Diseñando Identidad: Community Education, Design, and Politics in Puerto Rico

In the mid-twentieth century, Puerto Rico’s first elected governor, Luis Muñoz Marín, developed a radical educational program that leveraged design, film, and art to provide basic education for predominantly rural Puerto Rican communities. DIVEDCO (the Division of Community Education), a government sponsored program led by artists and designers, exemplified the disparity between the colonial regimes that pushed for modernization and Americanization of the island and the resistance movements that inspired Puerto Rican patriotism and a search for identity and cultural voice. These talks will serve as an introduction to Puerto Rican 20th century (typo)graphic design history with a focus on the individuals who helped lay the foundation for a vibrant tradition of visual and graphic arts both on the island and across the diaspora.