Identity elements
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Collection
Title
Luis Manuel del Pilar collection on Carlos Alfonzo
Date(s)
Extent
1 Box (0.25 linear feet)
Name of creator
Biographical history
Carlos Alfonzo (1950-1991) was a Cuban-born artist whose work blended Catholicism, Afro-Cuban Santería, mysticism, and personal symbolism to explore themes of exile, spirituality, and mortality. Born in Havana, he earned degrees from the Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes San Alejandro and the University of Havana before leaving Cuba in 1980 via the Mariel Boatlift. Settling in Miami, he quickly gained recognition, receiving fellowships from the CINTAS Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. His prolific career included paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and public murals, most notably "Ceremony of the Tropics" at Miami's Santa Clara Metrorail Station. Alfonzo's work was featured in major exhibitions, culminating in his inclusion in the 1991 Whitney Biennial, which opened shortly after his death. His art is represented in major collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Hirshhorn Museum, and the Smithsonian Institution.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
The Luis Manuel del Pilar collection on Carlos Alfonzo contains illuminated manuscript correspondence from Carlos Alfonzo to del Pilar in the 1980s.
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
This collection is open for research.
Physical access
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
Requests to publish or display materials from this collection require written permission from the rights owner. For more information, contact chc@miami.edu.
Languages of the material
- Spanish
Scripts of the material
Language and script notes
Finding aids
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
Immediate source of acquisition
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Accruals
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
Related descriptions
Notes element
Specialized notes
Alternative identifier(s)
Description control element
Rules or conventions
Sources used
Archivist's note
Minimal collection-level record created by Juan Villanueva, August 2025.