Jose Buscaglia Guillermety
Encyclopedia
José Buscaglia Guillermety (born in 1938) is an educator and sculptor
.
into a distinguished Puerto Rican
family. His father Rafael was a very important and influential political figure within the ranks of The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
. Besides being one of the co-founders of the party and the founder of the Banco Gubernamental of Fomento, he also held the cabinet position of Treasurer. Buscaglia's mother, Josefina Guillermety, once was a student of noted opera
singer Antonio Paoli
.
The family lived in the Santurce section of San Juan and also had a farm in Comerio
, a town located in the central mountains of the island. There he came into constant contact with nature. On one occasion when he was six years old, his father went on a trip to New York City
and when he returned he presented young Buscaglia with a box of modeling clay. He became fascinated with the gift and started to model human figures with it. His father recognized that his young son had a talent for sculpting and in 1946 enrolled him in an arts school where he was to take lessons from Ismael D'Alzina. After attending his regular school, he would go to the arts school and take six hours of sculpting classes.
Buscaglia received his primary and secondary education at the Sacred Heart Academy of Santurce and in 1956 graduated. He then enrolled at Harvard University
to pursue his studies in sculpting. In 1958, he went to Barcelona, Spain where he took some specialized studies for a year. After a year in Spain, he returned to Harvard and graduated in 1960.
make a monument in the likeness of the late governor Jesus T. Piñero
. He was hired by the University of Puerto Rico
and held the position of Director of Fine Arts from 1962 to 1980.
Buscaglia traveled to Venezuela
upon that country's invitation. He was instrumental in the development and design of an experimental program that became known as "Project Intelligence" and which was sponsored by the Venezuelan Government and Harvard University.
Buscaglia has created over forty monuments which can be found in Puerto Rico, The U.S. Virgin Islands and the United States
. Some of his works have been exhibited at Yale University
, Harvard University, Rockefeller Center
, Washington, D.C.
, Barcelona and Madrid
.
Buscaglia is a Fellow of the National Sculptor Society and a founding member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences of Puerto Rico.
.
On July 31, 2004, In Providence, Rhode Island
, the Puerto Rican Day Parade and Festival Oraganization presented José Buscaglia Guillermety with the "Artistic Excellence Award".
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
.
Early years
Buscaglia was born in San Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
into a distinguished Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
family. His father Rafael was a very important and influential political figure within the ranks of The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that supports Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and sovereignty, through the enhancement of Puerto Rico's current status as a commonwealth....
. Besides being one of the co-founders of the party and the founder of the Banco Gubernamental of Fomento, he also held the cabinet position of Treasurer. Buscaglia's mother, Josefina Guillermety, once was a student of noted opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singer Antonio Paoli
Antonio Paolí
Antonio Paoli was a Puerto Rican tenor. He was known at the height of his fame as "The King of Tenors and The Tenor of Kings." He is considered to be the first Puerto Rican to reach international fame in the musical arts...
.
The family lived in the Santurce section of San Juan and also had a farm in Comerio
Comerío, Puerto Rico
Comerío is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the center-eastern region of island, north of Aibonito; south of Naranjito and Bayamón; east of Barranquitas; and west of Cidra and Aguas Buenas. Comerío is spread over 7 wards and Comerío Pueblo...
, a town located in the central mountains of the island. There he came into constant contact with nature. On one occasion when he was six years old, his father went on a trip to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and when he returned he presented young Buscaglia with a box of modeling clay. He became fascinated with the gift and started to model human figures with it. His father recognized that his young son had a talent for sculpting and in 1946 enrolled him in an arts school where he was to take lessons from Ismael D'Alzina. After attending his regular school, he would go to the arts school and take six hours of sculpting classes.
Buscaglia received his primary and secondary education at the Sacred Heart Academy of Santurce and in 1956 graduated. He then enrolled at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
to pursue his studies in sculpting. In 1958, he went to Barcelona, Spain where he took some specialized studies for a year. After a year in Spain, he returned to Harvard and graduated in 1960.
Sculptures
Buscaglia returned to Puerto Rico in 1962 and was commissioned by the Government of Puerto RicoGovernment of Puerto Rico
The Government of Puerto Rico is a republican form of government subject to U.S. jurisdiction and sovereignty. Its current powers are all delegated by the United States Congress and lack full protection under the United States Constitution...
make a monument in the likeness of the late governor Jesus T. Piñero
Jesus T. Piñero
Jesús Toribio Piñero Jiménez was the first native Puerto Rican to be appointed governor of Puerto Rico by the Government of the United States.-Early years:...
. He was hired by the University of Puerto Rico
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico is the state university system of Puerto Rico. The system consists of 11 campuses and has approximately 64,511 students and 5,300 faculty members...
and held the position of Director of Fine Arts from 1962 to 1980.
Buscaglia traveled to Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
upon that country's invitation. He was instrumental in the development and design of an experimental program that became known as "Project Intelligence" and which was sponsored by the Venezuelan Government and Harvard University.
Buscaglia has created over forty monuments which can be found in Puerto Rico, The U.S. Virgin Islands and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Some of his works have been exhibited at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, Harvard University, Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th and 51st streets in New York City, United States. Built by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, spanning the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. It was declared a National...
, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Barcelona and Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
.
Buscaglia is a Fellow of the National Sculptor Society and a founding member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences of Puerto Rico.
Monuments created by Buscaglia
Some of the monuments created by Buscaglia are the following:- Jesus T. Piñero (1962)
- Roberto CofresiRoberto CofresíRoberto Cofresí , better known as "El Pirata Cofresí", was the most renowned pirate in Puerto Rico. He became interested in sailing at a young age. By the time he reached adulthood there were some political and economic difficulties in Puerto Rico, which at the time was a colony of Spain...
- Robert FrostRobert FrostRobert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and...
- John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
- Statue of Justice 1973
- Roberto ClementeRoberto ClementeRoberto Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. Clemente played his entire 18-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He was awarded the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in...
- Eugenio Maria de HostosEugenio María de HostosEugenio María de Hostos known as "El Ciudadano de América" , was a Puerto Rican educator, philosopher, intellectual, lawyer, sociologist and independence advocate....
- Death Mask of Pablo CasalsPablo CasalsPau Casals i Defilló , known during his professional career as Pablo Casals, was a Spanish Catalan cellist and conductor. He is generally regarded as the pre-eminent cellist of the first half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest cellists of all time...
Postscript
Buscaglia's son José Buscaglia-Salgado is the Director of the Program in Caribbean Studies and Associate professor of the Department of Romance languages and Literatures at the University at BuffaloUniversity at Buffalo, The State University of New York
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, also commonly known as the University at Buffalo or UB, is a public research university and a "University Center" in the State University of New York system. The university was founded by Millard Fillmore in 1846. UB has multiple campuses...
.
On July 31, 2004, In Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, the Puerto Rican Day Parade and Festival Oraganization presented José Buscaglia Guillermety with the "Artistic Excellence Award".