Local StoriesJune 13, 2024

Meet Alaen Ledesma Fernandez of Studio Fine Cuban Art to Collect

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alaen Ledesma Fernandez.

Alaen Ledesma Fernandez

Hi Alaen, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Alaen Ledesma Fernández. I arrived on the island of Key West in 2014 more than a decade ago; and, as always, linking my life to the Arts. First, I worked as a curator and arts specialist for some prestigious galleries in the city with renowned local artists. Then, in 2018, I decided to strike out on my own and created Studio Fine Cuban Art to Collect, dedicated to the promotion of Cuban art in the Florida Keys and Key West.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Art has never been a smooth road. Art requires a lot of sacrifice and daily effort. Art, as a whole, is a competitive world where you can never stop creating and renewing yourself. The struggles on my path have been countless, but there is nothing in this life that cannot be achieved with sacrifice and discipline. I am a persevering and passionate person in what I do. I always think that a true artist does not stop creating until the end of his life.

I know that I still have many struggles and many things to achieve, but -at least- I think I am on the right path, and I don’t plan to stop working on what I am passionate about and on what I have dedicated my life to. It really is something that I enjoy and that identifies me.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Studio Fine Cuban Art to Collect represents the artwork of prominent Cuban plastic artists who perform and compete on the most important stages in the world: art fairs, Art Basel, biennials, and the main museums and galleries in the world. They represent the highest echelon of Cuban art on the island, and we work with these artists.

In addition, we provide advice and we work directly with the Latin American Art Magazine and the Cuban Diaspora Art Foundation on different projects and presentations in museums and international fairs, dedicated to the promotion and visualization of the Cuban arts. I also collaborate every year with the Florida Keys Council of the Arts, of which I am a member in events, presentations, and exhibitions of Cuban art from Key Largo to Key West.

This year, it is worth mentioning that we exhibited the work of the famous Cuban artist Alicia Leal at the Islamorada Florida Keys History & Discovery Center. Moreover, Carlos Guzmán, another one of our artists, was chosen for the presentation and the poster of the Key West Food & Wine Festival 2024, with a personal exhibition and also being on the cover of the Destination Florida Magazine.

One of our biggest accomplishments was also the presentation of “Paint the Music and Dance the Paint”, an exhibition by the Arts Council at the historic E. H. Gato Cigar Factory, as another art display in public buildings. Paint the Music and Dance the Paint presented the work of 25 Cuban artists with more than 70 works on display.

In addition to this, it is also the new Cuban art project at the emblematic Marquesa Hotel, where the work of the famous Cuban painter Humberto Castro is exhibited. We are proud to announce that this year this place will hold a new exhibition by the legendary and national prize winner of Cuban fine arts Zaida del Río.

Investing in art is not just acquiring objects: it is cultivating the soul and enriching life with beauty and meaning. By investing in art, we are investing in our own personal growth and creating an environment that nourishes our mind, our spirit, and our soul.

True art is not limited to beautiful spaces. Its purpose is to move, to question, and to enrich the human experience. The true value of investing in art is not in the price of the work but in the experience that it provides and the dialogue that it initiates. Each acquisition is not only a material possession but an open door to exploration and contemplation, as well as to the connection with something outside ourselves.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success, for me, is about achieving personal objectives and goals in your work and personal life. Success is about becoming the person that you really want to be, living life the way you want to live it, and doing what you really want to do. Success is about achieving what one intends to achieve in life in the time we are given for this.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Debra Ferragamo-Hayes and Maria Karla Castellanos

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