Photography Salon in Holguin

By Amauris betancourt.

Translated by J.C. Dominguez.

The eighth Photography

Salon in Holguín province, favored by the Provincial Art Center (CPA) and the Photographers Club of Holguín (CFH), began sessions with a lecture on the history of art photography.

Photography, introduced in Holguín in 1860 by the British Mr. Charles Fox, according to Juan Albanés Martinez in his book Historia breve de la ciudad de Holguin (Brief History of Holguin City), made way in the exhibition rooms in this city since the 80’s of the 20th century.

Arnoldo Martinez, who passed away in 2001, and Roy Gonzalez, current CFH president, stood out starting that moment and became forerunners of this art that has been present in the province’s most important exhibition rooms since then on.

The peak of photography in the 20th century went on till the current 21rst century with the introduction of the digital technology which, in spite of being expensive, has brought the photography art to a larger number of people.

The CFH, with the support of the CPA, managed to keep an annual meeting held so far eight times.

This Saturday the official inauguration of the Photography Salon will take place after the jury’s deliberation headed by photographer Rene Silveira (Santiago de Cuba), including also Roy Gonzalez and Ramón Legón.

Besides the opening lecture, González talked about the history of the pre and post-1959 photography in Holguín till the present time, in which stood out the reflections on Arnoldo Martinez’s work, one of the top exponents of the lens around here.

According to sources closed to the Salon’s organizing committee, more than 15 artists of the lens will participate this year with some 20 works on different topics.

The salon, however, will have to be vindicated in order to wipe out some problems that negatively hit the celebration of the most important event on image in Holguín.