Athens, Ga. – Alvar Suñol, a world-renowned Spanish painter, sculptor and lithographer with many ties to the University of Georgia, is the subject of a new documentary that will premiere at the Georgia Museum of Art on Wednesday, March 1, at 5:30 p.m. Known worldwide as “Alvar,” he is one of Spain’s major living artists.
Alvar’s work, which focuses on his Mediterranean heritage, was first seen at UGA in the fall of 2001 when the Georgia Museum displayed a selection of his lithographs. But his connection to UGA goes back much farther.
Betty Jean Craige, director of the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts and UGA professor of comparative literature, has been an admirer and a collector of Alvar’s work for nearly 30 years and curated the 2001 exhibit. More recently she co-produced the documentary “Alvar Suñol: His Vision and His Art” with retired Grady College faculty member Alan Stecker.
“Alvar has been recognized and honored as one of Spain’s great artists,” said Craige. “With this documentary, Alan Stecker and I hope to give American viewers a glimpse into Alvar’s character and artistic vision.”
The screening of the documentary, which is the 2006 Willson Center/Georgia Museum of Art Presentation, will take place in the museum’s M. Smith Griffith Auditorium and is free and open to the public.
In February 2007, Alvar will present a painting to the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences during a ceremony at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education.
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Note to editors: An image of the artist’s work is available for download at http://ugaphoto.alumni.uga.edu/special/alvar3.jpg.
