Broccoli Porto's father was an Italian national and his mother's family, Porto, claim their Puerto Rican heritage, having originally settled in the town of Cayey. His parents met and married in New York City where Broccoli Porto was born. As a young child, he became interested in art and his artistic talents were appreciated by both his family and teachers alike. After he received his primary and secondary education he enrolled and entered Iona College, New Rochelle, New York. There he took up fine art studies and earned a B.A. degree in Arts.
First art exhibition
In May 1979 Broccoli Porto held an art exhibition in the Thomas Payne Museum of New Rochelle, New York, as part of a Nationally accredited Honors Program Thesis entitled "Historical Landscapes". In the 1980s, he traveled to Italy and continued his artistic studies at the "Accademia di Belle Arti Brera" in Milan. The artist has a dual citizenship, that of Italy and the United States. When he returned to New York, he studied two years of Latin percussion at the Harbour Conservatory located in "El Barrio" of Manhattan. Influenced by his great love of Puerto Rican culture, Broccoli Porto moved to Puerto Rico and enrolled in "La Liga de Arte" in San Juan. He also studied for three years at "Escuela de Artes Plasticas" located in Old San Juan. There he took art courses on painting and sculpture. Broccoli Porto had as professors Eric Lluch, an understudy of Andy Warhol and Master Sculptor José Garcia Campos, who would be of great influence in his metal works. Puerto Rican music became an important part of his life and is reflected in his art. A large amount of his collection is made up of musical themes interpreted through the plastic arts. Professor Judy Betts served as a great influence his use of blends and transparencies in watercolour paintings, for which he is well known. Broccoli Porto eventually decided to use his maternal surname, Porto, as his artist signature because of its ties to the island of Puerto Rico. Broccoli Porto was a member of The Association of Watercolorists of Puerto Rico for more than 8 years and served for a brief period as Vice President of that organization. He is listed with the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña as a Puerto Rican visual artist and sculptor. He is an active member of the UNESCO Artists of Puerto Rico.
Honors and awards
In June 1999, Juan Carlos Morales, director of the Spanish version of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, presented at Bellas Artes de Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, commissioned Broccoli Porto for the Caribbean Version set and costume designs. He was awarded a UNESCO Medal in December 2000. In December 2001, he won a 2nd Prize in the Graphics Category at the "El Dia Nacional del Artista Pintor Puertorriqueño". His painting Madonna Saurie graces the cover of the novel The "Princess Papaya" by Cuban American author, Himilce Novas, which was released on September 30, 2004 by Arte Publico Press, of the University of Houston, Texas. In 2009 Porto was awarded the Brother Loftus, Alumnus of the Year for his achievements in the arts at his alma mater, Iona College, New Rohelle, NY.
Featured works
Broccol Porto's works have been featured in the following:
"El Maravilloso Mundo de la Santería", a documentary on Afro-Caribbean diaspora, by Metropolitan Films, 2000, a Galavisión presentation
The Television Documentary "Bomba y Plena de Puerto Rico" aired on New Jersey Network's "Imagines" on November 20, 2002.
The Muestra Nacional de Artes Plasticas, Instituto de la Cultura Puertorriqueña, from September to December in 2003 in the Old San Juan Princessa Museum.
His Sculptures and Paintings were exhibited in the inauguration of "Casa del Presidente" for El Museo de Aguadilla y el Caribe.
"Bomba, a Celebration of Sight and Sound", on November 12, 2005 at Montclair State University in New Jersey, in celebration of Diversity Week.
Broccoli Porto was the ARTNOIR'S Magazine "Feature Artist of The Month". His painting "El Bombero" was acclaimed by ARTNOIR.
Broccoli Porto's works were published in "Libro de Arte Iberoamericano Contemporaneo" an art encyclopedia of Latin American artists published by AT Cultura of Córdoba, Argentina. In October 2009- January 2010 Porto's one man show, Mendigando Amor Flamenco, was presented at Museo de los Pocéres, Cabo Rojo, P.R. In June, 2012, Porto's one man show Bomba was presented at Rio Penthouse Gallery in New York City, N.Y. Some of his works are found at:
Amongst the notable personalities who own works of art by Broccoli Porto are: Puerto Rican actress and singer Ruth Fernández, actress and singer Jennifer Lopez, Italian singer Laura Pausini, Brazilian Diva, Gal Costa, queen of Bosa Nova, Giorgio Starassoldo Graffenberg of Strassoldo of Italy and former Puerto Rican governor Sila M. Calderón.
Currently
Broccoli Porto together with two other Puerto Rican artists were chosen as representatives of contemporary Puerto Rican art for the "Libro de Arte IberoAmericano Contemporaneo" written by Dr. María Elena Troncoso and Ricardo Cesar Lescano Grosso. The book, which is Encyclopedic Text of Latin American Artists, was published in Cordoba, Argentina on September 14, 2005 by ATCultura publishers. Currently, Broccoli Porto has moved back to New York and lives and maintains his studio, "Art Studio Porto", in East Patchogue NY.
