Recognizing the work of art instructors, either those who work in our schools or those who do it from each House of Culture, is the purpose of the day of tribute to this "army of art soldiers", who next Thursday 18, will celebrate their day, in honor of Olga Alonso, and our Commander in Chief Fidel Castro, who 60 years ago had the idea of creating the National School of Art Instructors (ENIA), which was nurtured by young people from all over the country.

Fidel is also responsible for the creation 17 years ago of the José Martí Art Instructors Brigade (BJM), a cultural movement committed to the Cuban Revolution and to the profession of teaching the people, made up of graduates of these institutions that emerged in the heat of the Battle of Ideas.

"Trainers of patriots, of revolutionaries and of excellence in art", as Fidel himself said of them, from the very beginning of this memorable cultural page of our history, which the Cuban Revolution has fought - and still is fighting, the art instructors daily fulfill the noble task of contributing to the cultural formation of Cuban men and women, a task they multiply in every neighborhood, community, student center and House of Culture, even in scenarios such as the mountains and hundreds of workplaces where they sow the seed of the Movement of Amateur Artists.

When we talk about the figure of the cultural promoter or community agent, there is the figure of the art instructor, in any of its manifestations and above all, in the work of preserving and maintaining our cultural heritage, our roots.

The recognition that the Ministry of Culture and the National Council of Houses of Culture have been giving since last Sunday to Cuban art instructors is one more example that the cultural policy outlined by the Revolution since its inception in 1959 until today is a single one.

They, the hundreds of art instructors who today continue writing new heroic pages in our culture, do it, as did the first ones formed by the Revolution, with culture as their shield and permanent sword.
(Taken from Granma)

English version Hector Hdez.