Alvaro Ibañez was born in Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia, on January 18, 1951. He has worked as a designer and draftsman for more than twenty-two years, specializing in graphic arts, patent design, and trademark illustrations. His biographical profile has been included in Editions 15, 10, and 17 of "Who’s Who in the World," Editions 52, 53, and 54 of "Who’s Who in America," and Editions 25, 26, and 27 and the 2000 Edition of "Who’s Who in the South and Southwest." His personal collection of his own original work contains over 500 pieces in media such as pastel, oils, water color, ink, and even markers.
Alvaro won his first art contest in 1958 at the age of seven, and in 1974 he participated in his first collective exhibition in Colombia. In 1979, his work was displayed in collective shows at Dicas Fine Arts Center and Santander Industrial University. Inspired by his teacher David Manzur and by Da Vinci, Dali, and Van Gogh, Alvaro expresses his love of life and beauty through a broad range of styles ranging from realism to surrealism. Within his collection are pieces ranging in size from a few inches to many feet, with themes running the gamut of human experience and going beyond into the realm of myth.
Alvaro immigrated to the United States in August of 1981, leaving behind a large body of work. His current collection dates from his arrival in Virginia and tells the story of his struggles as a new immigrant supporting a family and learning a new language.
He began exhibiting and selling his work on the streets of Georgetown in 1981, and by 1982 his work was featured in collective shows at Arlington Arts Center and Falls Church Recreation Park. In 1985, Sovran Bank sponsored a solo show of his work at their Springfield site.
As a member of the Latin American Art League, Alvaro took part in a collective show in Alexandria in 1991. He showed his work at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria and in the "Parade of the Americas" exhibition in 1993.
In 1994, Alvaro participated in twelve different exhibitions. Three of them were sponsored by the Martin Luther King Memorial Library, where he went on to serve as volunteer curator for four years. Bell Atlantic and AT&T sponsored four of the exhibitions, and others were held at the Art Museum of the Americas, Strathmore Hall Arts Center, the Mexican Cultural Institute, and Montgomery County Executive Office Building.
The next year was also active for Alvaro. He displayed in collective shows at Moscoso Gallery in Washington DC, Florida Museum of Hispanic and Latin American Art, NASA Headquarters, the Pan American Health Organization, and the SED Center, and was invited back to the Montgomery County Executive Office Building and the MLK Memorial Library.
Alvaro’s work tells of his dreams and the sources of his inspiration. A collection of paintings based on the Finnish creation myth Kalevala was inspired by his father’s stories. Images of women dominate much of his work; "I love Woman," he says, "beginning with my mother. I mold my feelings easily on canvas." Another group of paintings depicts the powerful, mythical unicorn. This image was the primary inspiration for Alvaro’s dream of building a retreat center for artists,Sunrise Retreat Center for the Arts
Denise‘s chapbook Wheat, illustrated by Alvaro Ibañez, was published in November of 1997 by Mica Press of Colorado. DeVries and Ibañez are currently collaborating on a second book which combines 21 poems and 18 illustrations, and are planning a children’s book and a volume of poetry and art on the immigrant experience.
Photographs by Alvaro Ibañez were featured in a group show, "Shades of Time and Tones of Life" at the MLK Memorial Library in the spring of 1997. Alvaro brought together three other photographers, Mary Ann Wells, a Colorado native living in Falls Church at the time; Patricia Ruble, also of Falls Church, and Charles Winkler of Charlottesville. This was the first show for Ms. Ruble and Ms. Wells, who have gone on to display their work in other locations.
On July 26, 1997, Alvaro Ibañez held a solo retrospective at the City of Falls Church Recreation Center, in which he exhibited over 500 of his paintings and drawings. Although Alvaro works with graphic and patent design in his Falls Church business and has a large number of works in pencil, ink, and other media, pastels and oils continue to be his favorites. The day of the Retrospective was also the first public display of plans for the Retreat Center for the Arts. A poetry reading was held, featuring poets from Kilmarnock, Manassas, and Falls Church, Virginia and Washington DC.
Alvaro was a featured artist in September of 1997 at a national conference at Bell Atlantic in Arlington, where he displayed 12 paintings.
Starting on December 7, 1996, Sunrise Studio Gallery presented a variety of artistic and literary events.Paintings by Alvaro Ibañez continued to be displayed in Sunrise Studio Gallery until November 15 when the Gallery closed for winter. Although Mr. Ibañez works with graphic and patent design in his Falls Church business and has a large number of works in pencil, ink, and other media, pastels oils continue to be his favorite. The works on display in the gallery are representative of the variety of styles and subject matter that characterize his collections.
On November 15, 1997, the Sunrise Gallery closed for the winter and remained closed as activities were transferred to the DC and Northern Virginia area.
The art of Alvaro Ibañez and his children, Carlos, Alvaro Jr., and Diana Ibañez Mapp was exhibited on the second floor of the Martin Luther King Memorial Library from December 4, 1997 to January 5, 1998. In addition to their work was displayed that of Denise DeVries and her family, including her children, Elena, Austin, and Paul Tsiaperas. The exhibit included two oil paintings by Denise's paternal grandmother Helen DeVries, a wood sculpture by her father James DeVries, an oil painting by her brother Ken DeVries, and photography by her mother Mary Ann Wells. A poetry reading was held featuring poets from Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
Alvaro has created several pieces of art for the church he attends with his family. He painted detailed sets for two annual plays at Beverley Hills United Methodist Church, and exhibited a Christmas painting combining secular and religious themes. He has also received commissions from the Catholic Church. His painting of the holy family is on display at St. Joseph’s Convent in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and he has also painted "The Virgin of Knock" for an Irish congregation.
