June Beer (1931-1986) was a painter, poet, librarian, and revolutionary cultural worker from Bluefields, Nicaragua. Born into a working-class Afro-Caribbean Creole family and raised by a single mother, Beer left formal education after the third grade but cultivated a lifelong love of reading and writing. After a brief period working and modeling in Los Angeles—where she received her first set of paints from actress Ruby Dee—Beer returned to Nicaragua and began painting and writing about the lives of Afro-descendant women and laborers on the Caribbean coast. Her visual and literary work depicted these subjects with striking dignity, intimacy, and political conviction. Beer's paintings and poems challenged racialized and gendered stereotypes, asserting the cultural centrality and political agency of the Caribbean coast. She wrote in both English and Creole, often centering Black women’s voices and experiences, and used poetry as a vehicle for revolutionary critique, personal reflection, and cultural affirmation. Her works such as Black Female Militant and “Love Poem” exemplify her commitment to Black feminist aesthetics and the broader revolutionary struggle. A supporter of the Sandinista Revolution, Beer was twice imprisoned under the Somoza regime. After the revolutionary triumph in 1979, she became head librarian of the Bluefields Public Library and a contributor to the Sandinista newspaper Sunrise. As a member of the Sandinista Association of Cultural Workers (ASTC), she exhibited both nationally and internationally, including in Cuba, Japan, and the Soviet Union. Before her death in 1986, she became the first painter from Bluefields to gain both national and international recognition. Her poetry and paintings remain foundational to Afro-Nicaraguan cultural and political expression.
Karen Spencer Downs is an Afro-Caribbean artist from Corn Island, Nicaragua, who has spent most of her life in Bluefields. Her vibrant paintings center the everyday lives and labor of women on the Caribbean Coast, offering intimate portraits of coastal life grounded in memory, observation, and community care. The penultimate of eight siblings, Spencer began painting at a young age and long dreamed of developing as a costeña painter whose work would gain wider recognition. Deeply inspired by the legacy of June Beer, Spencer has dedicated her practice to portraying Afro-descendant women—capturing their strength, routines, and roles in sustaining family and community. In addition to painting, she is also skilled in jewelry-making and artisan crafts, though painting remains her primary passion. In 2017, Spencer held her first solo exhibition at Galería Códice in Managua, marking a major milestone in her artistic journey. Her work offers a powerful visual archive of life on Nicaragua’s Caribbean Coast and the women who continue to shape its cultural and social fabric.
Katie Numi is a conceptual and contemporary artist based in Belize whose multidisciplinary practice includes performance, sculpture, painting, and embroidery. Her work explores Blackness and addresses the historical and ongoing erasure of Black women within Belizean society and art history. Numi challenges cultural institutions to confront these exclusions and advocates for greater visibility of Black women in national narratives. She also uses social media as a virtual gallery, creating alternative spaces for Belizean artists and building connections across the global Black diaspora.
Germán Romero Vargas, Las sociedades del Atlántico de Nicaragua en los siglos XVII y XVIII (Managua: Fondo de Promoción Cultural-BANIC, 1995) offers a comprehensive historical and ethnographic study of Nicaragua’s Atlantic Coast during the 17th and 18th centuries. Drawing on geography, archaeology, and archival sources, Romero Vargas examines the impact of European colonization, Indigenous resistance and adaptation, British influence, and the formation of multiethnic societies. The book traces shifting power structures, social hierarchies, and labor systems across diverse Indigenous groups, while also addressing the roles of African-descended populations and the histories of slavery in the region.
Lord Rhaburn is a pioneering Belizean musician known for his vibrant contributions to calypso, soca, reggae, and brukdown music. As the founder of the Lord Rhaburn Combo, he played a key role in shaping Belize’s musical identity and bringing local sounds to national and international stages. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, his band became a household name, blending infectious rhythms with social commentary and cultural pride. In addition to performing, he established the Lord Rhaburn Music Awards to celebrate and uplift Belizean artists.
Mangoes in the Morning (2019) is a bilingual children’s book by Nydia Taylor that recounts her childhood memories growing up in Corn Island, Nicaragua. Illustrated with Taylor’s own handcrafted arpilleras, the book preserves Afro-Caribbean cultural memory through both narrative and textile art.
Marton Robinson is a Costa Rican artist whose interdisciplinary practice is rooted in his background in Physical Education, Visual Communication, and an MFA from the University of Southern California. His work critically examines representations of Black identity in art history, mainstream culture, and official national narratives, with a focus on Costa Rica. Influenced by African-American traditions and Afro-Latinx experiences, Robinson uses irony and rhetorical strategies to question racial hierarchies and challenge the legacies of colonialism embedded in everyday life. His work contributes to contemporary conversations on the African Diaspora and has been exhibited at institutions such as The Getty Center, Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo, Le Palais de Tokyo, and the 21st Biennial Contemporary Art Sesc Videobrasil.
Rodwell Morgan's Meet Corn Island!: The History of Corn Island in Relation to the Ebenezer Baptist Church (Kearny: Morris Publishing, 1996) traces the intertwined histories of Corn Island and the Ebenezer Baptist Church, one of its most influential institutions. Through historical narrative, personal reflection, and church records, Morgan documents the role of faith, education, and community leadership in shaping the island’s Afro-descendant identity. The book highlights the church’s foundational presence in Corn Island’s cultural and social life, offering a unique perspective on the island’s development through the lens of religious and communal history.
Memories of Mosquitia by Marc Rangel is a memoir that offers a personal and historical account of life on Nicaragua's Caribbean coast, particularly in the region known as Mosquitia. Born an expatriate U.S. citizen in Bluefields, Rangel reflects on his upbringing in a community shaped by Afro-Caribbean, Miskito, and Creole cultures. Through vivid storytelling, he captures the complexities of identity, colonial legacies, and the everyday experiences of coastal life. The book intertwines personal anecdotes with broader historical narratives, providing insight into the social and political dynamics of the region. Published in 2009 by Xlibris Corporation, Memories of Mosquitia serves as both a tribute to a unique cultural landscape and a critical reflection on the forces that have shaped it.
Mercy Sabal is one of Belize’s most respected and accomplished visual artists, best known for her handcrafted Mercy Dolls, Garifuna-inspired creations, and masterful quilts. With over 40 years dedicated to her craft, she has built a legacy that bridges cultural heritage and artistic innovation. Based in Ladyville, she continues to create and collaborate, notably with artist Salhudin Norris. Sabal’s work has been exhibited widely, both in Belize and internationally, including in Taiwan, New Orleans, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. In recognition of her contributions to the arts, she received the prestigious George Gabb Prize for Visual Arts. Her artistry was further celebrated in the groundbreaking 2021 virtual exhibit Mothers of Creation, and her quilt was selected for permanent display at the National Assembly. Most recently, her work was featured in the inaugural exhibition at the Museum of Belizean Art
