Communit
y Through Colors was founded in 2016 as a mobile art exchange with the mission to spread hope and awareness by using art to reflect the similarities between all humans, despite geographical or cultural location. That initial project showed us many of the things that run deep within the human species and that make us all members of the same community. Although CTC has expanded into relief efforts, the team continues to embody this idea and supports the work and creativity of artists worldwide, with a focus on Puerto Rican artists who incorporate culturally significant themes or ideas into their work.
El NiNo was the first Puerto Rican artist to bring art to Burning Man’s Black Rock City in 2015. In 2022, CTC joined him to display ATABEY and bring awareness to the environmental challenges of Puerto Rico. Built from repurposed metal, including silver serving trays, and powered by solar, ATABEY represents “the ancestral mother of the Taino Indigenous people of Puerto Rico & the Caribbean,” according to NiNo’s inscription, who was “worshiped as a goddess of fresh water and who represents the Earth Spirit.”
“ATABEY’s Treasure” returned to Burning Man in 2023 thanks to support and donations! A fun, solar powered, interactive installation 18 feet tall and 36 feet long, ATABEY swam again!
