“Before and After Santa Fe”: A Letter from Cuban Artist Luis Rodríguez Arias
How one artist’s journey to the International Folk Art Market changed everything.
Image courtesy of Peggy Gaustad
In the summer of 2018, we received a letter from Cuban painter Luis Rodríguez Arias, founder of Grupo Bayate, that moved us to our core. At the time, Luis had been traveling to Santa Fe and participating in the International Folk Art Market since 2014. His words captured something timeless—about art, about connection, and the soul of this city.
Now, in 2025, as we look ahead to IFAM’s future, we are revisiting his message and honoring the ripple effect of his story. His letter reminds us that the Market is more than an event. It’s a threshold. A turning point. A space where artists and traditions are not only seen, but deeply valued.
Image courtesy of Peggy Gaustad
The Letter (2018):
From Luis Rodríguez Arias, age 83
Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
“Santa Fe. There is no name more appropriate for this city. Getting to know her has been the most important part of my life in my vision as an artist. My existence as a painter is divided between before and after knowing that city.
The amiability, courtesy, solidarity, generosity, and spirituality that one breathes there denies the existence of egoism, meanness, racism and so many ugly things that degrade human beings.
Santa Fe afforded me the possibility to know and interchange with folk artists from around the world, including other Cubans, that I now know thanks to the Folk Art Market. There I became stronger in my resolve. I felt acknowledged and recognized for my work, and your people appreciated the artistic value of the work I had created.
My participation in the International Folk Art Market contributed decisively to the economic rise of myself and my family, to the development of my work as an artist, and to the support of our community projects in Santiago de Cuba and Mella. As a result of these interactions with other artists and with the public, our goals and projects were legitimized for us in Cuba and in the other countries where we now exhibit.”
Image courtesy of Peggy Gaustad
About Luis & Grupo Bayate
Luis Rodríguez Arias is the founding artist of Grupo Bayate, a self-taught folk art collective based in Santiago de Cuba. Since 1994, the group has represented the vibrancy, resistance, and storytelling traditions of eastern Cuba—through bold, expressive paintings often centered on everyday life, Afro-Cuban identity, and cultural memory. His presence at IFAM helped connect artists from Cuba with the global folk art community and supported the growth of cultural exchange and economic opportunity.
Image courtesy of Peggy Gaustad
The IFAM Legacy, Then and Now
Luis’s story is just one of many that remind us why this work matters and connects us all.
Every artist who comes to IFAM carries with them a legacy—a lived tradition that continues to evolve. Every conversation, every sale, every moment of recognition becomes a building block for something greater.
As we prepare for IFAM 2026 and continue our year-round programming, we remain committed to creating space for artists like Luis—to be seen, supported, and celebrated.
