Puerto Rican Poet and Book Artist Nicole Delgado Named as the Next Riccio Artist in Residence by Virginia’s Center for the Book

Charlottesville – The Virginia Center for the Book at Virginia Humanities is pleased to announce the 2022 Frank Riccio Artist-in-Residence: Puerto Rican poet, book artist, and small-press publisher Nicole Delgado. 

This year, Delgado received the Riccio Residency, which is bestowed on illustrators, printers, or book artists dedicated to creating community and promoting vibrancy in the book arts, for her contributions in publishing and printing. Through her studio La Impresora, which she founded in 2016 and co-directs with colleague Amanda Hernández, Delgado amplifies the works of BIPOC artists and creates a community around literature and independent books across Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. With a heavy focus on contemporary literature that strengthens the link between written and visual arts, Delgado’s La Impresora engages new readers by publishing affordable, beautifully crafted handmade books.  

In addition to her work in publishing, Delgado is also a renowned poet. She is widely regarded as one of the leading Puerto Rican writers of her generation. Delgado continues to use her success to bring together artists, activists, and writers from across the Americas.  

From March 22-26, Delgado will headline a series of events that will include two public demonstrations, a showcase of current La Impresora titles, and a bilingual poetry reading. Virginia Humanities’ Center of the Book will be cohosting this series in partnership with the University of Virginia Department of Spanish, Italian, & Portuguese to celebrate Delgado’s work and share it with audiences throughout Virginia. A complete list of events will be made public on March 1 at VaBookCenter.org/events.

The Riccio Residency was made possible by the Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation and by donations from the Book Arts community of the Virginia Center for the Book. The Riccio Artist-in-Residence receives a stipend, travel, and lodging to engage local youth, members, and friends of the Virginia Center for the Book community around a creative project. The application process for 2023 will be announced later this fall.

About Virginia Humanities
Virginia Humanities is the state humanities council. We’re headquartered in Charlottesville at the University of Virginia, but we serve the entire state. We aim to share the stories of all Virginians—or, better yet, find ways for people to share their own stories. We want Virginians to connect with their history and culture and, in doing that, we hope we’ll all get to know each other a little better. Founded in 1974, we are one of fifty-six humanities councils created by Congress with money and support from the National Endowment for the Humanities to make the humanities available to all Americans. To learn more, visit VirginiaHumanities.org.