Pablo Marcano García
Pablo Marcano García | |
---|---|
Born | |
Nationality | Puerto Rican |
Occupation | artist |
Website | http://www.marcanogarcia.com/ |
Pablo Marcano García (born 15 January 1952 in Gurabo, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican painter, and together with singer Danny Rivera heads the International Academic Seminary of the Americas in Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
Marcano developed his talent while serving a sentence in a federal prison after a conviction for having violated federal laws within the Chilean consulate in San Juan in the late 1970s while protesting against General Pinochet's regime in the South American country.
His artwork, which includes large-scale paintings that resemble stained glass, is regarded as exceptional by well-known art critics in the Caribbean. His paintings can be seen in collections such as the ones from the Ponce Museum of Art, the Turabo University Museum, and his expositions at Casa Aboy, the University of Puerto Rico Art Museum, the Cardiovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, Plaza Las Américas, the Roberto Clemente Academy at Chicago, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company Art Gallery and many others. The Puerto Rico Senate recently showcased his work at its Puerto Rican Art Gallery and one of his paintings, personally selected by don Luis A. Ferré and owned by the Ponce Museum of Art is the most prominent art work in the ceremonial office of the Senate President, under Antonio Fas Alzamora, Kenneth McClintock and Thomas Rivera Schatz, as well as the ceremonial office of Puerto Rico House of Representatives Speaker Jennifer González. Recently his paintings have been exhibited in Zafra, Córdoba, Málaga, Spain and, in October 2009, the Puerto Rico Department of State.His paintings express the importance and solidarity between Puerto Ricans and our nature... According to García "The jungle, water, and sun are as much a part of our lives as the air we breathe and the music we play"[1]
Political activism
Pablo together with Nydia Cuevas Rivera took hostage the Consul of Chile in the Chilean Consulate in Puerto Rico. They demanded the release of the Puerto Rican political prisoners, the ceasing of celebrations in the island of 4 July Festivities (as it happened at 3 July). They were arrested after 22 hours in the consulate. For them it would've been 22 years in jail for 22 hours,but the sentence was lowered to seven years only. Pablo was sent to a prison in New York State. When he was released in 1985 a big crowd of people welcomed him at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Puerto Rico. Among them were Rafael Cancel Miranda, Isabel Rosado, and Doña Consuelo Ferré, among others.
Personal life
He has four children. He has, along with singer Danny Rivera, the Dominican Republic citizenship since 2007. He was granted the UNEAC Honorary Member title. He was the first Puerto Rican to get it.