Artists Registry

Felix Gonzalez

Pembroke Pines FL United States

http://www.artesoleil.com/
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Shortly after my retirement from the fire service --28 years as a firefighter I began a different career as a sculptor. My work has taken me through the use of a variety of media and finally settling on steel works which is my specialty.
The terrible tragedy of 911 hit close to my heart so that when the City of Pembroke Pines Fl commissioned me in 2006 to build a Memorial I designed a series of steel sculptures to capture the events of that day . Beginning with two large abstract towers, then to a firefighter weighing 3 tons fully outfitted with all firefighting gear and a stainless steel shield with the number 343 ,the number of firefighters that died that day. The 3 rd sculpture of a little girl climbing out of the rubble ,followed by two more figures under construction with the unveiling and installation on the 10 th anniversary of Sept.11,2011

RELATED EXPERIENCE

2009 Judge, Fifth Annual Art Competition
Glass Gallery
Pembroke Pines, Florida

2009 Judge, Eleventh Annual Art Festival in the Pines
City of Pembroke Pines and the Arts & Cultural Advisory Board
Pembroke Pines, Florida

2006 Instructor, Introduction to Sculpture Hands on Workshop/Lecture
Dania Beach, Florida

2005 Consultant, public art for the city
City of Pembroke Pines Economic Development Committee
Pembroke Pines, Florida

AWARDS, HONORS, AND GRANTS

2007 Glass Gallery Third Annual Art Competition
Pembroke Pines, Florida
Best of Show – St. Francis of Assisi (mahogany statue)

2006 Art on Federal Initiative
Dania Beach, Florida
Grant awarded by FPL and City of Dania Beach

2005 Glass Gallery First Annual Art Competition
Pembroke Pines, Florida
First Place – “Carro Azul” (acrylic painting)

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2006 Del Mar y la Tierra, Broward County Main Library, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
2005 Southwest Regional Library Exhibit, Pembroke Pines, Florida

TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2008 Art Basel, Miami Art Space, Miami, Florida
Felix D. Gonzalez (sculpture) & Purvis Young (painting)

GROUP & JURIED EXHIBITIONS

2008 First Bi-Annual Dania Beach Art and Antiques on the Avenue, Dania Beach, Florida
2006 Second Annual Art Competition, Glass Gallery, Pembroke Pines, Florida
2006 Fine Art Barbeque, Grace Café and Gallery, Dania Beach, Florida
2006 Art in the Pines Art Festival, Pembroke Pines, Florida
2006 A Splash of Color, A Splash of Life Anne Kolb Nature Center, Hollywood, Florida
2005 First Annual Art Competition, Glass Gallery, Pembroke Pines, Florida
2005 Glass Gallery, Pembroke Pines, Florida
2005 Coconut Grove Arts Festival, Miami, Florida
2004 Glass Gallery, Pembroke Pines, Florida

COMMISSIONS

2006 911 Memorial (solid steel) - work in progress
Registered with National September 11 Memorial Museum
http://registry.national911memorial.org
City of Pembroke Pines, Florida

2006 “Spirit” and “Ambition” 6’6H x 4”D steel abstract
Grace Gallery, Dania Beach, Florida

2005 Mahogany Cross, 17”x10” hand-carved mahogany
Father Jorge Perales, Don Bosco Catholic Church, Coral Gables, Florida

2003 Maltese Cross, 24”x24” hand-carved mahogany
Prospero Mahecha, The Universal Great Brotherhood

COLLECTIONS

2007 Private Collection, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
“Mermaid” – Mixed Media (mahogany, copper, steel)

2007 Private Collection, Canada
“Channel Catfish” – Cedar wood

2006 MAST Academy Miami, Florida
“Baby” – 13’H x 15’ L x 4’W Mixed Media Baby Sperm Whale (steel frame and mesh, plaster, hand-painted, internal sound system emits whale calls)

2006 Simmons, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
“Carro de la Ciudad” – acrylic on canvas

2005 Gonzalez, Miami, Florida
“Sailfish” – 30”H x 6’L Mixed Media (wood, metal)

BIBLIOGRAPHY
TELEVISION

“9/11 Memorial Sculpture: Update.” OCTV, Pembroke Pines. January 19, 2010.
“9/11 Memorial Sculpture: Update.” OCTV, Pembroke Pines. February 25, 2009.
“9/11 Memorial.” WPLG Channel 10, ABC News Affiliate. Miami, Florida. September 11, 2008.
“9/11 Memorial.” WTVJ Channel 6, NBC News Affiliate. Miami, Florida. September 11, 2008.
“September 11th: A Day of Remembrance.” OCTV, Pembroke Pines. September 11, 2008.
“9/11 Memorial Sculpture: Update.” OCTV, Pembroke Pines. February 20, 2008.
“911 Memorial Sculpture: A Work in Progress.” OCTV, Pembroke Pines. August 30, 2007.
“Third Annual Pembroke Pines Art Competition.” OCTV, Pembroke Pines. October 23, 2007.

PRINT
Phillip Valys. “City Mulls over Glass Housing Structure for Homeless 9/11 Memorial.” The Gazette. September 22, 2009: 4, 6.
Chris Guanche. “Home Found for 9/11 Memorial.” Sun Sentinel. August 30, 2009: 1, 8.
Eileen Soler. “City’s 9/11 Memorial Needs Home.” The Miami Herald. August 9, 2009: 1.
Kristin Campbell. “Welded Sculptures Pay Tribute to Fallen Heroes.” Welding Journal. March 2009: 80-83.
Eileen Soler. “City’s Tribute to Sept. 11 Victims Progressing.” The Miami Herald. October 5, 2008: 14.
“Retired Firefighter Welds 9/11 Statue” Local10.com. September 11, 2008 WPLG Local 10 (ABC affiliate) .
“Pembroke Pines: City to Pay Stipend to Artist for Sept. 11 Attacks Memorial.” Sun Sentinel. July 17, 2008. Sun-sentinel.com. July 19, 2008.