This Hispanic Heritage Month, LUSMERLIN presents an ethereal immersive art installation titled “The Uncatchable Ciguapa” (Sep 5-Oct 28), and a collection of abstract artworks “We become the color of dreams” (Sep 5- Sept 28). The multi-experiential artist invites visitors to step into the mythical world of La Ciguapa, an elusive figure from the folklore of La Hispaniola (present-day Dominican Republic and Haiti). La Ciguapa is believed to dwell in the woods and rivers of La Hispaniola. Known for her long, flowing hair and backward feet that make her impossible to track, folklore holds that she can only be captured during a full moon, but if held in captivity, she perishes. La Ciguapa symbolizes freedom, mystique, and transformation — themes that resonate deeply with the immigrant experience. The show is hosted at Nuestras Raices, Inc, Casa de la Cultura, in Baltimore — the first and only Latino educational, cultural, and empowering center in the state of Maryland.
This glowing installation features 50, 80-inch height panels suspended from the ceiling, creating an immersive and layered environment where light, texture, and sound combine to evoke a dreamlike forest. Visitors walk through the installation, encountering abstract artworks, poetry, and drawing elements. It opened on September 5th, 2024, with close to 200 attendees.
Key Dates: Artist talk: September 21st from 3 to 4:00 PM. Final reception: October 5th From 5 to 9:00 PM. Hispanic Heritage Month: September 15th through October 15th. The gallery is open most days from 10-5 pm, please call before visiting, as staff sometimes attends cultural events. Phone 443-202-3009. Address: 3403 Gough St 2nd floor, Baltimore, MD 21224.
Video https://youtu.be/CmSCw3QKAHo
Link to images https://drive.google.
About the artist: Originally from the Dominican Republic, LUSMERLIN is a multidisciplinary artist and chemical engineer with a background in textile and cement manufacturing management. She currently splits her time between Philadelphia, PA and Columbia, MD and exhibits her work nationally in museums, galleries and impromptu spaces. She is a 2024 Fellow at Mural Arts Philadelphia. LUSMERLIN’s professional background includes being plant manager of a slag cement plant. LUSMERLIN’s works across media share a thematic interest: womanhood, the immigrant body in space, and the scenes of daily life that accompany her journey of re-discovery in a new land, after she immigrated to the US in 2016.
