OCALA, FLA.- The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, presents the exhibition “Flamenco: From Spain to the U.S.,” now through May 24, 2020.

Passionate, fiery, sensual, intense. “Flamenco: From Spain to the U.S.” provides an in-depth and multi-dimensional examination of the history and culture of Flamenco dance and music. Exhibition curator Nicolasa Chávez from the Museum of International Folk Art writes, “Flamenco developed as a folkloric tradition in southern Spain, beginning nearly 500 years ago. Flamenco was learned within the family and passed down through generations. By the end of the 19th century, it had become an art form presented on stage at new venues called cafés cantantes, which first showcased Flamenco in small nightclubs in Spain. The audience was comprised of tourists looking for an exotic experience and local aficionados, seasoned appreciators of the art form.”

The exhibition traces these origins to its arrival in the U.S. and its rise as an international art form. Traditional Flamenco continues as a way of life for the people of southern Spain and in other parts of the country, apart from the staged performance with which it is usually associated. In 2010, UNESCO declared Flamenco a Masterpiece of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Organized by the Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico and circulated through GuestCurator Traveling Exhibitions, the exhibition features close to 150 objects, dating from the late 19th century to the present, including costume, apparel and musical instruments. Other ephemera includes costume sketches and set designs by both Picasso and Goncharova, who collaborated on various pieces with the Ballets Russes.

“Flamenco: From Spain to the U.S.” is sponsored in part by Fine Arts for Ocala, Florida Division of Cultural Affairs and CAMPUS USA Credit Union. Exhibition photos by The Culture Curators.