SANTIAGO — A landmark new exhibition showcasing never-before-seen creative works from Dominican revolutionary icon Minerva Mirabal has opened its doors to the public, launched jointly by the Banreservas Santiago Cultural Center and the Mirabal Sisters Foundation to mark 100 years since Mirabal’s birth. Titled “A Century: The Artistic Dimension of Minerva Mirabal,” the show pulls back the curtain on a little-documented side of the national heroine, inviting visitors to engage with her legacy beyond her renowned political activism.
The exhibition’s collection spans a range of mediums: intimate personal photographs, hand-executed paintings, and textured sculptural works that explore Mirabal’s artistic sensibilities. Across landscapes, formal portraits, and everyday genre scenes, the displayed pieces demonstrate Mirabal’s experimentation across multiple artistic movements, from the soft color palettes of Impressionism to the bold experimental forms of abstract art.
For event organizers, the exhibition serves a dual purpose: it stands as a heartfelt tribute not only to Minerva, but to all four Mirabal sisters — Patria, María Teresa, and Dedé, who alongside Minerva became iconic symbols of resistance against dictatorship in the Dominican Republic — and creates a rare public space to recognize Minerva’s long-overlooked identity as a creative producer.
Curated by established art scholar Guadalupe Casasnovas, the show pairs 16 original works created by Minerva Mirabal with nine additional pieces from contemporary and fellow Dominican artists, creating context that connects Mirabal’s creative practice to the broader Dominican art ecosystem. The exhibition is hosted at the Banreservas Santiago Cultural Center, housed in the historic former Hotel Mercedes building, and will run for public viewing through June 5 of this year.