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The faces of the world are showcased in proud portraits hung on the walls of Orlando Museum of Art in a new exhibition that highlights the diverse fabric of the Orlando community.
The 22 people shown in these photos have heritage in South America, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean but choose to call Central Florida home. The other common denominator is that they were all photographed at FusionFest by Juan David Tena, a Colombian photographer who now resides in Orlando.
At the downtown Orlando festival in 2023 and 2024, Tena set up a photo booth and invited people dressed in their traditional cultural attire to sit for a portrait. The photographer always dreamed that the photos could be showcased in the Orlando Museum of Art and he got his wish by impressing museum staff with his talent and passion.
“I saw the quality right there in his work and it goes beyond the collection we have here on view. Juan David Tena is incredibly talented, so to me, it was an easy yes,” said Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon, the museum’s chief curator. “FusionFest makes visible the invisible tapestry of the cultural scene of Orlando and Central Florida. People are able to celebrate the richness of their differences. It’s not what about what separates us, but what unites us really.”
After bringing a collection of 400 photographs to the curatorial team, the selection was whittled down to 22 final images to be printed 30×40 and displayed in the “Portraits of FusionFest” exhibition. More than 300 of the remaining photos are displayed on a digital screen through a slideshow within the gallery space.
“I had an emotional attachment with the subjects and their stories,” Tena said. “We wanted to have the portraits in this size to make them seem like a real-life person.”
Amid a cultural and political moment where immigrants are being looked down upon and cast aside, Tena said he hopes this exhibition shines a light on the hardworking people who help build our society.
“The true stars of these 22 pictures are ambassadors. Many of them, as immigrants, work hard every day,” he said in a speech during the exhibition’s opening night. “Let us never again feel ashamed to say that we are immigrants. Being an immigrant is not a weakness, it’s a superpower. It means that we can learn, grow and adapt. We can speak a different language and understand different cultures and see the world in a new way.”
Ultimately, this presentation shines a light on the invisible fabric that weaves a colorful tapestry of community in Orlando.
“This exhibition expands the boundaries of our city and our region. There’s something really great about the locals seeing themselves on the walls of their own museum by a photographer who’s based in town but from somewhere else,” Claeysen-Gleyzon said. “Each of these portraits exudes dignity and pride, but not pride that’s self-centric. It’s a pride that goes beyond the individual. These people really understood the momentum and importance of the moment. They’re embodying their history, ancestry, countries and generations of people.”
Find me @PConnPie on Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com.
If you go
“Juan David Tena: Portraits of FusionFest” is on display through May 4 at 2416 N. Mills Ave. in Orlando. The museum is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and from noon-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Tickets are $20 per adult, $12 for seniors ages 60 and older, $8 for children ages 6-17 and free for ages 5 and younger. Active-duty military, veterans and first responders get in for free. More information: omart.org
