Page 344 - Arte e Historia

Danilo De los Santos
of photographers that promotes contemporary photog-
raphy as a movement that adds many new artists of the
lens: Domingo Batista, Pedro José Borrell, and Vitico
Cabrera, as well as experienced independent photogra-
phers like Santiago Morel y Apeco, Ted Jiménez, and
even young people like Martín López and Jorge Morel
Abdala; all of them defining a different path to Domini-
can photography.
New groups are created in the following decade
(1970): «Atlante,» headed by Alberto Bass, «Reflections,»
and figuring Rosa Tavárez and Freddy Javier as members,
«The Six,» integrated by Alonso Cuevas, José García Cor-
dero, Manuel Montilla, and Alberto Ulloa, among oth-
ers. In Santiago arises «Sinople,» another college student Pérez served as the first president of the new school.
group, including Carolina Cepeda and José Mercader
among the members.
«The Mask,» a group which includes Aquiles Azar,
Freddy Ginebra, and Ángel Hachée, as well as the Frior-
danos group and «Thursday 68,» organized nationwide
competitions with institutional support from organi-
zations such as the Catholic University of Santiago. In
this community, the sponsorship of the León Jimenes
Group, resumes the contest that was interrupted due to
the conflicts of 1965, recording seven other annual edi-
tions from 1966 to 1972. Artists of different generations
are rewarded several times: Guillo Pérez Peña Defilló,
Domingo Liz, Ramón Oviedo, Cándido Bidó, Aquiles
Azar, Vicente Pimentel, José Cestero, Delia Weber, Soucy
de Pellerano, and also newly awarded artists: Rosa Idalia
García, Asdrúbal Domínguez, Thelma Lora and Virgilio
Méndez.
After nearly ten years of not having official compe-
titions, the City Hall of the capital organizes the First
Biennial of Santo Domingo, which was supposed to be
inaugurated on May 1st, 1972, but political disagree-
ments between the Mayor and President Balaguer, pre-
vented holding the exhibition more than once, although
the selection of artists and the names of the winners was
announced. To compensate, the government decided to
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host the XII Biennial (August 1972) and afterwards
the thirteenth edition (August 1974). The winners of
the 1972 biennial were: Gilberto Hernández Ortega,
Soucy de Pellerano, Domingo Liz, Luichi Martínez
Richiez, Cándido Bidó, and Vicente Pimentel. In the
1974 Biennial, the awards recognized Ramón Oviedo,
Orlando Menicucci, Jorge Severino, Manuel Montilla,
Francisco Santos, Aquiles Azar, Luichi Martínez Richiez,
Domingo Liz, and Ramiro Matos.
The Dominican College of Fine Artists was founded
in 1977, CODAP, promoted by a steering committee
formed by Alberto Bass, Freddy Javier, Freddy Rodríguez,
Juan Medina, and Ramón Oviedo, among others. Guillo
This private initiative sponsored significant events: the
APEC Art Festival, aimed at encouraging and recogniz-
ing creativity in children (1970); Royal Bank of Canada
Competition, aimed at young painters (1974-1975), the
«Independence Contest,» sponsored by Casa de España
de Santo Domingo, recording several editions, with the
following artists obtaining remarkable awards: Peña De-
filló, Guillo Pérez, Daniel Henríquez and Shum Prats
(1975 contest), Jorge Severino and Alberto Ulloa (1977
contest), Elsa Núñez, Rosa Tavárez, Dionisio Blanco
and Tete Marella, among others (1979 contest). Com-
memorating a decade of academic history, the Univer-
sidad Católica Madre y Maestra organized «Expo-New
Image: 10 avant-garde artists,» collective exhibition in
which participated Ada Balcácer, Peña Defilló, Lepe,
Domingo Liz, Félix Gontier, Prats-Ventós, Soucy de
Pellerano, Rosa Idalia García, Adolfo Piantini, Dani-
cel, Daniel Henríquez and Geo Ripley. The exhibition
was displayed in the modern building of the University
Library J. Armando Bermúdez, which became memo-
rable due to the collection of works of sculpture, draw-
ing, installation and painting.
The construction of «Plaza de la Cultura Juan Pablo
Duarte,» located in Santo Domingo, was a significant
event in the institutional history of arts and education. It