WHO Juan Alonso-Rodríguez, the 62-year-old visual artist. Born and raised in Havana, Cuba, Alonso-Rodríguez left for the U.S. in 1966, living in Miami, San Francisco and Key West before moving to Seattle in ’82. In recent years he’s taken up curating monthly exhibits by POC, women and LGBTQ artists in his Front Room Gallery, an extension of his own Pioneer Square studio. Alonso-Rodríguez also serves on the Seattle Arts Commission and its Public Art Advisory Committee.
THE LOOK “Sophisticated with a sense of play; beyond the standard, but short of flamboyance. Everything I wear to the studio will end up covered in paint so I have absolutely no style when I’m working. I do love a well-fitted suit or a stylish jacket with solid-color pants. Picture something that looks good with a dry, Belvedere vodka martini in hand; shaken, not stirred.”
ICONS “I like the sophisticated gentleman or toned-down dandy look. Back in the ’70s, I looked to celebrities like Cat Stevens for inspiration. Now I tend to admire the look on men like Nick Cannon, Ranveer Singh and, of course, Daniel Craig with the whole 007 vibe.”
UP NEXT Alonso-Rodríguez is currently curating Re:Definition 2019 for the Paramount Theatre’s gallery, organizing a program of exhibits that showcase work by local, unrepresented Latinx artists. He’s also working with Path with Art to develop shows around the concept of home and bicultural identities. This month Cuban photographer Eugenio Cesar shows work in the Front Room Gallery. And in December, Alonso-Rodríguez’s studio will be open on Saturday afternoons with giftable art merchandise for sale.
More at juanalonsostudio.com
