Gloria Rodríguez Calero Papers

This collection entitled the Gloria Rodríguez Calero papers is divided into four series. In addition to materials that document the artistic career and relationships of Gloria Rodríguez Calero (or “RoCa”) and her contemporaries, the collection contains newspaper clippings and media collected by RoCa that pertain to the career of her famous grandfather, Augusto Rodríguez, as well as information pamphlets and original works in multiple media formats gathered by Rodríguez Calero that reflect her passion and interest in Puerto Rican culture.

Rodríguez Calero’s long career as a visual artist and her relationship with her mentor, Lorenzo Homar, is documented under the series, “Correspondence”. Correspondence between Homar and Rodríguez Calero occupies a large part of the collection with letters, postcards, and objects sent primarily from Homar to Rodríguez that contain his musings regarding the art world, ideas, and various exhibitions, as well as his discussion of his trips throughout the world, his work, and personal events in his life. The earliest letters and notes from Homar in the collection begin in 1976 and continue up until 2002.

The “Personal” series encompasses a broader range of materials and subjects containing: photographs of RoCa’s friends and family from the 1920s up to the 1990s, family memorabilia such as diplomas and clothing from the 1920s to the 1970s, type-written essays covering political and cultural topics such as Puerto Rican independence, Puerto Rican cuisine, and Puerto Rican folklore from the 1950s and 1960s, and a small collection of fifteen to twenty vinyl records focused upon Puerto Rican music and performances by Augusto Rodríguez.

Another series “Press” comprises a substantial portion of the collection and it consists of newspaper clippings and articles in publications that discuss the life and performances of Augusto Rodríguez during his time as director of the Coro de La Universidad de Puerto Rico. While many of these materials specifically highlight performances of Augusto Rodríguez, there are also some articles and features highlighting Lorenzo Homar and even Rodríguez Calero, herself.

And finally, the series, “Artwork”, reflects Rodríguez Calero’s conversance with multiple artistic media and includes over twenty black and white photographs mounted on matboard as well as over twenty print copies of her work “Amanece.” In addition to her works, Rodríguez Calero also donated over thirty prints created by influential Nuyorican artists such as Jorge Soto, Marco Dimas, Rafael Tufiño, and others. These prints all date from the early 1970s up to the end of the 1980s and include prints from artists that Rodríguez Calero worked alongside during her residency at the historic Taller Boricua.