His partner in the gallery and one of his top artists
Gary Kroman says: “Working with Rolando is like
working with a steamroller. He barrels through the
day with nonstop momentum and efficiency. Some
people are said to have their finger on the pulse. He
is the pulse in the South Florida art world.”
Rolando is the unique individual who has the keen
eye for the groundbreaking. “His aesthetic is museum
quality,” says Kroman. “The example being the Box
gallery (where we had been working together) that he
transformed from a sore eye appliance repair shop
into an amazing gallery space and lecture hall. The
quality of work displayed there rivaling most
museum collections I’ve seen. Added to all that his
own art invites questioning current values in our
culture and brings a bold statement to whatever is
his canvas of choice. It is a tremendous inspiration to
know and work with such an individual as Rolando.”
Rolando’s own art focuses on faces with bright
strokes of color and wide open eyes. Symbols of
paper folded hats and boats and birds and burning
hearts with crowns flit about in the cosmos around
the heads. An enormous new work painted on the
roof of Danieli ArtWorld is of the American flag with
his trademark birds instead of stars. The birds
wander out of their box, curiously chirping and
exploring what’s out there amongst the stripes.
Another series of Cuban and South American revo-
lutionaries was exhibited upside down in a show of
protest. He is a thinker, his insomniac mind always
running with thoughts of the next show, next space,
next universe to conquer, so it makes sense that this
is what and how he paints.
He is giving and organizing at a furious but
thoughtful pace, making up for the time he felt was
taken from him by his illness. There are future plans
for more galleries and exhibits.
At The Box he has expanded his presentations of the arts to
include film screenings and even ballet performances.
Rolando has been recognized as one the nine most
intriguing persons in the regional arts, one of the top green
trailblazers, and has received a Congressional Letter of
Commendation for his contributions in the advancement for
the arts. He is the President of the Florida Arts Association,
the co-founder of Art Synergy and the Director of The
Boynton Beach Art District where he has been awarded Best
Art Exhibition by New Times 2014 and Awarded Best Art Walk
by New Times 2013. He is constantly reaching out and
bringing in new artists of all types – visual, filmmakers,
dancers, writers, poets – to join in on the fun.
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“I believe that artists make a living proportionally to
their drive, circumstances, and vision. Like doctors,
lawyers, and other professionals…some artists
navigate life better than others,” he says. “I have an
insatiable desire to leave a legacy defined by what
can be done—what is possible in the arts. I am
committed to the advancement of the arts in all
areas. I want to enroll people in a vision full of
possibilities.”
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2017