A Finding Aid to the Demi and Arturo Rodríguez Papers, circa 1952-2022, in the Archives of American Art

Scope and Contents

The papers of Cuban born Miami painters Demi and Arturo Rodríguez measure 8.42 linear feet and 12.79 GB and date from 1952 to 2022. The collection documents Arturo Rodríguez's career, travels, and childhood as well as the artwork of Demi, Rodriquez's wife and partner, and their relationship. Included are biographical materials, correspondence, interviews, writings, project and exhibition files, personal business records, printed and digital material, artwork, and photographic materials.

Biographical material consists of childhood documents, family histories, and resumes. Additional material part of the 2023 addition includes more family history on Arturo's grandparents, Arturo's high school diploma, and some of Arturo's passports.

Personal and professional correspondence is with artists, curators, galleries, museums, art historians, and collectors, including Shifra M. Goldman, Cris Hassold, Helen L. Kohen, collectors Judith and Bill Ladner, Minuca Villaverde, and others. Additional correspondence relating to the Covid-19 pandemic and their careers during that time are included in the 2023 addition.

Interviews include video and sound recordings of Demi and Arturo discussing lives and artwork, as well as one interview with Carlos Verdecia Jr. about Arturo.

Writings include statements on artwork and autobiographical essays, lectures and talks, and notes. Additional material part of the 2023 addition includes some commentaries, notes, and travel logs.

Project files concern the exhibitions The Rage of Children (1991), Walls & Murals: Mike Glier, Arturo Rodríguez & David Wojnarowitz, and Far from Cuba. Other documentation includes a project overview for the Joan Mitchell Foundation, artwork for music album covers, and plans for a retrospective of Demi and Arturo's work that was cancelled due to lack of support. Material part of the 2023 addition includes material related to book projects and exhibitions both Demi and Arturo participated in between 2000 and 2023.

Personal business records consist of files for donations, financial investments, gallery consignments, receipts, sales lists, and collector information.

Printed material includes clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, journal and magazines, posters, programs, and several children's books illustrated by Arturo using the pseudonym Hieronimus Fromm.

Artwork includes drawings and comics by Arturo, collages, drawings and sketches, and 30 sketchbooks belonging to Demi and Arturo. Additional sketchbooks and sketches were included as part of the 2023 addition.

Photographic materials depict Demi and Arturo together and with others, Demi and Arturo's home and studio, exhibitions, still lives, travel, and works of art.

Unprocessed Born-Digital material consists of one hard drive with notation stating it contains photographs, writings, project and exhibition materials, and printed materials.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged as ten series.

Biographical / Historical

Demi (1955- ) and Arturo Rodríguez (1956- ) are painters in Miami, Florida.

Demi was born in Camagüey, Cuba. In 1961, her father was executed by the Cuban government. Demi's mother struggled to take care of Demi and her sisters alone and Demi was sent to live with relatives in Puerto Rico in 1962. She came to the U.S. in 1971 where she was able to join her sisters and mother. Eventually Demi settled in Miami in 1978. She attended Miami-Dade College where she studied drama with the Prometeo Theater Group. In 1980, she met Arturo at one of his exhibitions. They married in 1984. Demi worked as a bookkeeper before she knew she could draw and paint. Her first attempts at creating art were in 1984 using a wedding photograph of herself and Arturo as her subject. Her first exhibition was in 1987 at the Cuban Museum in Miami. As she developed as an artist, children became the prime subjects in Demi's paintings. She was the recipient of the Florida State Visual Artist Grant for 1992 to 1993.

Arturo Rodríguez was born in Ranchuelo, Cuba, and showed an interest in art as a small child. Arturo and his family were exiled to Spain in 1971. While in Spain, his visits to see the paintings of Goya and Velázquez at the Prado Museum helped solidify his interest in art. Rodríguez settled in Miami with his family in 1973 where he eventually attended Miami Dade College. Arturo's works are often influenced by his relationship with Demi. In 1995, he created a series of collages using images of Demi as a way to deal with her cancer diagnosis. He has been the recipient of numerous awards including the prestigious Cintas Foundation Fellowship, Florida Arts Council Fellowships, and a Joan Mitchell Foundation grant.

Related Materials

Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Demi conducted on November 20, 1997 and an oral history interview with Arturo Rodríguez conducted on November 14, 1997 at Demi and Arturo's home/studio in Miami, F.L. by Juan A. Martínez for the Archives of American Art; an oral history interview with Demi conducted September 2, 2020 by Josh Franco; an oral history interview with Arturo Rodriguez conducted by August 26, 2020 by Ben Gillespie.