A selection of the ceramic plate collection from the Fine Art Center, which is attached to the Museum of Contemporary Arts of the Americas in Kendall, was displayed in one of the rooms at Pinecrest Gardens, Florida, also known as the historic district of Parrot Jungle and located in Pinecrest, Florida. The installation is registered as a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places since October 17, 2011.
This selection showcases a collection of ceramic plates crafted by renowned Cuban artists, including José Bedia, Lia Galleti, Ciro Quintana, Néstor Arenas, and Aymée García, among others. A total of 108 plates, all produced in the museum's own workshop, are presented in this exhibition that has been thoughtfully curated by artist Carola Bravo, from the hARTtvest project. Each piece is a unique masterpiece that invites us to explore the rich culture and vibrant creativity of Cuban art.
The Fine Arts Ceramic Center was created during the pandemic to promote the use of the ceramic technique among Cuban artists belonging to the Rodriguez Collection, generating new small-scale sales opportunities amidst the economic uncertainty of the moment. Leonardo Rodríguez himself invites a heterogeneous group of creators who normally work on canvas to bring their art to this new medium, thus preserving traditional ceramic practices and introducing them to new generations.
This initiative led to a first exhibition called "Fine Arts on the Plate," which was inaugurated on November 27, 2020. It can be considered today as the founding event of the Fine Art Ceramic Center. According to curator Carol Damian, the exhibition "marked a continuation of Cuban ceramic traditions achieved by several artists at different stages of their careers and levels of experience," and they "used ceramics to continue their personal aesthetics and style, integrating their natural expression with the new circular supports."
The inaugural event of Artist Set the Table, which featured opening remarks from Cristina Blanco, Executive Director of Pinecrest Gardens, Ivonne Ferrer, artist and director of the Fine Arts Ceramic Center, and Jorge Rodriguez (R10), artist and director of MoCA-Americas Kendall, was attended by significant Latin American artists and curators based in South Florida. The exhibition will be open for visitors to enjoy until March 31, 2023.
