The art of mosaics adorns the new exhibition at Bellas Artes de Caguas

“Essences in Glass,” by artist Marycely Ventura, opens on Thursday, July 10, in the first-floor gallery of the institution.

Catalog

Caguas, Puerto Rico (July 1, 2025) – Artist Marycely Ventura has found diverse ways to unify women, landscapes, and music in the pieces that make up the new exhibition at Bellas Artes de Caguas (BAC), “Essences in Glass.”

Starting Thursday, July 10, the first-floor gallery of the artistic and cultural institution will host nearly twenty works through which the artist explores the healing power of mosaic art.

“These works are not made only with glass, ceramics, or smalti. They are also made with dedication, time, memory, and heart,” said Ventura, who was born in New Jersey and raised in Puerto Rico. “More than an exhibition, I invite you on a journey: to look with the soul, to listen with your eyes, to feel that even in broken pieces there is a miracle. Women, landscapes, and music—like mosaics—are not made to be perfect, but to remind us that what is true is always composed of little pieces that, when loved, fit together,” she continued.

The 19 works feature various female figures, landscapes, and musical instruments, all created with a fusion of vibrant colors that capture the viewer’s attention.

“Mosaic teaches that even broken fragments can form beauty; in the same way, a wounded soul can be rebuilt,” Ventura explained.

The artist began experimenting with mosaics over a decade ago, taking technical courses in glass, ceramics, and smalti (fused glass) with masters from Argentina and Puerto Rico. She currently collaborates with the Escuela de la Cultura in the municipality of Rincón.

“What surrounds the female figure becomes an extension of her inner being. Puerto Rico, with its endless greens and blues, inspires these settings for observing, breathing, feeling, and healing. And around this, there is music. The musical instruments in these pieces are not silent: the cuatro, the guitar, and the violin remind us that the soul has a sound,” said the nurse and pharmacy technician about the exhibition.

“Essences in Glass” will be open to the public during BAC’s regular hours until October 1.

For more information, visit bellasartescaguas.com or follow BAC on social media.