Presentation: Mabel Alvarez

After looking through the lists and the link given, I was particularly amazed by Mabel Alvarez, and therefore chose her to research for my presentation.

Mabel Alvarez was born to a Spanish family in Oahu, Hawaii. She grew in a home full of intellectual energy and interesting people with various specialized fields. For Mabel, her innate talent at drawing was discovered by her high school art teacher, James E, McBurney Through the help of her teacher, Mabel was invited to produce a large mural and won a Silver Medal for the Pan-California Exposition in San Diego. Mabel attended William Cahill’s School for Illustration and Painting in Los Angeles. Her works mostly have a style concerning South California Modernism and California Impressionism movement. However, there were other pieces that included figure and portrait painting, while some were focused on religious and symbolic themes. Today, some of her notable collection of paintings are placed in Honolulu Museum of Art, San Diego Museum of Art, etc. Her works are also still auctioned at galleries in United States, such Los Angeles Gallery and Carmel Gallery.

After the lecture today, I was disheartened to learn about the conservative Mexican culture. However, her attitude showed otherwise. I especially admired her openness to new ideas and experiences, which led most of her paintings to different directions, gradually evolving each time. I believe that this distinct characteristic of hers is what made her flourish throughout her entire art journey, it is one of the recipes of achieving success.