The University will host a press conference 10 a.m. Feb. 14, in the Spanish Governor’s Palace, 105 Military Plaza, to announce A&M-San Antonio’s 60-day loan of 97 paintings, 70 of which are Picasso originals.
Mayor Julian Castro, and District 3 Councilwoman Leticia Ozuna will join Dr. Maria Hernandez-Ferrier to discuss the importance of the art exhibit to San Antonio and South Texas.
It will be the largest Picasso exhibit in the United States, Ferrier said Monday. The exhibit will introduce three Picasso paintings that have never been on display in a public exhibit.
All pieces are on loan for 60 days from private collectors Javier Fructuoso Medina and Dr. Guy Rondou.
This is not the first of Medina’s collections to be shown in Texas.
A special exhibit entitled “Picasso, I Alone” ran from Oct. 14-Dec. 18 at The Tremont House, 2300 Ship’s Mechanic Row, in Galveston, Texas. The 40-piece exhibit from Málaga, Spain, the birthplace of Picasso, was also from the personal collection of Javier Fructuoso Medina.
The exhibit was a tribute to Bernardo de Gálvez, also from Málaga, for whom the City of Galveston is named.
The University’s Picasso exhibit, as well as a wooden panel tribute to Bernardo de Gálvez, will be prepared the week of March 12, during Spring Break, and opens to the public March 17.
“The public will be able to visit free of charge during open hours which focus on introducing, educating and making accessible great works of art to the entire community,” according to a University Communications press release.
Ferrier spent two weeks in Spain during November 2011 in preparation of the exhibit. The works of art were hand selected by Ferrier and Sylvia Sutton, community volunteer and historian who is knowledgeable in the area of Bernardo de Gálvez. Both worked collaboratively to bring the exhibit to Texas A&M-San Antonio.
The Picasso exhibit will be housed on the second floor of the Main Campus Building and Gálvez’s panel on the first floor.
In addition to the Picasso exhibit, works of art by artists Antonio Muñoz Degrain, José Moreno Carbonero, Ricardo Opisso, and Salvador Dalí will also be on public display.
