Alexis Rodriguez-Duarte

Cuba Out of Cuba

A L E X I S  R O D R I G U E Z-D U A R T E            

P H O T O G R A P H Y

In Collaboration With

TICO TORRES

It is with great pride that we are able to announce that the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. has acquired a portfolio of 18 limited edition portraits from our Cuba Out of Cuba series for their permanent collection. Also included, is what the National Portrait Gallery has called the iconic photograph of Celia Cruz ("¡Yo soy de Cuba la voz - Guantanamera!") from the cover of our book, Presenting Celia Cruz. We are both proud and honored to have been able to introduce these portraits of Cubans into the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery for the first time in the history of museum and to have our work in the permanent collection. 

Below is the list from the Cuba Out of Cuba portfolio now at the National Portrait Gallery:

Celia Cruz

Israel "Cachao" Lopez

Paquito D'Rivera

Gloria Estefan

Emilio Estefan 

Arturo O'Farrill

Carlos "Patato" Valdés 

Andy García

Cristina Saralegui 

Carmen Herrera 

Emilio Sanchez

Enrique Riverón

Luis Cruz Azaceta 

José Bedia 

Isabel Toledo

Narciso Rodriguez

Adolfo Sardiña 

Nilo Cruz

Nena Goodman

Aside from the above mentioned portfolio, we have donated the following portraits:

"Las cinco Carolinas" (Carolina Herrera)

Los maestros, Israel "Cachao" Lopez with "Bebo" Valdés

"Mira qué linda me veo II" (Celia Cruz) 

We began the Cuba Out of Cuba portrait series in 1994 while commissioned for a shoot for Art & Antiques Magazine featuring Cuban artists that had lived in the United States for many years as well as those that had recently arrived from Cuba. This series soon expanded to include musicians, writers, actors, fashion designers, etc. This project is very close to our hearts and is a documentation of the Cuba we knew and grew up in, which is the Cuba that is outside of Cuba. 

The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery was established by Congress as a non-profit, publicly funded entity, open without charge to the public to tell the multifaceted story of America by portraying the people who shape the nation's history, development and culture and of the artists who created these portraits. Through the visual arts, performing arts and new media, the Portrait Gallery portrays the lives that tell the American story. 

Please feel free to contact us if you should have any queries or you'd like further information.

Alexis Rodriguez-Duarte

Humberto "Tico" Torres

alexis@alexisrodriguez-duarte.com

www.alexisrodriguez-duarte.com