The Cuban Art Revolution

Collectors are betting the next hot art hub will be an island most Americans still can't visit. Now, some U.S. art lovers are finding legal ways into Cuba to shop for works -- before the market gets too crowded.

By KELLY CROW
March 22, 2008; Page W1

John Crago, an agricultural exporter from Colorado, took a business trip to Cuba last spring. He came back with 60 paintings, from island landscapes to abstract works, rolled up in his carry-on luggage.

With art from Asia and Russia in demand, some in the art world are betting on Cuba to be the next hot corner of the market. Prices for Cuban art are climbing at galleries and auction houses, and major museums are adding to their Cuban collections. In May, Sotheby's broke the auction record for a Cuban work when it sold Mario Carreño's modernist painting "Danza Afro-Cubana" for $2.6 million, triple its high estimate. Read more.

A Guide to Five Prominent Cuban Artists