The 150th Anniversary of the Birth of our Heritage Artist Gustavo Bacarisas

Gibraltar Cultural Services, on behalf of the Ministry of Culture, will be marking the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Gustavo Bacarisas with several events and initiatives.

Born on the 23rd September 1872, Gustavo Bacarisas was the first ever recipient of the Freedom of the City of Gibraltar in 1962 and one of Gibraltar’s most prolific international artists, whose successful career spanned over 70 years, across three different continents.

During the week of his birth date, GCS will be organising an Open Day at the Mario Finlayson National Gallery on Tuesday 20th September 2022. The open day will see the Minister for Culture, The Hon. Professor John Cortes, opening newly refurbished exhibition rooms, with new works from the artist and further art from the Heritage artists also on show. The Gallery refurbishment sees many additions and improvements including QR codes for audio and written information provided online to provide a more inclusive experience.

A special talk on Bacarisas Life and Legacy will be delivered by GCS’ Gino Sanguinetti. Gino will be exploring the artist’s life, challenges, and inspirations against the backdrop of WWII and the Spanish Civil War. The talk will be held on Tuesday 20th September 2022 at 6.30pm at the City Hall. Tickets for the talk are free to the public and are available at Buytickets.gi.

To promote the artist and mark the occasion, GCS are also working on a set of stamps that are being designed by the Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau, a gift shop and a children’s book, telling the story of Gustavo Bacarisas and highlighting some of the key moments in the artists’ life. The latter, proposed and executed by artist Shane Dalmedo.