Cuban-born artist in Myrtle Beach highlights her culture during Hispanic Heritage Month

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - A local, Cuban-born artist is putting a spotlight on her culture in Myrtle Beach as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Works from Annie Melik are being featured through Oct. 15 at the Myrtle Beach Area Visitors Center on North Oak Street.

The three pieces of her work that are on display are “Hope for Havana,” a watercolor painting; “He Found Hope in the Farm,” an acrylic painting; and “Hope in the Waters,” an acrylic painting.

“What we love, what we value, what we appreciate is something that connects us all,” said Melik, who lives in Myrtle Beach.

Melik said her purpose behind the painting is to highlight hope and light from her home country.

“The country has gone through so many struggles, but the people are the best part of the country,” she said.

Melik spends hours perfecting her art and each stroke means something different.

She said her family in Cuba is what keeps her pushing forward.

In fact, her watercolor painting “He Found Hope in the Farm” is actually a tribute to her grandfather.

“Something that is meaningful for me is that I am able to capture a little bit of the feelings and values that I learned in Cuba through my family,” said Melik “The way that my grandmother and grandfather care for us. The way that my father and mother cared for us. I think that is something very valuable and we all share that in common.”

Melik said Cuban culture focuses on family values. Those same values she passes down to her paintings for the world to see, in the hope that other cultures will learn from them.

“You feel like wow this is something that I can connect with and that is what I paint this image that is meaningful to me and they ended being meaningful for others,” she said.

You can also view her work at the Seacoast Artist Gallery at The Market Common.

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