"31 CFR § 515.574 - Support for the Cuban People"
August 1st - 31st at J WICKES Fine Art Painting & Photography
My show focuses on interactions that “Support the Cuban People” which is one of the twelve Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) general licenses that allow certain U.S. persons to travel to Cuba without a specific license.
The inspiration for this show started in 2015 when President Barack Obama sought to normalize relations with Cuba. As Caterpillar Global Director for Export Controls, my group and I worked with Caterpillar leaders to investigate market opportunities and other ways to support Cuba such as product and financial donations to the Finca Vigía Foundation.
This collection of 37 black and white photographs documents my interactions with Cuban tobacco farmers, artists, musicians, and entrepreneurs. These people work diligently to support themselves and their families in a country virtually cut off from all access to U.S. products and commerce. I found the Cuban people to be extremely proud and welcoming.
All photographs were taken during my February 2025 trip to Cuba offered under license by Complete Cuba with photography partner Tamarkin Camera. Their knowledge and relationships with the Cuban people allowed me to intimately experience and photograph Cuba and its people in ways I could not have imagined.
I hope you enjoy my photographs and come away with a sense of respect and admiration for the proud and industrious people of Cuba.
Kevin Sears
photo credit: Randy Berardi
