José Buscaglia Guillermety
San Juan, PR, 1938
Biography Details
Sculptor and teacher. Buscaglia studied under Ismael D’Alzina from 1947 to 1956. He completed a undergraduate degree at Harvard in 1960. For several years, he worked in the studio of sculptor Enrique Monjo y Garriga in Barcelona, and was sculptor-in-residence at the University of Puerto Rico from 1963 to 1978. From 1979 to 1985, he worked on educational projects that led to a collaboration between Harvard University and the government of Venezuela. He is a founding member of the Puerto Rican Academy of Arts and Sciences and a professor at the Rhode Island School of Design. His best-known work is monumental, and he has received almost forty commissions in Puerto Rico and abroad, including Monument to Robert Frost (National Gallery, Washington, D.C.); Justice (Puerto Rico Bar Association, 1973); Monument to Jesús T. Piñero (Carolina, Puerto Rico, 1962), his first commission in Puerto Rico. His style is classical, elegant, and painstakingly realistic.
Artist Statement
“Both on the island as well as in the diaspora ambit, those of us who have made a commitment with our country’s culture have the moral obligation to answer to history’s judgment to consolidate our cultural, intellectual, and creative heritage and therefore safeguard the future of the Puerto Rican nation”.
José Buscaglia, 2014
Formation
Education
1977
- Master of Arts. Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1962-1960
- Advanced studies in sculpture at the studio of Enrique Monjo. Barcelona, Spain
1960
- Bachelors in Arts. Harvard University, Cambridge, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
1958-1959
- Apprentice to artist Enrique Monjo. Barcelona, Spain
- Courses.Real Academia de Bellas Artes, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
1946-1956
- Courses with artist Ismael D’Alzina. San Juan, Puerto Rico
Professional Experience
2001
- Professor. Rhode Island School of Design Summer Program, Rhode Island, United States
1994-95
- Visiting Lecturer. Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Visiting Lecturer. Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, Massachusetts, United States
- Visiting Lecturer. Rhode Island College, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
1993
- Visiting Artist. Massachusetts College of Art, Boston,Massachusetts, United States
1988
- Seminar Director “The Origin, Nature, And Development of Intelligence”. College of Health Related Professions, Universidad de Puerto Rico, School of Medical Sciences, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1986-87
- Assistant Director. Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1986
- Visiting Professor. Instituto Internacional, Madrid, Spain
1984
- Sculptor in Residence. Concord - Carlisle School System, Concord, Massachusetts, United States
1980
- Instructor. Commission on extension courses, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
1979-84
- Advisor to the Minister of State for the Development of Human Intelligence, Venezuela
- Senior Consultant for Project Intelligence. Venezuela; Harvard University, Bolt Beranek and Newman, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
1978-79
- Director. Fine Arts Department, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1963-79
- Associate Professor. Fine Arts Department, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1960
- Instructor. Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Jorge, Barcelona, Spain
Exhibitions
Solo Shows
1996
- Cornelius Ayer Gallery, Concord, Massachusetts, United States
1994-1995
- Private collection of major works on loan, American International College, Springfield, Massachusetts, United States
1989
- Forty Years of Sculpture, Department of Health and Human Services, Hubert H Humphrey Building, Washington DC, United States
1987
- Forty Years of Sculpture, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
1976-1977
- Thirty Years of Sculpture, Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1975
- United States Cultural Center, Madrid, Spain
- Official Memorabilia of Pablo Casals, Rovira Gallery, Barcelona, Spain
1967
- George Washington University, Washington DC, United States
- Banco Popular, Rockefeller Plaza, New York, United States
1966
- Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Estados Unidos
Awards, Distinctions and Achievements
2003
- Lifetime achievement award as sculptor, educator and intellectual. House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, San Juan Puerto Rico
2002
- Resolution for contributions to the visual arts. Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Rhode Island, United States
- Recognition for extraordinary contributions to the field of art. Governor of the State of Rhode Island, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
1999
- Eugenio María de Hostos Citizen of America Medal. Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1993
- Fellow. National Sculpture Society, New, York, United States
1992
- John Holowchuck Award in Sculpture. The Copley
- Society of Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
1984
- Artistic Residence. Concord- Carlisle School System, Concord, Massachusetts, United States
1983
- Medal. Accademico con medaglia d'oro, Accademia Italia delle Arti e del Lavoro, Italy
1980
- The Council of American Artists Society Award. National Sculpture Society, New York, United States
1967
- Puerto Rican Grand Prize. Academia de Artes y Ciencia, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1966-79
- Member, Board of Directors. Academia de Artes y Ciencia, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1963
- Resident Sculptor. Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Collections
- Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Río Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Museo de Arte de Ponce,Ponce, Puerto Rico
- Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- National Portrait Gallery, Washington DC, Estados Unidos
- Merrimack College, Andover, Massachusetts, Estados Unidos
- Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Estados Unidos
- Caviness Collection, Washington DC, Estados Unidos
- Robert Leone Collection, Lexington, Massachusetts, Estados Unidos
- Winthrop Smith Collection, Greenwich, Connecticut, Estados Unidos
- Susan B. Anthony, Daniel Phillips’ Collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Estados Unido
Bibliography
Books
Perkins, D.M. The Intelligent Eye. Santa Mónica, California: The GettyCenter for Education in the Arts, 1994.
Clásicos de Puerto Rico. San Juan, Ediciones Latinoamericana.1971.
Biografías Puertorriqueñas. Troutman Press. 1970.
Gran Enciclopedia de Puerto Rico, Mundo Hispánico. Núm. 306, .Barcelona, España, 1973.
Dictionary of American Sculptors: Eighteenth Century to the Present. Poughkeepsie, Nueva York: Apollo Publishers, 1984.
Crescioni, Gladys. Breve Introducción a la Cultura Puertorriqueña. Madrid, España: Editorial Playor, S.A., 1979.
Hermandad de Artistas Gráficos de Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico--arte e identidad. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Editorial de la Universidad. 1998.pp.451.
Sarramía, Tomás. Nuestra Gente. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Publicaciones Puertorriqueñas, Inc., 1993.
Benítez, Marimar. Colección de arte Latinoamericano. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Museo de Arte de Ponce, 1994. pp.49-50.
Bloch, Peter. Painting and sculpture of the Puerto Ricans. Nueva York: Plus Ultra Inc. 1978. pp. 212.
Delgado Mercado, Osiris. Cuatro Siglos de pintura puertorriqueña. España: Sociedad editorial selecta, 1998.
Delgado Mercado, Osiris. La Gran Enciclopedia de Puerto Rico. Tomo VIII. Artes Plásticas. Madrid: Ediciones R, 1976. pp. 312-313.
Gaya Nuño, Juan A. La Pintura puertorriqueña. Centro de estudios sorianos, España, 1994.pp. 185-186.
Pérez Lizano, Manuel. Arte Contemporáneo Puertorriqueño 1950-1983, Cerámica, Escultura, Pintura. Universidad Central de Bayamón. Ed. Cruz Ansata. 1985.
Riutort, Ana. Historia Breve del Arte Puertorriqueño en su contexto universal. España: Editorial Playor, 1989. pp.244-245.
Riutort, Ana. Enciclopedia del arte en América. Tomo II Historia. Argentina: Omeba, 1968. pp.370.
Catalogues
Jose Buscaglia Fourty Years of Scupture: 1946-1986. Connecticut, Estados Unidos: Casa Cultural Julia de Burgos y Berkley College, Yale University,1987.
Jose Buscaglia Fourty Years of Scupture. Hubert h Humphrey Bldg. 1988.
Newspapers
Sculptor Brings Robert Frost Home. Eagle Tribune (EEUU). 22 de abril de 1992.
Matías, Wanda. Petición de un artista. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR) 17 de marzo de 2005.
Bonilla Norat, Felix. “Buscaglia at the Institute of Culture” The San Juan Star (San Juan, PR)
Dinhofer, Al. “Art by the island-full” The San Juan Star (San Juan, PR) 1 de diciembre de 1963. pp.6-9.
Rodriguez, Jorge. “Alegoría de Hostos…Estatua Monumental para Ballajá”. El Vocero (San Juan, PR) 9 de octubre de 1997. pp.E22-E23.
Rodriguez, Jorge. “Tríptico a Roberto Clemente… en cenotafio de José Buscaglia. El Mundo (San Juan, PR) 26 de agosto de 1999. pp.24-25.
Rodriguez, Jorge. “Develan Relieve Escultórico”. El Vocero (San Juan, PR), 21 de agosto de 1996. pp. 51.
Magazines
Topping, Donald M., et al. Cultural Psychology-Understanding the Riddle of Development. Thinking Across Cultures: The Third International Conference, Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 1989, pp. 5-11.
Boletín de la Academia de Artes y Ciencias de Puerto Rico, Vol. IV, Núm. 1,1968, and Vol. VII, Núm. 3, 1971.
Gail Hulbert. Get Real. Rhode Island Monthly. Vol. 13, Num. 9, Diciembre 2000, pp. 44-47.
Revista de la Academia de Artes y Ciencias de Puerto Rico. San Juan, Puerto Rico. Vol. 3, Núm. 1, 1988.
Perkins, D.N. “The Invisible art of José Buscaglia”. Harvard Magazine. noviembre- diciembre 1983. pp.36-43.