María Brito facts for kids

María Brito (born María Cristina Brito in 1947 in Havana, Cuba) is a talented Cuban-American artist. She creates amazing works using painting, sculpture, and art installations. An installation is a type of art that fills a space, often inviting you to walk through it.

Early Life and Art Education

María Brito was born in 1947 in Havana, Cuba. When she was a child, she moved to the United States. She came through a special program called Operation Peter Pan. This program helped many Cuban children find new homes in the U.S. Her parents joined her in 1962.

María loved art and decided to study it in college. She earned her first art degree, a Bachelor of Fine Arts, from Florida International University (FIU) in 1978. The very next year, in 1979, she earned her Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.

Art Shows and Exhibitions

María Brito's art has been shown in many places. These are called individual exhibitions because they focus only on her work.

• 1980 – The Gallery at 24, Miami, Florida, U.S.A.
• 1985 – "María Brito Avellana, George Dombek, Larry Rhoads", Florida Center for Contemporary Art, Tampa, Florida.
• 1989 – "María Brito Avellana: Recent Sculpture", Interamerican Art Gallery, Miami, Florida.
• 1989 – Museum of Contemporary Hispanic Art (MoCHA), New York City.
• 1991 – "María Brito: A Retrospective", Barry University Gallery, Miami Shores, Florida.
• 1991 – "María Brito: A Retrospective" Anne Jaffe Art Gallery, Bay Harbour, Florida.

Awards and Recognition

María Brito has received several awards for her artistic talent. These awards show how much her work is appreciated.

• 1977 – Excellence in Art – Florida International University, Miami, Florida, U.S.A.
• 1980 – Merit Award – Grove House, Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida, U.S.A.
• 1988 – Individual Artists Fellowship Award – Florida Department of State, Florida, U.S.A.
• 1988 – Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, U.S.A.

Where to See Her Art

You can find María Brito's artwork in many important art collections. These are places where art is kept permanently for people to see and study.

• Archer M. Huntington Art Gallery, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
• Blanton Museum of Art
• Cintas Collection Inc, New York City
• Miami-Dade College, Kendall Campus, Miami, Florida
• Olympic Sculpture Park, Seoul, Korea
• Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.
• Miami-Dade Public Library System, Miami, Florida

See also

In Spanish: María Cristina Brito Avellana para niños