I still haven’t explained to myself how, after the years that I’ve known her, it hadn’t occurred to me to make an article about her. I confess that it is something inexcusable, for that reason, now I will do it.
It was the 70s of the last century, and despite the fact that she was a year and a half younger than me, we coincided in those school camps in the countryside that were called “Cultural Camps”. The students who met there had some artistic affiliations and we practiced them as amateurs, guided by the different art instructors who offered us their knowledge about the different manifestations. That happened in the afternoon session, since we went to work in agriculture in the morning.
This is how the festivals of different instances came and in the national ones we always coincided, although in different specialties; but we all represented the province and we formed a compact delegation that rarely failed to bring some prize, to our pride.
Later we stopped seeing each other so often, because the fact that I went to study in the Capital distanced us a bit. During that period she continued along the paths of art, but in a professional way and with a lot of preparation, by the way.
The Reunion
Upon my return we met again and life brought us together at work. First I was lucky, as Teaching Secretary of the Provincial Center for the Improvement of Culture, to extend the title of Art Instructor in the specialty of Plastic Arts; Later, we shared management positions in that same organization, of which we were part of its Board of Directors for several years, of which we have many anecdotes.
At that same time I was also lucky, because one of my sons was her student. She managed to love him as one of the most affectionate, unruly and faithful disciples of hers despite the fact that he did not follow in her footsteps; but she did do it in another artistic filed. The relationship between the two was always maintained.
But the link does not end here, no, she continued when she was already a consecrated artist and I was part of the army of workers of the Historian’s Office of this city of water jars, life offers us the opportunity to work together developing one of the most beautiful projects that, from my point of view, has existed in our Villa: the creation of the Arlequin Artistic Ensemble; the one who celebrates its anniversary just like her every September, and with whom she has always collaborated.
Ileana and the city
Personal and collective exhibitions, murals in public spaces and educational centers; various activities in conferences, events, delegations, brigades; the Andariegos pedicab painting project with the selfless collaboration of some of the plastic artists of the territory, in short…, so many other projects where the name of Ileana is essential.
This woman, an artist above all things, is tireless, a friend of her friends, a good cook, sincere and a teacher par excellence, because she always looks for the opportunity to offer some teaching to all who visit her. Ileana de la Caridad Sánchez Hing is restless and, for some, a quarrelsome, but from Camagüey to the very end, who lives in front of the Agramonte Park and believes that it belongs to her; a fact that is somehow true, since she is part of those owners who owns that emblematic space, granted for her fidelity, commitment and eternal defense towards that environment and the city.
Eternal gratitude
She, to whom I have dedicated this article today, is and will always be our good friend Ileana. The great artist, the one with the cats and the projects with brushes and children, the one with the house in front of the park that everyone likes to visit, the also fervent defender of heritage: Ileana from Camagüey.
Translated by: Aileen Álvarez García
