas Foundation is the oldest entity in the United States dedicated to the support of artists of the Cuban diaspora.

In addition to the fellowships, the Cintas foundation oversees two major art collections in the United States and sponsors exhibitions curated from these collections. The Cintas Fellows collection is composed of works donated by the fellows in appreciation of the Cintas fellowship. It has grown to be the largest body of Cuban art outside of Cuba and continues to grow regularly.

The Cintas Foundation awards fellowships annually to creative artists of Cuban lineage who are currently residing outside of Cuba.

The Cintas Foundation was established with funds from the estate of the late Oscar B. Cintas, a former Cuban ambassador to the United States and a prominent industrialist and patron of the arts. Cintas Fellowships acknowledge demonstrated creative accomplishments and encourage the development of creative artists in architecture, literature, music composition, and the visual arts. Past recipients include Pulitzer-Prize winning novelist Oscar Hijuelos, playwright Maria Irene Fornes, painter Carlos Alfonzo, photographer Andres Serrano, architect Andrés Duany, poet Silvia Curbelo, sculptor María Elena González, and composer Orlando Garcia.