MARIO ALGAZE

(1947 - 2022), b. Havana, Cuba

Mario Algaze was a contemporary Cuban-American photographer whose work celebrated the culture of Latin America.

In 1960, at the age of thirteen, Algaze was exiled from Cuba with his family. He relocated to America and settled in Miami, Florida. Miami offered a rich cultural mecca that encouraged Algaze to travel throughout Central and South America. These trips allowed him a glimpse of belonging within a familiar culture.

In finding his identity after exile, he began photographing Latin America in the 1970’s while reconnecting with the feeling of home. His photographs embody the everyday of Latin life. Between his travels in the late 70’s, Algaze studied visual art at Miami Dade College. Algaze’s masterful command of light illuminates his street scenes that detail the struggles and victories of Latin culture.

Mario Algaze was the recipient of various acclaimed awards, including the Florida Artist Fellowship from the Florida Arts Council (1985), the Cintas Foundation Fellowship in Photography (1991), the Visual Arts Fellowship and the SAF Artist Fellowship sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1992, he received the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Photography.

A retrospective collection of his work was showcased in the important monograph, Mario Algaze: Portfolio, published by Di Puglia Publisher, 2010. Additional monographs by the artist include, Mario Algaze Portafolio Latinamericano, Mario Algaze: Cuba 1999-2000, and Mario Algaze A Respect for Light: The Latin American Photographs: 1974-2008.

Algaze's documentary work is highly sought after by institutions and collectors worldwide. His work can be found in permanent collections at every corner of the world including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Museo Tamayo, Mexico City; Santa Barbara Museum; Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego; Victoria and Albert Museum, London, DePaul University, Chicago and the Cleveland Museum of Art.

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1960 Leaves Cuba and settles in Miami, FL

1971 Begins career as freelance photojournalist for national and international publications

1979-1981 Owner/Director, Gallery Exposures, Coral Gables, FL

1985 Individual Florida Artist Fellowship. Florida Arts Council

1989 Cintas Foundation Fellowship in Photography, Institute of Education, United Nations, New York, NY

1991 The South Florida Cultural Consortium

Visual Arts Fellowship, sponsored by the NEA

SAF Artist Fellowship, sponsored by the NEA

1992 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Fellowship in Photography

Coca-Cola role model celebrating 500th anniversary of the discovery of America

ONE MAN EXHIBITIONS

2005 “Southern Exposure”, Barbara Gillman Gallery, Miami, FL

2004 “Selections from Three Decades of Work”, Missing Link Gallery, Sarasota

2003 “Mario Algaze, Cuba 1999-2000”, University of California, San Diego, CA

2002 “CUBA 1999-2000”, Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL

2001 “Cuba 1999-2000”, Throckmorton Fine Art Gallery, New York, NY

“Cuba 1999-2000”, Books and Books, Coral Cables, FL

1999 “Sur”, Throckmorton Fine Arts Gallery. New York, NY

“Sur”, John Cleary Gallery. Houston, TX

“Sur”, Peter Fetterman Photographic Works of Art, Santa Monica, CA

1998 “Sur”, Freites Revilla Gallery, Coral Gables, FL

1997 “Portafolio Latinoamericano”, Throckmorton Fine Arts Gallery. New York, NY

1995 Solo exhibition at the Fundación Guayasamín, Quito, Ecuador. Sponsored by the Alliance Française

1993 “Portafolio Latinoamericano”, 2. Internacionale Fototage, Herten, Germany. Sponsored by AGFA and curated by Michael Koetzle

1992 “Film Festival Portraits”, Ambrosino Gallery, Coral Gables, FL

1991 “Portafolio Latinoamericano”, curated by Ricardo Viera, opened at the Guayasamín Foundation, Quito, Ecuador (traveled to Lowe Art Museum, Coral Gables, FL; Art Galleries of Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA; Museo Rayo, Roldanillo Valle, Colombia; Art Museum of the Miami University, Oxford, OH, Norton Gallery of Art, West Palm Beach, FL

“An Exercise in color”, Barbara Gillman Gallery, Miami, FL

“40 Images”, L'Alliance Française au Perú, Lima, Perú

1989 “Caras”, Cuban Museum of Arts and Culture, Miami, FL

“45 Imágenes”, Museo de Antioquía, Medellín, Colombia

“El Sur”, Fundación del Banco del Comercio, Lima, Perú

1987 “El Sur”, Miami Dade Community College, North Campus, Art Gallery, Miami, FL

1986 “Portraits, Miami Film Festival”, Cuban Museum, Miami, FL

“Portraits, Latin American Intellectuals”, Books and Books, Coral Gables, FL

1985 “The Artist as a Theme”, INTAR Latin American Art Gallery, New York, NY

1984 “Little Havana Series”, Barbara Gillman Gallery, Miami, FL

“Fifteen Recent Images”, Coral Gables Public Library, Coral Gables, FL

1983 “Spirit of Place”, Miami Dade Community College, North Campus, Art Gallery, Miami, FL (traveled to Lehigh University Art Gallery, Bethlehem, PA in 1984)

Solo Exhibition, Light Factory; Charlotte, NC

1977 “17 Images”, Sociedad Española de la Florida, Miami, FL

1974 Solo Exhibition, Bacardi Art Gallery, Miami, FL

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2004 “100 Great Photographs”, Victoria and Albert Museum, Traveled to Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, England

2003 “Three Visions of Perú”, Throckmorton Fine Art Gallery, New York, NY

2002 “One Hundred Photographs”, A collection by Bruce Bernard, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England

“Three Visions of Perú”, Throckmorton Fine Art Gallery, New York, NY. Traveled to MOPA, San Diego, CA

2001 “Del Sur”, Miami Dade Public Library system, Miami, FL. Curated by Barbara Young

“A Painting Over the Sofa (That is not necessarily a painting)” National Museum Tour. Curated by Bernice Steinbaum, Miami, FL

2000 “Latin American Photographers”, El Museo Del Barrio, New York, NY. Curated by Ricardo Viera

1999 “Theater of the Memory”, Five Cuban American Artist Photographers, Centro Cultural Español, Miami, FL. Curated by Ricardo Viera

1997 “American Voices”, Smithsonian International Gallery, Washington, DC. Curated by Ricardo Viera

“Once Removed: The Photograph in Contemporary Cuban-American Art”, California State University. Curated by Tom Callas and Linda Centell

1995 “Magic Moments: 40 Years of Leica M”, traveled to New York, Paris, Milano, Tokyo, Cologne, Bath, Vienna, Montreux, Luxembourg, Oslo, Beirut, Frankfurt

“Cintas Fellowship Exhibition”, Southeastern Center for Photography, Daytona Beach, FL

1994 “Portafolio Latinoamericano”, Houston Fotofest, Houston, TX. Curated by Ricardo Viera

1992 “1991 SAF/NEA Regional Fellowships In Photography”, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA

1991 “Cuba-USA: First Generation”, curated by Fondo del Sol Gallery, Washington, DC, opened at Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL

{traveled to Art Museum, Florida International University, Miami, FL, Minnesota Museum of Art, St. Paul, MN)

“Traveling”, Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, FL

“Directors Choice”, South Florida Cultural Consortium Artist Fellowship Recipients, Norton Gallery of Art, West Palm Beach, FL

“Other Times, Other Places”, Main Public Library, Miami, FL

1990 “Twenty-Five in Miami”, Art Gallery, Miami Dade Community College, South Campus, Miami, FL

“Fact and Fiction: The State of Florida Photography”, Norton Gallery of Art, West Palm Beach, FL (traveled to Museum Of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, FL; Florida State University Fine Arts Gallery and Museum, Tallahassee, FL; Center for the Fine Arts, Miami. FL; Pensacola Museum of Art, Pensacola, FL)

1989 “South Florida in the Eighties”, North Miami Center Of Contemporary Art, North Miami, FL

“Four Florida Photographers”, Stein-Gillman Gallery, Tampa, FL

“Six in Florida”, North Miami Museum Of Art, North Miami, FL

1988 “Of People and Places”, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI (traveled to the Tampa Museum of Art in 1989)

“Photo Glimpses of Hispanic Culture”, Boward Community College, Art Gallery, FL

“The Image Makers”, Museum of Modern Art of Latin America, Washington, DC

“Eight from Outside of Cuba”, Barbara Gillman, Miami, FL

1987 “Outside Cuba/Fuera de Cuba” Zimmerli Museum, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ (traveled to Museum of Contemporary Hispanic Art, New York, NY; Art Museum, Miami University, Miami, OH; Museo de Arte de Ponce, Puerto Rico; Center for the Fine Arts, Miami, FL; Atlanta College of Fine Arts, Atlanta, GA)

“Poetic Visions”. Real Art Ways Space, Hartford, Ct

“Contemporary Figurative American Photography”, Center For The Fine Arts, Miami. FL

“Intentions and Techniques”, Lehigh University. Bethlehem, PA

1985 “The Art of Miami”, SECCA Winston Salem, NC

Group Exhibition of Gallery Artists at Gemini Gallery, Palm Beach, FL

1984 “Hortt Memorial Exhibition”. Museum Of Art, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

1979 “Cuban Photographers”, Washington Project for the Arts, Washington DC (traveled to Camerawork, San Francisco, CA)

PUBLIC AND CORPORATE COLLECTIONS

MOPA, San Diego, CA

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX

Museo Cuevas, Mexico City

Museo Rayo, Roldanillo, Colombia

Milwaukee Art Museum, WI

Museo Tamayo, Mexico City

Santa Barbara Museum, CA

Archer M. Huntington Art Gallery, University of Texas/Austin

Norton Gallery of Art, West Palm Beach, FL

Duke University, Durham, NC

Museo de Antioquía, Medellín, Colombia

Fundación Guayasamín, Quito, Ecuador

Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University, NJ

Lehigh University, Bethleham, PA

Ft. Lauderdale Art Museum, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL

Miami University, Miami, OH

Art in Public Places, State of FL

Art in Public Places. Miami, FL

Miami Public Library System

L'Alliance Française au Pérou, Lima, Perú

Eastman Pharmaceuticals, PA

American Express, Latin American-Caribbean Division

Citicorp, Miami, FL

Daytona Beach Community College, Beach, FL

Cintas Foundation Collection, Florida International University

Leica, Solms, Germany

The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. New York, NY

The Sprint Collection, New York, NY

A.G. Edwards and Sons, St. Louis, MO

U.P.S. Atlanta, GA

Nortel, Latinamerican, Caribbean Division

Carrier Latinamerican Caribbean Division

LaSalle National Bank, Chicago, IL

Ignacio Oberto Collection, Caracas, Venezuela

Howard Gittis Collection, New York, NY

Martin Margulies Collection, Miami, FL

Victoria and Albert Museum, London

University of California, San Diego, CA

DePaul University, Chicago, IL

Luis Gutierrez, PSC, Architecture and Design Puerto Rico

Morgan Stanley, Dean Witter, NYC

MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings, Inc. NYC

Fundación Daniela Chappard, Caracas, Venezuela

The Providence Group, Providence, RI

Cleveland Museum of Art