ArtTraveler digests February happenings affecting Latino & Spanish artists, museums & galleries

Marcelo Bonevardi's "Messenger"

Hammer & Block Auctioneers' (HBA) staged its first Latin American art auction in Miami on 2 Feb.

One of the high-hammer hopefuls is a work by Argentine-born Marcelo Bonevardi, "Messenger," surfacing after 20 years in a private collection following a New York Southeby's purchase in 1990.

Cuban modernist Carlos Quintana and works by Eduardo Mac Entyre also will go under the hammer, too. HBA also features an "emerging artists program," a nifty way to showcase and market excellent talent--a win-win?

The artist, however, must agree to place two works for sale without reserve.

In other related events:

 "El Bufon Don Sebastian de Morra

Diego Velazquez's El Bufon Don Sebastian de Morra yesterday was unveiled during the Dulwich Picture Gallery's bi-centennial fiesta with the Velazquez (1599 - 1660) masterpiece highlighted and alone on a wall of the gallery's enfilade. The Velazquez is on loan through 27 February by the Prado in Madrid.

The gallerists/artists/public mixer: a new twist on art marketing? The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas Friday and Saturday (4 -5 Feb.) sponsors "El Encuntro." 

The museum's Latin American art department invited art directors/owners from 25 art galleries and their emerging artists to meet each other and the public to market Latino fine art.

"La Lecture" by Picasso

Southeby's 8 Feb. evening sale features Picasso's "La Lecture." Following the money, Southeby's continues to exploit high hammer prices with its 8 Feb. evening Impressionist and Modern art evening sale. La Lecture, a 1932 Picasso showing MarieTherese Walter, the painter's mistress. Southeby's estimate: £12 -18 million.

Not to be outdone, Southeby's on 10 Feb. will put Salvador Dali's Portrait of Paul Eluard, among others, under the hammer (estimate: £3 - 5 million).

Puerto Vallarta theatre celebrates life of Frida Kahlo 12 Feb.  Patrick Harrison, a Yank living in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico reports that the PV Teatro Vallarta opens a show 12 Feb. dramatizing the life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. There will be two performances.

Kahlo, who died in 1954, and her husband and Mexian painter and muralist Diego Rivera (1886 - 1957), are among artists currently featured at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin, part of the Gelman Collection, which is housed in Cuernavaca, Mexico. The collection also includes works by David Alfaro Sigueiros, Jose Clemente Orozco, Leonora Carrington, Rufino Tamayo and Francisco Toledo.

The exhibition, which as already been shown at the Pera Museum, Istanbul travels next to the Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, UK: 9 July to 11 October.

Latin American artist's residency application deadline 28 Feb. The I-Park Foundation, Inc. will award two gallery residencies and shows in New London, Connecticut (USA) to two Latin American artists. Expressiones Cultural Center in New London administers the program. Address inquires: director@expressiones.net.

Rock on and practice peace and love.

See ArtTraveler  videos on YouTube. Also look into the lives of Dutch walkers Joost and Rob as they enter day 22 of their 1,000 kilometer pilgramage from Seville to Santiago de Compostela (Via de la Plata), the Way of St. John.

Stefan, the ArtTraveler(TM)