About
Lorel Cubano is a cultural strategist, oral historian, and founder of the Old San Juan Heritage Foundation and the women-led collective Perlarte in La Perla, Puerto Rico. Her work centers storytelling as a tool of resistance against displacement, climate injustice, and colonial erasure. A contributor to Mi María: Surviving the Storm, she collaborates with children, artists, and elders to build memory-based projects that dignify everyday life. Through installations, workshops, and community tours, Lorel uplifts Caribbean voices often silenced by gentrification. She is currently developing an interactive map and performance series that chronicles La Perla’s struggles and dreams.
“La Perla is a place that has resisted displacement for generations. Among ruins and wildflowers, women artists hold space for memory and childhood. Here, art grows from pain—but always blooms as collective life.”