The Arts, the Artists, and the State: Cultural Policy in 1940s Cuba

• In Event: Revisiting Caribbean Populisms: New Perspectives on 1940s Cuba and Puerto Rico

Abstract

There is an erroneous, yet widely shared understanding that, prior to 1959, Cuba had no cultural policy for the development of fine arts. This paper demonstrates that a well-built net of state institutions allowed governments during these years to shape and regulate Cuban artistic life. Government institutions developed ambiguous populist policies. Policy makers sought to promote patriotic sentiments and national identity through art, but they often did so by prioritizing and promoting Western elite cultural forms through music, visual arts, ballet, and literature. By doing so, policy makers contributed directly or indirectly to understandings of what was considered ‘good’ artistic taste, what constituted a ‘Cuban culture’ worthy of support, and what artistic forms placed Cuba among other ‘civilized’ and ‘modern’ nations. On the other hand, the state was involved in the welfare of Cuban artists by producing legislation that advanced their interests, such as guaranteed employment, better wages, and the right to receive a pension and paid holidays. Support for the arts became a source of government legitimacy: cultural policies served as a measuring stick to evaluate government performance and effectiveness. Conversely, governmental legitimacy built through effective cultural policies increased citizens’ expectations about state involvement in and support for national arts and for artists, contributing to the development of strong ties between the arts, the artists, and the state.

Author

• Cary Aileen Garcia Yero, Harvard University