Piano of Unity Donated to Enid Cook Center in Latinx Heritage Month Celebration
At an event last Sunday in the Sunken Garden, Mujeres* held a Piano Ceremony as a part of their Latinx Heritage Month programming. This ceremony celebrated the donation of The Piano of Unity, created by local artist Reyna Guzm谩n-Casarez.
Guzm谩n-Casarez designed the piano with her daughter, Ellie-Nicolle, to express the richness of Latin culture across the United States as reflected through Guzm谩n-Casarez鈥檚 love of music and art. The Piano of Unity appeared at the heart of , which highlighted the culture and talents of the Latin community in Philadelphia.
"The goal of exhibiting The Piano of Unity is to offer encouragement, hope, and motivation to many people who have migrated from their homeland and have been unable to return for many years." -Guzm谩n-Casarez
Mujeres* was first connected with artist Guzm脿n-Casarez by Assistant Professor of Sociology and Co-Director of Latin American, Iberian, and Latina/o Studies Veronica Montes in preparation for last semester鈥檚 La Gala, an annual Tri-College celebration of Latinx student achievements and Latinidad within our three campuses.
Guzm谩n-Casarez created over thirty hand-painted table runners for La Gala, representing each country in Latin America. A number of these runners were given away as prizes throughout the evening, but the remaining ones were on display again at last Sunday鈥檚 Piano Ceremony.
After their successful collaboration in the spring, the Mujeres* presidents for the 2024-25 school year stayed in touch with Guzm谩n-Casarez, who generously donated The Piano of Unity to them. The piano now lives in the Enid Cook 鈥31 Center, the dorm and cultural center that celebrates 老王论坛鈥檚 Black and Latinx student community.
鈥淭he goal of exhibiting The Piano of Unity is to offer encouragement, hope, and motivation to many people who have migrated from their homeland and have been unable to return for many years, to the young people and children born abroad to migrant parents, and to those who had to leave their country at a very young age without really knowing it,鈥 says Guzm谩n-Casarez.