UF’s University Gallery has opened its doors to an art collector who has amassed thousands of pieces of art since 1986.
Héctor Puig, an art proprietor and owner of Héctor Framing & Gallery, contributed more than 400 pieces from his personal collection to showcase in the gallery’s latest installment, “COME HOME; Selections from the Collection of Héctor Puig.” The collection, which will be up on display until Nov. 7 with a public reception on Sept. 25 at 7 p.m., features acrylic paintings, photographs and carved statues.
An important feature of the collection is his display of santos, religious carvings from Puerto Rico that he began collecting in 1998. The figurines, some of which date back to the 18th century, depict the Virgin Mary, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and saints.
“It’s a highly spiritual work,” he said. “I’m not a religious person, I don’t attend church every Sunday. But the work transcends religion.”
These carvings were used during colonial times by Europeans who landed in the islands of Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Haiti to visually teach natives about the Protestant faith, he said.
Puig, originally from Utuado, Puerto Rico, moved to Gainesville when he was 13 years old and attended Gainesville High School. He then attended Santa Fe College after being offered a full scholarship to study art. It was there that he met prominent artistic figures in Gainesville such as Sue Jester, Joanna Clark and Ray Hale — all of whom are featured in “COME HOME.”
The collection also features the work of the late Lennie Kesl, a noted Gainesville artist whom Puig said trained him to recognize quality artwork.
“He (Kesl) is not only one of my favorite artists, he was my mentor and teacher,” Puig said. “We traveled, collaborated together. It came to the point that we were really — it wasn’t a student-teacher relationship anymore, it was a collaborative effort.”
For Puig to add a piece of art to his collection, he said it must have the “visual weight” to hold up against the other pieces.
“I look for continuity in the person’s work, in the artist’s work. For there to be dedication, passion and seriousness: Are they doing what they intend to do with their gift?”
He said his No. 1 priority with his collection, however, is to showcase the work of up-and-coming artists from around the Gainesville area.
Weary of the phrase “local artists,” he was quick to stress that many of the Gainesville artists who are featured in “COME HOME” were, at one point, being shown in renowned museums in the U.S. Many of them, he said, decided to further their career in Gainesville or teach.
“I have met many artists that have either taught or passed through Gainesville, that are internationally known,” he said. “These are people that are in collections like the MoMa (Museum of Modern Art) in New York, the Guggenheim, the Whitney, the Smithsonian, the Institute, Philadelphia Museum, (and the) Chicago Museum of Art in Illinois.”
He said that while he doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with people using the phrase “local artists,” he doesn’t think it should be tossed around.
“I find it demeaning because when people say ‘local artist,’ they somehow have this interpretation that it’s not significant,” he said. “They somehow assume that it’s irrelevant art.”
Hector Puig stands with some of the pieces of his collection in the University Gallery.
