Félix Rodríguez Báez
Cayey, PR, 1929 - San Juan, PR, 2013
Biography Details
Painter, graphic artist and designer, set designer, cartoonist, and teacher. Rodríguez Báez studied art under Hipólito Hidalgo, Nino Sparacino, Ángel Botello, Federico Enjuto, Luisina Ordóñez, Edna Coll, and Clara Schwabe. In 1949, he and José A. Torres Martinó founded Estudio 17, an art school for children, and in 1950 he co-founded the Center for Puerto Rican Art. His first art studio was named Chez les Artistes. In the 1970’s Rodríguez Báez created several public murals, and in the 1980’s he produced cartoons that dealt with the defense of culture. A faculty member and director of the Puerto Rico School of Plastic Arts, in 1988 he headed the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture’s Division of Plastic Arts. He has been a set designer, television director, book illustrator, and advertising producer. His work is done in the vein of Social Realism, through which he reflects on the conditions of life in the neighborhoods of San Juan. His most frequent subjects include portraits, urban and rural landscapes, the poorer neighborhoods, and insular political issues.
Artist Statement
"And to those who claim that realistic painting is anachronistic, hectoring, I remind them that the artist lives on an empty but in the context of a society and if the artist within that society in which he lives has to reflect what he feels and what he is, he cannot do it from an abstract point of view, because he would be starting from an internal image that cannot communicate because it is very intimate and very personal”.
Félix Rodriguez Báez, 1983
Source: Manuel Pérez Lizano, Contemporary Art in Puerto Rico 1950-1983, Ceramics, Sculpture, Painting, Universidad Central de Bayamón, Editorial Cruz Anzata, 1985.
Formation
Education
1947
- Central High School, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1946
- Studies oil painting with Luisina Ordóñez. San Juan, Puerto Rico
1946
- Edna Coll Academy of Art, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1945
- Studies drawing and painting with Clara Scwabe. San Juan, Puerto Rico
Professional Experience
1976
- Director. Escuela de Artes Plasticas, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1974
- Creative Director. Marketing Alliance of Puerto Rico Advertising Agency, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Creative Director and Caricaturist. Avance Magazine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1973
- Programming Director. Educational Channel, WIPR TV, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1972
- Artistic Director. Max Muñiz Productions, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Propaganda Secretariat. Puerto Rican Independence Party, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1970
- Operations Manager, Channel 7, WRIK TV, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Appointed by United Artists, Broadcasting Division
- Teacher. Extension Program, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1968
- Departamento de Instrucción Pública de Puerto Rico, Fine Arts Program, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1965
- Producer. WAPA Television, Puerta de Tierra, San Juan, Puerto Rico. A film series about the ”Traffic and Problems of Drugs in Puerto Rico” in collaboration with the Justice Department of Puerto Rico, Televicentro Films and WAPA TV
1964
- Programming Director. WAPA TV, Channel 4, Puerta de Tierra, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Appointed by Columbia Pictures
- Part-time instructor. Extension Program, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1962
- TV Producer: “Teatro de la Canción” y “Sico drama” shows, Puerta de Tierra, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Production Director, WAPA TV, Channel 4, Puerta de Tierra, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Set designer: “First International Theatre Festival. Tapia Theatre, Viejo San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1954
- Scenery Department Director. WAPA TV, Channel 4, Puerta de Tierra, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1953
- Arts teacher for children. Saint John’s Private School, Condado, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1952
- Typographer and printer. Yocauna Publications, Villa Palmeras, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1951
- Works with a group of artists in the print workshop, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. Organized by Don Sebastián González García, Dean of Humanities and Carlos Marichal, Art Professor
- Arts teacher for children and adults. Centro de Arte Puertorriqueño, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Set designer. Tapia Theatre, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Set designer. Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1950
- Co-founder. Centro de Arte Puertorriqueño, Viejo San Juan, san Juan, Puerto Rico
- First Sargent. National Guard, Insular Garrison, Río Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1949
- Children and adults teacher, Edna Coll Arts Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Establishes his first art studio, “Chez les Artistas”. San Juan, Puerto Rico
- CCo-founder with José A. Torres Martinó. “Estudio 17”, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- Designer of stencils for a rug Factory. Carolina, Puerto Rico
Exhibitions
Solo Shows
1980
- Decimoquinta exposición individual, Galería San Sebastián, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1978
- Décimo cuarta exposición individual, Sala de Exposiciones, Museo de Casa Blanca, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1976
- Décimo tercera exposición individual, Sala de Exposiciones, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1974
- Décimo segunda exposición individual, Colegio de Ingenieros de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1973
- Décimo primera exposición individual, Colegio de Ingenieros de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1972
- Décima exposición individual, Museo de Arte, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1968
- Novena exposición individual, Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1964
- Octava exposición individual, Galería Campeche, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1962
- Séptima exposición individual, Sala de Exposiciones, Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1961
- Sexta exposición individual, Galería Campeche, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1957
- Quinta exposición individual, Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1956
- Cuarta exposición individual, Galería La Pintadera, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1953
- Tercera exposición Individual, Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1952
- Segunda exposición Individual, Ateneo Puertorriqueño, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1949
- Primera Exposición Individual, Sala de Exposiciones, Academia de Arte Edna Coll, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Group Shows
2013
- Interconexiones: Lecturas Curatoriales de la Colección del MAPR, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2007
- Contexto puertorriqueño: del rococó colonial al arte global, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2006
- Muestra Nacional, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2000
- Arte Puertorriqueño, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1980
- Tercera Muestra Anual de Pintura y Escultura, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1979
- Segunda Muestra Anual de Pintura y Escultura, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1978
- Muestra Anual de Pintura y Escultura, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1977
- Exposición del Certamen Internacional de Escuelas de Artes Plásticas, Chicago, Illinois, United States
1958
- Primera Bienal Hispanoamericana de Pintura, México
1957
- Exposición Colectiva y representativa de las Artes Plásticas en Puerto Rico, Riverside Museum, New York, United States
1956
- Exposición Colectiva de Arte Patriótico, Caguas, Ponce y San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Muestra de Arte del Caribe, Houston Museum, Texas, United States
1955
- Exposición Colectiva de Arte de Puerto Rico, Community Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Exposición Colectiva de la Asociación de Artes Plásticas, Ateneo Puertorriqueño, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1953
- Festival de Navidad, Ateneo Puertorriqueño, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Exposiciones colectivas Asociación Pro Escuela de Artes Plásticas, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1952
- Muestra de Arte Panamericano, Metro Goldwyn Mayer, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1950
- Primera Exposición al Aire Libre del Centro de Arte Puertorriqueño, Plaza San José, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1949
- American Artist Professional League, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Awards, Distinctions and Achievements
1952
- Second Prize. Christmas Festival, Ateneo Puertorriqueño, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1951
- Third Prize for Painting. Second Outdoors Exhibition, Centro de Arte Puertorriqueño, Plaza de Armas, Viejo San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1949
- Honorable Mention. Muestra de Arte Panamericano, Metro Goldwyn Meyer, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Collections
- Compañía de Turismo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Cooperativa de Seguros Múltiples de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico
- Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Museo del Barrio, New York, United States
Bibliography
Books
Hermandad de Artistas Gráficos de Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico Arte e Identidad. San Juan, P.R.: Editorial de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, 1998.
Los tesoros de la pintura puertorriqueña. Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico. San Juan, P.R. 2000.