BIO

Self Portrait for Red Social, “Als Ich Kann”

Self portrait “Hachimaki”, by Alejandro Garcia Lemos for the Autorretrato: Fabula – Imitatio art show at the Teatro La Concha, Museo Carlos Zuluaga in the City of Cali, Colombia (July 20 to August 18, 2024).

Self portrait “Dan Daddy”, by Alejandro Garcia Lemos for the Autorretrato: Fabula – Imitatio art show at the Teatro La Concha, Museo Carlos Zuluaga in the City of Cali, Colombia (July 20 to August 18, 2024).

Alejandro García-Lemos is a visual artist based in Columbia, South Carolina and New Orleans, Louisiana. He holds a MA in Latin American Studies from Florida International University in Miami, and a BA in Graphic Design from the School of Arts at the National University in Bogotá, Colombia. His work focuses on social issues, mostly on aspects of immigration, sexuality, biculturalism, religion and community. His works has been shown mostly in the South East. Alejandro is a former member of the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC), as well as the founder of Palmetto & LUNA a non-profit organization promoting Latino Arts and Cultures in South Carolina since 2007. Since 2022 has been part of the artist collective “CAVILANTES” in Colombia.

Alejandro’s work has been featured in important academic journals such as Migration Letters (UK), Association of Latin American Art, The Gay and Lesbian Review (USA) and magazines such as El Aviso (TX), www.Vozes.com (NC), Canvas Revel (CA), Free Times, SC and Jasper Magazine (SC).

Education

  • M.A. Latin American Studies, Miami, Florida, 2002
  • B.A. Graphic Design, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia 1990

Solo Shows

  • “Polisomnia” at the Muro Líquido in the Jorge Roa Martínez Library of the Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira, May 29 to July 26, 2024, Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia.
  • “The Pandemic Tarot” Tarot García-Lemos, Stormwater Studios, May 19 to June 7, Columbia, SC 2022
  • “Bitácora/Travelogue” (redux), The Community Hall Gallery, 701 Whaley, Columbia, SC. June 15 to July 15, 2021
  • “Bitácora/Travelogue”, Main Gallery, Richland Library Public Library, Columbia, SC. Dec. 20/2019 to Feb. 28, 2020
  • “ReD Social, portraits of Collaboration” (second edition) Main Gallery, Richland Library Public Library, Columbia, SC. 2013
  • “ReD Social, portraits of Collaboration” Goodhall Gallery, Main Gallery, Columbia College, Sept. 15 – Oct 15, 2012, Columbia, SC
  • “Procesos from writing to painting”, thehallway:comunityart Columbia, SC: Sept 28 – Oct 31, 2011
  • “Migration Letters in Spanglish” Greenwood  Arts Center, Federal Building, Greenwood, SC., August 13 – 30, 2010
  • “Bestiarum Vocabulum”, Friday Cottage Art Space, Columbia, SC, May 6, to June 3, 2010
  • “An Alien at the Opera”, Bishopville Opera House, Jan. 10th – Feb. 1st. 2010, Bishopville, SC (censored)
  • “Migration Letters in Spanglish” 701 Whaley St. Building, Sept. 29th to October 11th, 2009, Columbia, SC
  • “Black Elk’s Visions and American Legends” Sept.4th – Nov 29th, 2009, Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, University City, Charlotte, NC.
  • “Ghosts and Devils”, Hunter Gather, July 2, 2009 to Sept 2009, Columbia, SC.
• “Myths and Migration” Columbia Open Studios 2008, Friday Cottage, May, 2008, Columbia, SC.
  • “Latinos in the South” University Café, March – June, 2005, Columbia, SC.
  • “Latino Gothic” Hendrix Student Center, Clemson University, Sept. 17 – Oct. 30, 2004, Clemson, SC.

Two-Person Show

  • “Beyond Words, Más allá de las palabras”, Valerie Aranda and Alejandro Garcia-Lemos, Wooten-Garner House Artfix Gallery, Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville, GA Oct.19 -Dec.3, 2009

Juried and Selected Group Shows

  • “1593” Koger Center for the Arts, Columbia, SC. April to August, 2021
  • “Identity” in connection with Andy Warhol Show at the Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, SC 2016
  • “Censorship” Frame of Mind, West Columbia, SC 2016
  • “FUERZA” Domestic Violence Awareness Art Show at the Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, SC 2015
  • “A Sense of Place 2009”, Juried by Philp Brookman, (Director of curatorial affairs, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington DC) Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, Augusta, GA, Sept. 18 – Oct. 16, 2009
  • ¨Black Elk Speaks”, group show and performance, Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia SC, Aug. 21, 2009
  • “Color the ARTS”, First Citizens Bank Annual Art Gala, Columbia, SC, April 24-25, 2009
• “What’s Love Got to do with it? Chapter 3” 701 Whaley Building, Columbia, SC, February 14 – 20, 2009
  • “Colectiva de Artistas” Sala del Primer Congreso, Villa de Leyva, Boyacá, Colombia, South America, December, 2007 – January, 2008
  • “Young Artist of the Year” Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, SC, November, 2007
  • “En Las Cartas” Mattie Rhodes Gallery, Kansas City, MO, September, 2007
  • “Escuincles” SC Hispanic Leadership Council, Columbia, SC, September, 2007 / The Citadel, Daniel Library, Charleston, SC January – February, 2008
  • “Presencias: Artistas Latinos in South Carolina”, Clemson University, Clemson, SC., September, 2007
  • “TransFormArte”, Carver Community Cultural Center, San Antonio, TX, October 2006
  • “From the Other Side, South American Contemporary Artists”, Clemson University, Clemson, SC October, 2006
  • “A Fool for Art”, McKissick Museum, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, February – April, 2006
  • “AgilARTE” AgilStaff’s offices, March, Columbia, SC 2006
  • “Open Eyes”, 80808 Gallery in Vista, Columbia, SC, September – October, 2005
  • “Back to School” Bus Stop Gallery, Columbia, SC 2004
  • “Annual Student Show” Florida International University, Miami, Florida, 2001

Group Exhibitions and Benefit Events

  • “Autorretrato: Fabula – Imitatio” art show at the Teatro La Concha, Museo Carlos Zuluaga in the City of Cali, Colombia (July 20 to August 18, 2024), with the Cavilantes Art Collective from Colombia.
  • “Media Carta” with the Cavilantes Art Collective from Colombia at Amoxtli Bookstore in Mexico City, Mexico, Oct. 21 to 31, 2023.
  • “Gobelinos” with the Cavilantes Art Collective from Colombia at the School of Arts of the Universidad Nacional de la Ciudad de Panamá, in Panama City, Panama, 2022
  • “ECOS Voces de la Frontera, ECHOS Voices from the Border”, in association with Palmetto LUNA ARTS and The Citadel, Charleston, SC 2018 to 2021, in multiple venues across SC including the Governor´s School for the Arts and the Sumter Gallery of Art.
  • “Saint Sebastian: from martyr to gay starlet” (collaboration with Leslie Pierce, Ed Madden, Santiago Echeverry, Betsy Newman, et al.) Friday Cottage ArtsSpace, Columbia, SC. Sept. 1 – Sept. 8, 2011
  • “BREAK!! Artistas Latinos in South Carolina”, Community Gallery, Columbia Museum of Art, Sept. 14 – Oct. 31, 2010, Columbia, SC.
  • “Art goes Global” Arts Center, Greenwood, SC, March 2010, Greenwood, SC
• “What’s LOVE Fest 2010”, 2010, 701 Whaley, Columbia, SC
  • “An Argentine Affair” (to benefit SC Progressive Network) Big Apple, Columbia, SC, 2009
  • “InspirARTE 2004”, SC State Museum, Columbia, SC, 2004
  • “Dining with Friends” Blue Cross Blue Shield, Columbia, SC 2004
  • “InspirARTE 2003”, SC State Museum, Columbia, SC, 2003
  • “Art-a-Must”, SC State Museum, Columbia, SC, 2003
  • “Garage Sale” Art Garage, Columbia, SC, 2002
  • “Art-a-Must”, SC State Museum, Columbia, SC, 2002
• “Salon de Arte BP” British Petroleum, Bogotá, Colombia, 1995
  • “Salón Cano” Museo de Arte, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia, 1990
  • “Salón Cano” Museo de Arte, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia, 1989

Grants, Residencies, Participations and Scholarships

  • Southern Exposure, Guest Artist, animation play life for the Tania León piece, (20 min.) School of Music, University of South Carolina, Sept. 29, 2023
  • Gullah Roots, Animations for the Documentary directed by Elizabeth Newman for ETV, Columbia, SC, 2020-2021
  • ROOTS Annual Meeting, scholarship from NALAC, Asheville, NC, August 2010
  • Latino Creativity in the 21st Century, Beyond the Tipping Point, San José, CA, April 14 – 18, 2010
  • LINC Artist Retreat, Greenville, SC May 2009
  • Muralist in Training (MIT Program), San Anto Cultural Center, San Antonio, TX August 2008
  • Advance Leadership Institute, National Association for the Latino Arts and Culture, NALAC, San Antonio, TX 2006
  • Grant for Hispanic Artists from the Ford Foundation, September, 2006, San Antonio, TX, 2004
  • Leadership Institute, National Association for the Latino Arts and Culture, NALAC, San Antonio, TX, 2004
  • SC Arts Alliance and SC Arts Commission to attend the 2004 Leadership Institute, Columbia, SC 2004
  • Latin American and Caribbean Center, LACC, Thesis Grant, Miami, FL, 2001
  • Latin American and Caribbean Center, LACC, Masters Program Scholarship, Miami, FL, 1999-2001
  • School of Arts’ Best Student 1986-1987, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, 1986 and 1987
  • International Arts Student Training, Rietveld Academie of Art in Amsterdam, Aruba, Holland, 1988

Reviews and Articles

  • “Meet Raising Star Alejandro García Lemos” VoyageSTL, June edition, 2024
  • “Sebastian takes Center Stage” by Otis Taylor, The State Newspaper, Weekend, August 26, 2011, Columbia, SC
  • “Saint Sebastian brings Art, Film and Poetry to SC Pride” by Craig Brandhorst, Free Times, arts & culture (feature), Aug. 31 – Sept 6, 2011, Midlands Region, SC
  • “Los colores del inmigrante”, Maureen Moreira, La Nación Hispana, Oct. 2010 Greenville, SC
  • “Artist Spotlight”, Alejandro García-Lemos, Thump, Aug 16-23, 2010, Greenwood, SC
  • “What’s Love?” by Otis Taylor, The State Newspaper, South Carolina, February 12, 2010
  • “Activists to receive Awards” The State Newspaper, Columbia, SC. November 11, 2009
  • “Migration Letters Explores Complexities of Immigration” by Mary Gilkerson, FreeTimes, Oct. 7-13, 2009
  • “Artistic downtown living – Alejandro Garcia-Lemos” Abode Magazine – Free-Times July 29 – August 6, 2009
  • “20 Under 40: The art behind finding a second career”, The State Newspaper, December, 2008
  • “Art aficionados in South Carolina”, The State Newspaper, February, 2007
  • “His life translates into community service” 20 under 40, The State, Newspaper, January, 2007
  • “The new South Carolinians” The Sandlapper, Columbia, SC. July, 2005
  • “ArtWanted.com”, 2004 – 2005
  • “SC en el Mapa del Arte” La Voz, Columbia, SC 2004
  • “Alejandro Garcia-Lemos” La Voz Latina, Columbia, SC, 2004
  • “A Colombian in Columbia” The Columbia Star Newspaper, Columbia, SC. October, 2003
  • “New Talent: Annual Student Show FIU 2001” Miami Herald, Miami, 2001

Memberships and other affiliations

  • Member of the Collections Committe at the Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, SC
  • Member of the National Association for Latino Art and Culture, NALAC, San Antonio, TX.
  • Founder, Chair and Former Executive Director, Palmetto & Luna in Columbia, SC
  • Member of the Public Programs Advisory Committee, Columbia Museum of Art
  • Member of the Public Art Commission, ONE Columbia, SC
  • Former Member of the Association of Latin American Art
  • Co-founder and General Manager, Comunicar Spanish Language Services

Institutional Collections

  • Historic Columbia, GLBTQ Historic preservation collection, Columbia, SC
  • Columbia College, School of Arts, Columbia, SC
  • Women’s Studies Institute, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
  • Latin American and Caribbean Center, Florida International University, Miami, FL
  • National Association for Latino Arts and Culture, NALAC, San Antonio, TX

Awards

  • GLBT Visibility and Visual Arts Award, Columbia, SC 2012
  •  Passing the Torch Award by the Renaissance Foundation, October 16, 2010, Columbia, SC
  •  “20 Under 40” The State Newspaper, December, 2008