The estuary is not still
Group exhibition of Antonio Martorell and his friends
By: Rebeca Noriega
August 7th, 2026
It is almost providential that, in the midst of a water crisis in the country, we celebrate and revalue the mobility of this essential resource. It is particularly special that it is Maestro Antonio Martorell, along with his friends, who, through the San Juan Bay Estuary Artist-in-Residence Project, have shaped a historic residency for this initiative that the Estuary began in 2018.
It is the longest-running artist residency, which also coincides with and resonates during these extraordinary times. These are times when attempts are being made to question the objective evidence offered by science, evidence that nature continually demonstrates. In this context, the Estuary manages to highlight the transformative power of the arts and community engagement over the course of a year. This is a remarkable achievement, even as we witness political currents moving in the opposite direction, imposing obstacles that had previously been overcome.
Over the course of a year, Martorell and his friends offered approximately 10 workshops to communities surrounding the estuary: the Capetillo Urban Garden, Nursery, and Forest; the G8 community of Caño Martín Peña; Puente Blanco in Cataño; Caimito Alto; and the La Goyco Community Workshop. The results of this community engagement will be on display at the La Goyco gallery until August 27, 2026.
Among the friends who accompanied Martorell in this feat of collective creativity were: Howard Kilgore, Eury Orsini, Marcos de Jesús, Beatriz Llenín, Asima Frances Saad, Zuleira Soto Román, Ismari Caraballo, Juan Riestra, and Jackie Archeval, who offered workshops on theater, photography, eco-printing, music, marbled paper, map-carpet, portraits, and others that we could see in a warm gallery that took us along that path, which in parts simulated water, and where we witnessed multiple experiences that often remain only fixed in the memory of those who experienced them.
The space was filled with sounds, color, lines, and maps of solidarity and collaboration—something Martorell is no stranger to, having begun his prolific career in Puerto Rican printmaking workshops where artists collaborated like bees to a hive. He has always worked from the idea that art can and should take risks. Today, he continues to affirm that “artists try to transform reality by recreating it with beauty, and this noble task intensifies when we act collectively.”
Likewise, as the founder of the iconic Taller Alacrán in Santurce in 1968 and the Taller de la Playa in Ponce, at 87 years old, Martorell is not idle. The master continues to spread his creativity and his innate generosity of thought. He says about this residency: “It is a revelatory experience of the importance of rescuing the waters for the life of our archipelago.”
This project doesn't end with the exhibition. We eagerly await the book/manual, which they hope will become an educational reference, and we also look forward to the documentary film that showcases the entire process and outcome of this ambitious project, which will be presented soon.
Thank you, Toño, for teaching the path of creation and collective consciousness and allowing us to be part of this liberating community of shared joys.
