The timing of President Obama’s announcement that the U.S. is reestablishing full diplomatic relations with Cuba for the first time since 1961 couldn’t be more perfect for “Cuba! Cuba!” a new photography exhibit at the Mystic Art Center.

The solo show by Karin Forde Whittemore of Mystic includes 20 photos taken in Cuba over the last three years, focusing on a rare inside view of the daily lives of Cuban citizens.

Whittemore has a Digital Photography Certificate from Rhode Island School of Design and is a member of local and national art clubs and associations. Her award-winning photographs have been exhibited in galleries throughout New England.

Traveling and discovering new places and people is what Whittemore loves to do and she is particularly fascinated with developing nations.

“I’m inspired by diverse cultures that are different than ours,” she says. “I’ve felt this way since I was a little kid and got my first camera at the age of 9. It’s just a great way to look at the world — not as a photojournalist, but for artistic expression, and ultimately as an avenue to fine art.”

Of her process, Whittemore says, “I’m one of those photographers that wanders around and takes my time. For me, less is more. I might even wait a day or two to become familiar with my surroundings (before shooting).

“In the digital world, because people are able to shoot and not delete, I notice how much time they spend taking pictures,” she observes. “They’re not in the moment.”

And being in the moment is what photography is all about for Whittemore.

For the past three Januarys, Whittemore has traveled to Cuba with Profundo Journeys photo tours out of Rhode Island.

“Cuba had been on my bucket list, so I jumped right in,” she says. “I didn’t know anyone (on the tour). I just made the decision to go, signed up, and went.”

The first trip entailed traveling under a traveler’s license with a lot of restrictions. But Whittemore notes that restrictions have loosened up in the last two years as trade and travel sanctions have eased.

“We didn’t need to stick to our itinerary as much as we did the first year,” she says. “We were there when our government was allowing people to bring home $100 worth of (items). That was a real treat. We could only travel with 40 pounds and I didn’t have a lot of extra room in my suitcase. I came home with two cigars and two bottles of rum!” 

Whittemore’s focus in Cuba

As a digital photography student at RISDE, Whittemore says she discovered the beauty in decayed, isolated and abandoned spaces.

“I’m captivated by the ordinary,” she says. “I really found that in Cuba — especially in Havana — wandering around these beautiful homes that were owned by the very wealthy before the Revolution. And now multiple families are living in them and they’re really falling apart because the typical Cuban can’t even afford a can of paint.”

Rather than making political statements in her work, Whittemore says that what she most wanted to capture in these photographs is how alive the Cuban people are, in spite of their economic struggles.

“Their lives are still embraced and enjoyed, despite economic hardships,” she marvels. “They’re so proud of their homes. When you’re wandering along the streets, they welcome you right in. I became fascinated by shooting things like very personal items on people’s desks. They’re very proud and warm and welcoming.”

“However, I can’t generalize nor speak for every Cuban,” she stresses. “I know that many struggle in ways that we can’t fathom on a daily basis and wish their lives were different. I’m hopeful that someday it will be.” 

The artist’s favorites

“The Study,” one of Whittemore’s personal favorites, was taken while she was wandering the streets of Old Havana, La Habana Vieja, which is the city center and one of the 15 municipalities or boroughs that form Havana.

“I was lucky enough to find this gentleman’s home two years in a row and he kindly invited me inside to photograph his study,” she recalls. “There was a photograph on the wall of young Che Guevara — a major figure in the Cuban Revolution.”

Another photo she prizes, “The Good Boy,” was taken quite spontaneously in Cienfuegos on the southern coast of Cuba.

“This little boy was walking across the street from me balancing his books on his head when he suddenly turned and just stood there, looking right at me. I thought, ‘Oh, what a cutie.’”

“Every student in Cuba is perfectly dressed in their school uniforms; perhaps a little disheveled by the end of the day,” Whittemore goes on to explain.

A photo titled “Café 100” also makes the top of the list.

“After shooting a sunrise in Havana, I found this little sign on the door of a paladar, which is a restaurant run by self-employers,” she says. “I loved the graphic qualities and retro feel.”

There is a never-ending parade of pre-revolution classic cars in Cuba, Whittemore points out, well represented by her photo “The Wave.”

“All the cars are old and beautiful,” she observes. “They’re in mint condition. Some Cubans use them for taxis and are always washing and waxing them. I don’t know how they continue to get parts — or maybe they make their own to keep them going.”

Whittemore is donating all proceeds of photographs sold in her show to build a home for a family in Cienfuegos, to whom she and her fellow travelers have become very close over the last three years.

“They live in squalor, in a very small, leaky shack with no running water or bathroom,” she says. “The first phase is nearly complete. I am hopeful that raising awareness around the condition this family deals with might help them financially.”

IF YOU GO

What: “Cuba! Cuba” photo exhibition

Where: Mystic Art center galleries, 9 Water St., Mystic

When: From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, through Sept. 19

Info: www.mysticarts.org or call (860) 536-7601