a rts
Artist’s Profile
Roly Chang Barrero
Palm Beach Arts Renaissance Man
By Sandra Schulman
WPBMagazine Senior Writer | Arts & Entertainment
Photos: Addiel Perera, WPB Magazine
WPB Magazine Editor
S
happen. I don’t think the word “no” is in his vocabulary. We
soon started working on projects together as I became more
involved in Art Synergy and with his numerous galleries.”
haking up the Palm Beach art scene for the past few
years, artist/activist/organizer/curator Roly Chang
has taken on project after project. As a working artist,
he maintains a studio in Boynton Beach Arts District which
he founded, as well as one in the back of The Box Gallery in
West Palm Beach, where he is director, curator and owner.
He co-created Art Synergy, a county wide organization that
hosts booths at Art Palm Beach and Art Boca Raton Fairs to
promote and exhibit regional mid-career artists.
“I know Rolando both from a business perspective and as
an artist and he is one of the few people I know that I can
count on to get the job done, whether it is curating a show,
creating an entirely new event or doing basic business
paperwork. He is tireless. As an artist, he is always creating
both his own work and motivating and helping others in
creating and promoting their art. He has been a powerhouse
in the art community from the time he first came here from
Miami and has changed the face of the local art community
and I am sure he will continue to do so.”
At The Box Gallery he has been curating up a storm with
wildly imaginative shows with themes of patriotism, environ-
mentalism, activism and more. Solo shows have spotlighted
the works of Don Shearer and Andrew Reid. Currently he is
working on organizing Art Festivals for Danieli ArtWorld, a
major new district in West Palm Beach that will combine art
booths with music, food and elegant charity events.
“I met Rolando about five years ago when he first moved
to the area and as the saying goes, it was love at first sight!,”
says Ilene Gruber Adams, his partner in Art Synergy. “There
was such a great energy about him. No matter what he does,
he is excited about it and motivated to make whatever it is,
wpbmagazine . com
All this energy came from a serious health issue Rolando
had, in 1993 he was told he had a terminal brain tumor and
there was nothing doctors could do. So he sat around
waiting to die for 10 years. Then he didn’t and they
performed surgery on him that saved his life.
Before this he had been a very active artist in the South
Miami Beach scene, where his hyper productive creative life
34
wpbmagazine
•
j u ly t h r u s e p t e m b e r
2017