New Art Exhibition to Open

The Olga & Carlos Saladrigas Gallery presents its fall exhibit, I AM NOT A POET, curated by Angela Valella. The exhibition, which features the artwork of Arturo E. Mosquera, will open to the public on Friday, September 6, 2024, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The exhibition features more than 150 artworks, including paintings, sketchbooks, videos, and an installation of the artist’s personal belongings, which were a source of inspiration throughout his career. A full-color catalog will feature essays by Angela Valella and William Cordova, both renowned artists and cultural practitioners who have previously curated exhibitions of Mosquera's work. 

“We are honored to host this impressive collection of art featuring the work of one of our own,” said Fr. Guillermo M. García-Tuñón, S.J. ‘87, President of Belen Jesuit Preparatory School. “I remember Arturo as a student at Belen and know of his art thanks to his father’s dedication to keep his son’s memory alive. We are fortunate to have the Saladrigas Art Gallery on our campus to house this exhibition and look forward to welcoming the community to see his artwork.”

The exhibition will run from September 6 to October 12, 2024. It will be housed in the Olga M. & Carlos A. Saladrigas Art Gallery at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School at 500 SW 127 Avenue, Miami, FL 33184.

Additional events:

Poets Reading Poems: Saturday, September 14, 7:30-9:30 p.m. in the
Olga M. & Carlos A. Saladrigas Art Gallery

Saladrigas Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. by appointment  

Event Contact: Dr. John Witty, Gallery Director, jwitty@belenjesuit.org

Using painting, collage, sketchbook drawings, installation and film, artist Arturo E. Mosquera channels personal memories and social history into narratives that oscillate between reality and dream-like fictions. I AM NOT A POET presents a wide array of the artist’s work along with a catalog that gives voice to his deeply personal work. His works explore reactions to certain images and situations. Viewing his works as a collage of ideas and impressions, visitors can combine all the narratives that suspend fact and fiction, evoking fragments of the artist’s travels and experiences. Mosquera creates a fantastical tableau that explores personal, collective, and fictional memory.

Arturo E. Mosquera was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1982 and was a member of the Belen class of 2000. He then attended Manchester College, Connecticut, where he concentrated in printmaking. He co-founded BEAMS, the Belen Arts, Entertainment and Media Professional Section of the Belen Alumni Association, and served as a BEAMS board member in 2022. Although he passed away in 2022, his art continues flourishing and influencing the community.