BOSTON, MA.- The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (SMFA), is proud to present “‘America’s Paradise’ and ‘Isla Del Encanto’: Contemporary Art from the American Caribbean” on view in SMFA’S Grossman Gallery from September 18–October 13, 2007. The exhibition explores the perceptions and realities about the American Caribbean through the work of established and emerging regional artists.

“‘America’s Paradise’ and ‘Isla Del Encanto’: Contemporary Art from the American Caribbean” showcases current work by 11 artists from the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico who are actively engaged in a serious, often angst-filled conversation about the myth of paradise. Ecological concerns, issues of identity, migration, and the complex economic, political, and social relationships with the U.S. are among the timely topics that inform their work.

“With its long-standing commitment to investigation without boundaries, be it artistic or geographic, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is proud to bring to Boston a selection of contemporary work created by artists from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” says Deborah Dluhy, dean of the School and deputy director, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. “The exhibition presents work that is rarely shown in this area and we are pleased to give our visitors the opportunity to learn about and learn from this frequently visited, but rarely understood part of the world.”

The title of the show incorporates the license-plate mottos of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, respectively. While the slogans evoke a sense of fascination with these exotic locales, they also speak to the popular, yet superficial, perceptions about the Caribbean islands. Romanticized notions about these islands of paradise overshadow the residents of the region, along with their cultures and histories. “‘America’s Paradise’ and ‘Isla Del Encanto’: Contemporary Art from the American Caribbean” honors the islands’ multiculturalism, creativity, and dynamic history through the work of both traditional and experimental artists. Included in the exhibition are paintings and work on paper by Monica Marin, Elsa María Meléndez, Shansi Miller, Maud Pierre-Charles, and Rafael Trelles; sculptures by Luca Gasperi; installations by Edgar Endress and Erik Pedersen; video documentation of installations by Mike Walsh; a video by Quintín Rivera-Toro; and a documentary film by Johanna Bermúdez Ruíz.