In May 2024, I traveled with Weber State faculty and students to Cuba to study the impact of mass media restrictions on a populace. In addition to fulfilling the requirements for the study abroad coursework, I also received funding to produce a visual arts project titled CUBA: 13 Days, 13 Stories. This project, through text and photographs, explored how these restrictions have shaped both Cuban society and American perceptions of it. Although most American college students may never visit Cuba, I wondered if using the words, faces, and shared humanity of thirteen Cubans could help students and faculty see reflections of themselves in the portraits.

The study abroad trip included travel to the northern and western regions of the island, beginning in the capital city of Havana. From there, the group explored the town of Trinidad and the Valley of the Sugar Mills, the tobacco-growing regions around the Viñales Valley, and the coastal playas east of Havana. The portrait subjects were individuals from diverse backgrounds with whom our group interacted, including tour guides, artists, musicians, drivers, journalists, activists, neighborhood residents, hustlers, farmers, hosts, and doctors.