The Círculo del Arte Collection

An Art Collecting Initiative

July 2012

Collection I

Curator:

Haydée Venegas Art Critic and Art Historian Haydee Venegas-Ávila (1950-2011) was an arts manager, treasurer of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA) in Puerto Rico, and Vice-President of AICA International. She worked as a curator and participated as a juror at the Caribbean Biennial in the Dominican Republic, The Paiz Art Biennial in Guatemala, and the First Art Biennial in Honduras in 2006. Since 1993, Venegas taught Art History at the Escuela de Artes Plásticas in Puerto Rico. She also worked as International Adviser at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Kuramoto (Japan) and for the first edition of the Singapore Biennale. From 1980 to 1987, she was Assistant/Curator at the Museo de Arte in Ponce.

Participating Artists: Víctor Vázquez Carlos Cancio Rafael Trelles María de Mater O’Neill Susana Espinosa Melquíades Rosario Bernardo Hogan

Figure 1. Carlos Cancio, 1961 San Juan, Puerto Rico The Offering, 2006 (Fiberglass on volcanic rock) 15 "x 12" x 4 "

Figure 2. Susana Espinosa, 1931 Buenos Aires, Argentina Head, 2007 (Bronze) 8 ½ "x 3 ¼" x 11/8”

Bernardo Hogan, 1921

Figure 3. Bernardo Hogan, 1921 Buenos Aires, Argentina Winged Vase, 2006 (Ceramic, enamel and rust)

Figure 4. Melquiades Rosario, 1953 Morovis, Puerto Rico Implement, 2007 (Wood) 8 3/16 x 15 x 5”

Figure 5. Víctor Vazquez, 1948 San Juan, Puerto Rico Homage to Ana Mendieta, 2003 (Digital Color Photography) 15 x 15”

Figure 6. María de Mater O'Neill, 1960 San Juan, Puerto Rico Enable Blue [Flat Mode], 2006 (Commercial printing using Pantone metallic paint) 8.5 x 12.5 "

Figure 7. Rafael Trelles, 1957 Santurce, Puerto Rico Urban graphics on concrete in Museo de Arte de Ponce, 2006 (Digital photography in color, includes DVD Documentary) 9.3 x 13 "

Collection II

Curator: Haydée Venegas

Participating artists: Antonio Martorell Arnaldo Roche-Rabell Carmelo Sobrino Eddie Ferraioli Toni Hambleton Jaime Suárez Charles Juhasz-Alvarado Jorge Zeno

Figure 8. Toni Hambleton, 1934 Mexico City, Mexico Moon, 2006 (Bronze) 11 x 5 x 2.5 "

Figure 9. Charles Juhasz-Alvarado, 1968 Base military en Filipinas Melanerpes Portoricencis (on hammer)

2008 (PVC resin and wood of Guaiacum) 13 x 6 ½ x 4 "

Figure 10. Arnaldo Roche Rabell, 1955 Santurce, Puerto Rico Band of Brothers, 2008 (Digital Print on watercolor paper) 13 ½ x 11 "”

Figure 11. Eddie Ferraioli, 1950 Santurce, Puerto Rico Amulet, 2008 (Glass in gold and black) 3 ¼ "

Figure 12. Jorge Zeno, 1956 Washington, DC Drawings in Madrid: An Intimate Visit, 2009 (Digital print on paper, bound by hand) 6 x 4 ¼ "

Figure 13. Antonio Martorell, 1939 San Juan, Puerto Rico The Many Skins of the Caribbean, 2008 (Linen) 12 x 12”

Figure 14. Jaime Suárez, 1946 San Juan, Puerto Rico Stratified Landscape, 2008 (Barrografía) Handmade. 10 x 2”

Figure 15. Carmelo Sobrino, 1948 Manatí, Puerto Rico Corridors, 2008 (Printed on cardboard)

Collection III

Curator: Marysol Nieves Marysol holds a Master of Arts in 20th Century & Contemporary Art History and Criticism from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She is Latin American Specialist at Christie’s auction house, in New York. She has worked as a curator for various world renowned institutions. Prior to joining Christie’s, Marysol was an independent curator and art consultant working with a number of museums, corporate collections, and individual clients, including the Bronx Museum of the Arts in New York, the FEMSA Collection in Monterrey, Mexico; Museo de Arte de Ponce and the Dorado Beach Resort. In addition to working independently, she has held various positions in the art field, including specialist in the Latin American Art Department at Sotheby’s, Director of Visual Arts at the Americas Society, New York; and Senior Curator at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York. Participating Artists: Nick Quijano Diógenes Ballester Liliana Porter Ellen Harvey Julio Micheli Marta Mabel Pérez Zilia Sánchez Ana Rosa Rivera

Figure 16. Diógenes Ballester, 1956 Ponce, Puerto Rico Twins, 2009 (Mezzotinta) 15 x 14 ½ "

Figure 17. Nick Quijano, 1953 New York, USA Caribbean Nature, 2009 (Monotype-operated hand print 13 x 12"

Figure 18. Ellen Harvey, 1967 Kent, England Plastic Bag Tree, 2009 (Laser engraving, mirror plexiglass) 8.75 x 8.75 "

Figure 19. Liliana Porter, 1941 Buenos Aires, Argentina Blue Bird, 2009 (Digital Color Photography) 11 x 8 ½”

Figure 20. Julio Micheli, 1937 Ponce, Puerto Rico Nonsense, 2009 (4 digital prints in color) 11 x 8 ½ "each

Figure 21. Marta Mabel Pérez, 1968 Lares, Puerto Rico White Puerto Rican Flag Kit, 2009 (Polyester, cotton, embroidered application, sewing needle, box and paper) 8 x 11 "8 x 11”

Figure 22. Ana Rosa Rivera, 1967 Morovis, Puerto Rico Lady on Horseback: I am part of the endeavour, 2009-2010 (Color Photography) 16 x 11”

Figure 23. Zilia Sanchez, 1928 Havana, Cuba The Silence of Silence, 2009 (Print) 11 x 15”

Artists Bios

Víctor Vázquez received his BA in Psychology and Sociology at the University of Puerto Rico. He continued his studies in Education and Comparative Literature at New York University. Inspired by these investigations, he traveled to India, China and Japan to learn more about the art, literature and culture of these countries. When he returned, he began to study photography with Jan Jurasnek, while attending the School of Visual Arts at the Maine Photography Workshop. His works are part of the following collections: ARTIS Paris, Wilfredo Lam Center in Havana, Cuba, Museum of Contemporary Art of Puerto Rico Museum of Art of the Americas in Washington, DC, among other collections. Carlos Cancio received his BA from Boston University. He traveled to Spain, where he set up his first studio. He lived in San Francisco, California, from 1991 to 2003. He currently lives in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He has shown his works in exhibitions at the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, Art History Museum in San Juan, Galería Botello and Viota Gallery, among others. Rafael Trelles is a painter, muralist, designer and installer. He holds a B.A. from the University of Puerto Rico and he pursued graduate studies at the Autonomous University of Mexico. Interested in the occult and tarot, his work seeks the roots in surrealist painting. Over the past two years he has worked on a technique developed by him, which consists in drawing or making prints on walls and sidewalks with water guns and stencils. From each of these interventions, he has made videos and pictures. María de Mater O’Neill holds a B.F.A. from Cooper Union School of Arts and Sciences, NYC, and a doctorate in Design Practice, from Northumbria University, at United Kingdom. She obtained the Second Honorable Mention for the paintings «Balcón» and «Patio» in 34ème the International of the Peinture, celebrated in the Chateau-Musee of the Cagnes-south-Mer, Cote d'Azur, France (2002). In addition she has been awarded for the lithography «Clasifícame ésta», Prize, XIII Bienal de San Juan del Grabado Latinoamericano y del Caribe (2001) of the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña; the Association of Artists UNESCO (1999); and First Prize, III Bienal Internacional de Pintura, Cuenca, Ecuador (1991). Susana Espinosa earned a B.F.A. in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is co-founder and Director of Candina House since 1980. She co-organized Candina House Award: Biennial of Contemporary Ceramics 3 [1995 -2001]. Since 1989, she is a member of the International Academy of Ceramics. The Association of Art Critics of Puerto Rico awarded her in 2000 the Public Memorial Award for her work at the House of Culture Ruth Fernandez, in San Juan, PR. Her work is part of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Puerto Rico, Museum of Latin American Art, California, and Museo della Ceramica D'arte of Faenza, Italy. Melquíades Rosario was born in Morovis, Puerto Rico. Hee started his studies in 1976 at the School of Fine Arts of the Puerto Rican Culture Institute in San Juan. In 1981, he enrolled in The Art Students League of New York. He founded the Association of Puerto Rican Sculptors in 1982.

Bernardo Hogan is established in Puerto Rico since 1968, He specializes in the technical aspect of clays, glazes and enamels. He is co-founder of Casa Candina. He has taught ceramics and has given talks in different schools. He has collaborated with numerous public and private commissions. He has had several solo exhibitions and numerous group exhibitions in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Venezuela, United States, France and Italy. The Association of Art Critics of St. John awarded him the prize for Best Retrospective Exhibition in 1996. He was awarded the Gold Medal of the Concorso Internazionalle della Ceramica in Faenza (Italy, 1984). Antonio Martorell was born in Santurce Puerto Rico. He has devoted his life to drawing, painting, recording, writing, theater, radio, television, film, and dance. Martorell is resident artist at University of Puerto Rico in Cayey, Puerto Rico. He holds workshops in Playa de Ponce, San Juan and in New York. He has collaborated with WIPR-TV cultural program “En la punta de la lengua”. His artwork, which is in private and public collections, has been exhibited and awarded in Puerto Rico and abroad. Arnaldo Roche-Rabell earned his Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts at the Chicago Art Institute. He has had a celebrated career and his work has been exhibited in Spain, Central, South and North America. Force, energy, vigor and drama are the attributes of his work. Its figures are achieved through the technique of "frottage". His themes address the political and social situation of Puerto Rico. Carmelo Sobrino is painter, writer, and environmental advocate. He studied at the School of Visual Arts of Puerto Rico. He was co-founder of the workshop The scorpion pit. His work has always been linked to Puerto Rican culture, its people, its festivals, and traditions. His paintings of brilliant colors and sinuous lines represent the excitement of the Caribbean. Eddie Ferraioli studied special education at the University of Puerto Rico and holds a Master’s degree in Psychology from New York University. When he became interested in glass, he took design courses at Parsons School of Design in New York Social Research in New York. His complex mosaic and stained glass designs denote a strong interest in the tropical flora. Toni Hambleton is a ceramist and teacher. She studied at the School of Design in Mexico City. She is established in Puerto Rico since 1973. She was a founding member and co- founder of Candina House. Her works in clay and porcelain have an architectural quality. Her sculptures invite the viewer to engage in a physical and emotional experience. Jaime Suárez is a sculptor, potter, designer, architect, educator and advocate for the arts. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture at the Catholic University of Washington and a Master’s degree in Urban Design from Columbia University in New York. His sculptures in clay pots, plates and facilities are remembrance of Latin-American roots. He created the technique of barrografías. For him, the mud is a generator of life, a surface that receives the test of time and strength, which invite the viewer to question his existence.

Charles Juhasz-Alvarado was born in 1965, in Philippines. He grew up in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. He holds a double major B.A. in Art and Architecture and a M.F.A. from Yale School of Art. Jorge Zeno is a painter, sculptor and engraver. He studied at the School of Visual Arts of Puerto Rico. He currently lives and exhibits his work in New York and San Juan, Puerto Rico. His paintings and sculptures have been described as mysterious and playful. Nick Quijano is a painter, sculptor, printmaker and designer based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is a graduate of the School of Architecture at the University of Puerto Rico, where he studied environmental design. His work is in many national collections including the Museum of Contemporary Art and Museo de Arte de Ponce. Both the subjects and bright colors of his works address aspects of landscapes and collective history. Since 1983 he makes sculptures with industrial waste, creating artistic and ecological awareness. Diógenes Ballester is a painter, printmaker, and sculptor. He holds an MFA from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Catholic University of Puerto Rico, in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He has lived in New York and has established a studio in his hometown of Ponce. Using traditional techniques such as encaustic, woodcuts, and other experimental techniques in video, he interprets aspects of history and African diaspora in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Liliana Porter was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina 1941. She has lived in New York since 1964. Porter enjoys working in many different mediums such as printmaking, painting, installations, photography, film, and video. Since 1991 she has been a professor at Queens College, City University of New York. Porter's gallery representation includes Annina Nosei Gallery, New York, NY; Sicardi Gallery, Houston, TX; Galería Ruth Benzacar, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Galería Brito-Cimino, S. Paulo, Brazil; and Galería Espacio Mínimo, Madrid, Spain. In addition, Porter is represented in national and international public collections. Ellen Harvey, born in 1967 at Farnborough, Kent, U.K., is a Brooklyn based artist working in a variety of media, including painting, video, installation and performance. She is a graduate of Harvard University, Yale Law School and attended both the Whitney Independent Study Program and the PS1 National Studio Program. Harvey has exhibited extensively both in the United States and internationally. She has been the recipient of numerous awards including a Rema Hort Mann Foundation Artist’s Award in 2004, a Philadelphia Exhibitions Initiative Award in 2004, and a Lily Auchincloss Foundation Fellowship from the New York Foundation for the Arts in 2002, among others. She is known for work that uses traditional aesthetics and media in surprising ways to call into question the social or physical situation in which it is placed. Julio Micheli is a painter, graphic artist, sculptor, draftsman, watercolorist, educator and entomologist. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Miami, Florida, and a Masters in Fine Arts from Claremont University, California. He has received awards in painting and printmaking. His works are defined by shapes and ambiguous spaces, which oftentimes represent a challenge to the viewer.

Marta Mabel Pérez is a photographer and museologist who was recipient of the Presidential Grant from the University of Puerto Rico to study art and architecture at the American University in Washington DC. In 1986, she graduated in Humanities at the University of Puerto Rico, with a concentration in Fine Arts. She has been fellowship by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Government of the Republic of Mexico to make a Master in the National Autonomous University of Mexico where she achieved the prize of Academic excellence by the University. In 2002, she has been awarded with the Prize for Best Contemporary Media facilities by the Association of International Art Critics, Chapter of Puerto Rico. She was selected to carry out a photographic project commissioned by the Department of Culture Monza in Italy, after making her project "Between Islands" in Tenerife, Canary Islands funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. Zilia Sánchez was born in Havana, Cuba on July 12, 1928. She resided in Spain from 1960 to 1962, lived in the U.S.A. from 1962 to 1971 and in San Juan, Puerto Rico, since 1971. In her artistic work, she has developed mostly painting, sculpture, drawing and scenographic design. Zilia graduated from the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes San Alejandro in 1957. Between the years 1966 and 1968 she studied at the Instituto Central de Conservación y Restauración in Madrid, Spain and from 1968 to 1970, she continued her education at the Pratt Institute in the city of New York, U.S.A. Ana Rosa Rivera was born in Morovis, Puerto Rico, in 1967. She holds a BFA in Sculpture from the School of Visual Arts, in San Juan. Rivera Marrero's work examines the historical architecture and its frequent colonial and patriarchal implications. In her Puerto Rican feminist position, she addresses sexual politics, as well as mythological and religious symbolism.