The fourth iteration of Selecta RD 2026 wrapped up its three-day run in Santo Domingo’s historic Colonial City, closing with a moving awards ceremony that celebrated the diverse group of innovators and caretakers keeping Dominican traditional craftsmanship alive.
Hosted at the Hodelpa Casa Real Events Center, this year’s gathering centered on the evocative theme “Taíno Footprints in Dominican Crafts”, weaving together public exhibitions, peer-to-peer academic discussions, interactive cultural programming, and formal recognitions to highlight the deep Indigenous roots that shape modern Dominican creative work. Organizers chose to dedicate the 2026 edition to Fernando S. Lemoine, a beloved master potter and visual artist whose decades-long career has spanned creation, education, and advocacy for Dominican craft traditions.
A cross-section of leaders across fields earned recognition for their contributions to the Dominican craft ecosystem this year. Renowned archaeologist and researcher Manuel García Arévalo took home honors for his decades of work documenting and preserving Taíno cultural history, while Lourdes Camilo de Cuello was recognized for her sustained advocacy supporting working artisans and growing the country’s creative industries. Rodolfo Espinal was acknowledged for his work tying Dominican craft promotion to the country’s thriving tourism sector, and energy firm Seaboard Clean Energy earned a special distinction from the Dominican Republic Chamber of Commerce and Handicraft Production Foundation for its consistent backing of local cultural initiatives.
The event’s programming went far beyond awards, offering deep dives into Taíno heritage for attendees and participants alike. A dedicated gathering for wood carvers and sculptors kicked off with a lecture from historian José Guerrero, who shared new and existing research tracing the ongoing legacy of Taíno creative traditions across modern Dominican craft. A community-focused “Taíno Gathering” led by Manawa Kuya Ni featured traditional-inspired ceremonial rituals, live folk music, and cultural dance, while Maguá Museum director Ilonka Vásquez offered a rare live demonstration of the mayohuacán, a traditional Taíno ceremonial drum rarely seen in public programming.
The event’s closing Taíno Night ceremony added another slate of recognitions, honoring a new group of craft leaders including José de Ferrari, Ramona Heureaux, Miguel Ángel Camilo, and Soraya Medina. Three prominent Dominican jewelry creators also took home awards: Gisselle Mancebo, widely known as “the queen of larimar” for her distinctive work with the local blue gemstone, alongside Fátima Polanco and Emelinda Pérez.
The core public exhibition at Selecta RD 2026 showcased hundreds of works from master artisans hailing from every region of the Dominican Republic, spanning wood and stone carving, sculpture, leatherworking, ceramics, and jewelry. A unifying thread across nearly all displayed pieces was the intentional integration of Taíno-inspired symbols, geometric shapes, and cultural motifs, tying contemporary creative practice directly to the country’s Indigenous ancestral roots.
Selecta RD 2026 was created and curated by Valentín Guerrero, and produced in official partnership with the Coopera Banreservas Program. The gathering brought together a broad cross-section of stakeholders, from working independent artisans and fine artists to academic researchers, cultural managers, small business entrepreneurs, tourism industry leaders, and members of the international diplomatic corps based in the Dominican Republic. In addition to core partners, the event received major backing from a network of supporting institutions including Fundación Refidomsa, Seaboard Energía Limpia, Banco Popular Dominicano, Centro Cultural Banreservas, JCDecaux, Asociación Cibao de Ahorros y Préstamos, and Plan International.