Jose Arpa

Carmona, Spain, 1858 - Seville, Spain, 1952

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JOSE ARPA - BIOGRAPHY


Jose Arpa was born in Carmona, Spain in 1858. He began studying part-time at the Academia de Bellas Artes (Academy of Fine Arts) in Seville, Spain, in 1868. He became a full-time student by 1876 and from 1882 to 1886 painted in Rome. Returning to Seville in 1886. Jose Arpa sent four paintings as part of the Spanish contingent for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, in which also participated Jose Maria Velasco. 

In 1895 sailed from Spain to Vera Cruz, Mexico,  and settled in Puebla, making several paintings throughout his Mexican permanence of places like Coatepec, Jalapa, Orizaba, Puebla, Atlixco, Tehuacan, Calipan, Chapala, Oaxaca, and Mexico City. In 1899 Jose Arpa participated with the painting “Artista de Jacal” in the XXIII National Exhibition of Fine Art in Mexico City and won an award in the section of genre.  He exhibited in the San Antonio International Fair in 1900 and met Robert and Julian Onderdonk, also in that year he participated with 14 paintings in the Exhibition of the Catholic Circle of Puebla and won a second place in composition shared with Gonzalo Carrasco, and a second place in landscape shared with Juan Bernadet and August Lohr, the first place was for Jose Maria Velasco. 

After dividing his time between Mexico, Spain, and San Antonio, in 1910 because the Mexican Revolution he left Mexico and moved to San Antonio, Texas. Later he returned to Sevilla from 1916 to 1923, then came back again to San Antonio, Texas, where he founded a painting school.  Jose Arpa continued to exhibit frequently at museums and galleries throughout Texas as well as New York and Spain. He won the “Texas Prize” at the Texas Wildflower Exhibition in 1927, and exhibited in the remaining two “Davis Competitions” in 1928 and 1929. Jose Arpa permanently returned to Spain in 1931 and died in Seville in 1952.

 

JOSE ARPA MAIN SOLO EXHIBITIONS AND PARTICIPATIONS

 

1893 Jose Arpa represented to Spain in the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago with four paintings

1899 Participated with the painting “Artista de Jacal” in the XXIII National Exhibition of Fine Art in Mexico City and won an award in the section of genre

1900 Participated with the painting "Funeral Mexicano" ("Entierro en Jalapa" or "El Entierrito") in the San Antonio International Fair, Texas

1900 Participated with 14 paintings in the Exhibition of the Catholic Circle of Puebla, Mexico, and won a second place in composition shared with Gonzalo Carrasco, and a second place in landcape shared with Juan Bernadet and August Lohr. The first place was for Jose Maria Velasco.

1901 Participated with several works in the State Fair of Galveston, Texas

1903 His work "Artista Mexicano" (must to be "Artista de Jacal") participated in the exhibition of the National Academy of Design, New York

1904 Participated with two paintings in the National Exhibition of Fine Art, Madrid

1904 Participated with paintings of New York, Oaxaca, Calipan and San Antonio in the Spring Exhibition of the Ateneo Sevillano, Spain

1909 Participated with two paintings in the Spring Exhibition of the Ateneo Sevillano, Spain

1911 Participated with paintings of Calipan, Mexico, Puebla and San Antonio in the Spring Exhibition of the Ateneo Sevillano, Spain

1912 Participated with 16 paintings in the exhibition of the San Antonio Art League, San Antonio, Texas

1920 Participated with one painting in the National Exhibition of Fine Art, Spain

1923 Opened a studio and art school in San Antonio, Texas

1924 Participated with several paintings in an exhibition at the Museum of the City of Los Angeles, California

1924 Jose Arpa Perea, 40 Paintings, Galveston Auditorium, Texas

1925 Jose Arpa, Paintings of the West, Babcock Gallery, New York

1927 He won the “Texas Prize” at the Texas Wildflower Exhibition, Witte Museum, San Antonio, Texas

1927 He won with "Grand Canyon" the 2nd prize in the Spring Exhibition of Nashville, Tenesse

1928 Won 3er prize with "Flores de Cactus" at Davis Competitions, Witte Memorial Museum, San Antonio, Texas

1929 Won 1st prize with "Recogida de Algodón" at Davis Competitions, Witte Memorial Museum, San Antonio, Texas

1929 Exhibited landscapes of Arizona and Texas, Anderson Galleries, American Painters showroom, New York

1929 Jose Arpa, Exhibition: 29 paintings, Circulo Mercantil, Sevilla

1930 Jose Arpa, Oils, watercolors, prints and drawings, Milam Galleries, San Antonio, Texas

1932 Participated with 17 works in Exposicion de Bellas Artes y Artes Industriales, Palacio de Bellas Artes de la Plaza de America, Spain

1940 Participated with 3 works in The National Exhibition of Fine Art at Plaza de America, Spain

1941 Participated with 5 works in The National Exhibition of Fine Art at Plaza de America, Spain

1941 Participated with 2 works in The National Exhibition of Madrid, Spain

1943 Participated with 2 works in The National Exhibition of Madrid, Spain

1998 Jose Arpa Pera, Fundacion el Monte, Sevilla, Spain

2008 Jose Arpa, San Antonio Art League, San Antonio, Texas

2010 Jose Arpa: Painting in the Americas, Harry Half Fine Art, San Antonio, Texas

2015 The Three Worlds of José Arpa y Perea: Spain, Mexico, and San Antonio, San Antonio Museum of Art

2016 Jose Arpa: A Spanish Painter in Texas, Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, Canyon, Texas

2016 Jose Arpa: A Spanish Painter in Texas, San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, San Angelo, Texas

2017 Jose Arpa: A Spanish Painter in Texas, Museum of Southeast Texas, Beaumont, Texas

2017 Jose Arpa: A Spanish Painter in Texas, Witte Museum, San Antonio, Texas