Research Symposium

BIO

Gabriela Gutierrez is a first-year student at Florida State University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Public Health. Originally from Miami, Florida, she developed a strong interest in healthcare and community service through her experiences growing up in a diverse and service-oriented environment. Gabriela is particularly passionate about researching people and learning about what inspires them, especially individuals whose work creates positive change in their communities.
In addition to her interest in public health and medicine, Gabriela has developed a growing appreciation for the arts. Through researching artists and their work, she has begun to view the world through a different lens, gaining a deeper understanding of creativity, culture, and the ways personal experiences shape expression. This exploration has strengthened her curiosity about the stories and motivations behind people’s work.
After completing her undergraduate studies, Gabriela plans to attend dental school and pursue a career as either an orthodontist or an oral surgeon, with the goal of improving access to quality dental care and serving underserved communities.

Biography Research and Writing Project

Abstract

This research explores Grupo Puré, a Cuban artistic collective active during the 1980s, to expand scholarly and public awareness of artists whose work reflects the period’s social, political, and ideological tensions. The decade was characterized by limited cultural openness, economic strain, and growing encounters with postmodern ideas, creating a restrictive environment for artistic expression. This study examines how the historical context shaped both the collective identity and the individual artistic practices of its members, emphasizing art as a response to lived experience within constrained social conditions.
The methodology of this project is grounded in biographical research and historical contextualization. The primary focus is on the artists Adriano Buergo, Ermy Taño, Lázaro Saavedra, Ana Albertina Delgado, and Ciro Quintana. Their careers are analyzed through scholarly sources, contextual readings, and interviews that situate their work within the broader cultural climate of 1980s Cuba. The research involves collaboration with an FSU graduate research assistant, project curator, and UROP mentor, as well as coordination among student researchers assigned to write individual biographies. This collaborative structure allows for a more comparative understanding of the collective.
The results include professionally written biographies that document Grupo Puré’s artistic contributions and the influences shaping each of its five members. These findings provide insight into how personal experience, political pressure, and social limitations informed artistic production. Ultimately, this study contributes to Cuban art history by highlighting a lesser-studied collective and demonstrating how art functioned as cultural reflection, resilience, and critique during a period of historical tension in Cuba.

Keywords: Art history, Biography, Research, Writing, Art