| Acosta, Manuel |
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(1921 - 1989) Place of Birth: Mexico History: Manuel Acosta was born in Mexico in 1921. His family moved to El Paso when he was an infant. He lived in El Paso his entire life until his untimely death in 1989. Acosta studied under Octavia Maggoffin Glassgow at Bowie High designing sets. He eventually attended Texas College of Mines (later UTEP) where he studied with sculptor Urbici Soler. Soler introduced Peter Hurd to Acosta when Hurd was looking for an assistant for a particular project. Acosta later collaborated with Peter Hurd on several murals. During this period, he spent a lot of time with Peter Hurd and his wife, Henriette Weyeth. Acosta’s still life works show her unmistakable influence. Acosta later received commissions for the Bank of Texas in Houston and the First National Bank of Las Cruces. He exhibited his paintings in many one-man shows across the U.S. and Mexico, also in the prestigious Chase Gallery in New York. There have been many exhibits in El Paso, Texas; including, as of this writing, there have been two major one-man-show exhibits since his death. Description of Work: :Acosta is probably most well- known for his portrait of Cesar Chavez that appeared in 1969 on the cover of Time magazine and now hangs in the national Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. Acosta’s beautiful paintings of the people and the Chicano lifestyle show his immense talent which was shortened by his premature death. |