Art is an integral part of the culture of Santo Domingo and the Dominican Republic in general. From the great masters of the 1930s – 50s like Celeste Woss y Gil and Yoryi Morel to the renowned contemporary masters Ramon Oviedo and Ivan Tovar, a rich tradition of fine art permeates both the history and daily life of the Dominican Republic.
Santo Domingo is the center of Dominican art. The more Bohemian Colonial Zone is home to countless artist studios, galleries, and exhibition venues, as well as a School of Fine Arts. The area has a very vibrant, energetic community of artists who interact daily with the public, other artists, students and dealers. In addition, there are frequent exhibitions of paintings, photographs and sculpture throughout the area.
One word of caution, though… avoid the street merchants selling mass-produced ‘Caribbean’ paintings on El Conde!
The rich tradition of Dominican art and artists includes influential European expatriate artists like Josep Gausachs, George Hausdorf and Vela Zanetti, as well as their famous students Jaime Colson, Gilberto Hernandez Ortega, Clara Ledesma and Dario Suro. The Dominican Republic has also produced beloved contemporary artists like Ramon Oviedo, Alberto Ulloa, Juan Medina, Candido Bido, Ada Balcacer, Jose Cestero, Elsa Nuñez and Carlos Goico.
Many of these artists’ paintings can be seen in the Museum of Modern Art and Museo Bellapart in Santo Domingo.