Bloom After Dark Volume 7: Roots & Remembrance

Painting, cultural memory and community storytelling come together in an evening centered on the work of artist Mónica Olivo at El Jardín Inn in Little Havana. Presented Friday, September 25, the seventh edition of Bloom After Dark explores ancestry, Indigenous knowledge and diasporic identity through art, conversation and participatory activities.

Drawing from Caribbean and Dominican roots, Olivo works primarily in painting, combining ancestral symbolism with surrealist imagery to reflect on Taíno heritage, the natural world and connections across generations. Women’s hair is a recurring motif in this body of work, serving as a symbol of identity, strength, inherited knowledge and cultural memory.

The evening also includes a hair-braiding activation, an oil pastel workshop, conversations about ancestry and heritage and collaborations with Indigenous community organizations. Together, the programs extend the themes of Olivo’s work beyond the gallery setting through hands-on making and shared reflection.