Rosario Álvarez Martínez Re-elected Racba President for Third Term

Rosario Álvarez Martínez has been re-elected as president of the Royal Canarian Academy of Fine Arts of San Miguel Arcángel (Racba). She won the election during a plenary session held this week. Martínez is a Doctor of Art History from the Complutense University of Madrid and received the Canarias Award for Historical Heritage in 2021.

For this new term, the Royal Canarian Academy of Fine Arts' Governing Board includes Gerardo Fuentes Pérez as First Vice-President, Ana María Quesada Acosta as Second Vice-President, Ricardo Hernández Ramos as Secretary General, Efraín Altivo Pintos Barate as Treasurer, Juan Antonio Castaño Colado as Librarian Member, María Isabel Sánchez Bonilla as Curator Member, and José Luis Castillo Betancor as External Relations Member. Conrado Álvarez Fariña will serve as Head of Protocol.

Rosario Álvarez Martínez expressed deep gratitude for the trust shown in her for a third term. She pledged to continue the work that has made the Academy a key player in the Canary Islands' art and culture scene. The institution noted that it recently celebrated its 175th anniversary.

As president, Álvarez Martínez brings vast experience to the Academy. She has championed all forms of art, protected artistic heritage, and encouraged research into various art topics across the Canary Islands.

She has also expanded the Academy's exhibition spaces by adding two new rooms at its headquarters in Ireneo González Square, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. One room showcases historical instruments, along with paintings, sculptures, and engravings by contemporary Canarian artists. The second room is used for temporary exhibitions, courses, and conferences.

Álvarez Martínez consistently works to recover the musical heritage of the Canary Islands. This includes helping to restore important church organs. She has also started publishing musical works by the Islands' leading composers, such as Lothar Siemens Hernández, Francisco González Alfonso, Manuel Bonnín, and Armando Alfonso.

As the Academy's top representative, she has organized numerous courses, workshops, conferences, and publications. She also introduced the Academy's annual awards, all designed to connect the institution more closely with the public.

Rosario Álvarez Martínez has received many honors throughout her career. These include the National Musicology Award (1982), the Gold Medal of the Canary Islands (2005), the Gold Medal of the City of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (2018), and the Canarias Award for Historical Heritage (2021).