03/10/2021
While scavenging thrift stores in Puerto Rico and abroad, we discovered the work of Isla del Sol -a pottery workshop that existed in the town of Carolina, PR (1962-1975). The obscure shop created pottery in neutral tones and geometric patterns that reminded me of the modern California pottery movement (David Cressey, Robert Maxwell).
We were drawn to the pieces, so we researched the history of the workshop, surprisingly unknown in Puerto Rico and the states.
The workshop was part of a government-led initiative to train skilled workers and create jobs through Governor Luis Muñoz Marin's Operación Serenidad. Then, as luck and Puerto Ricans would have it, the young trained potters turned out to be especially talented, and Isla del Sol pieces were exhibited and sold worldwide.
We have collected an IMMENSE number of planters, vases, plates, and lamps. We have also put together a catalogue with the pieces’ history, and an inventory of the designs produced. We want to share the collection with the world;. spreading the knowledge about this important workshop and paying tribute to the hands that worked there will inspire other Puerto Ricans to set forth local productions, and serve as a source of well-merited pride for all of us on the Island and abroad.
We have partnered with Kiva and Gofundme to crowdfund the project; please contribute and help us share the link:
https://gofund.me/9de0b66b
https://www.kiva.org/lend/2251218