Strutting in sunglasses, a carefully-chosen wardrobe and an untrimmed beard, Edilberto “Pay” Aponte can often be seen walking the halls of the Don Taft University Center with a cart of expensive-looking technology and speaking Spanglish on a Bluetooth earpiece. Aponte is a technology specialist for the Office of Information Technology and a senior graphic design major.
Puerto Rican Aponte, 35, grew up among mangrove jungles, homemade boats and seashells. He came to Florida at 22 to study at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and completed a bachelor’s in computer science and animation.
Feeling his work should be seen, Aponte decided to create an exposition of the art he created while in college. He transferred more than 50 sketches and doodles from a dusty trapper-keeper notebook and made a collection of framed works.
“I felt really accomplished to see the transfer of the drawings on paper to its finished result in the frames. They look more like art now. I can’t believe they’re my work,” he said.
The exposition was held in Puerto Rico in December 2010 and consisted of abstract drawings in pencil, color and ink, including three-dimensional sculptures. His art draws the eye into a maze of images — one within the other. He said he was inspired memories of his life and San Juan, Puerto Rico’s capital.
Pay kept himself busy for months working on the exposition in hopes that his artistic work will be recognized. He found sponsors and volunteers and used his graphic design and animation skills to market his event and his name as an upcoming artist.
Pay returns to his “island of enchantment,” as Puerto Rico is often called, several times a year. He said American stress gives him sudden impulses to buy a plane ticket home for the weekend.
“The island life is much more chill than it is here. Sometimes I sit on the beach by my house in Florida, look at the horizon and try to imagine I’m back home in Puerto Rico. I love living here and I don’t plan on moving back anytime soon, but sometimes I miss home,” he said.
He constantly communicates with his friends and family in Puerto Rico. His mother Marie Carmen is his driving force and his motivation and convinced him to have the exposition in his hometown of La Parguera, in the municipality of Lajas.
“I told him to do it where he was raised, where everyone knows him. I want him to show everyone what he’s been doing in the United States, what his abilities are, [and] to get the word out there. I’ll help him with anything because I want the best for all my kids,” she said.
La Parguera is a small fishing town and had never held that kind of event. Aponte’s exposition made history and helped promote tourism. His mom and sister, Yomari, also called “Tati,” helped him coordinate the details, from finding sponsors to organizing teams of volunteers. They even contacted the town mayor, who supported his endeavor.
“He had me running around all over the island for him. Se me canso la lengua de hablar con la gente. (My tongue got tired from talking with people.) But I don’t mind helping him. He’s my brother, and I’m proud of him,” said Tati. “Months later, people are still buzzing about [the exposition]. I know he’s going to be a success.”
Friends and co-workers supported his exposition by donating, finding media contacts and giving moral support. The Miami-based public relations and marketing company, innOVATION Marketing, also promoted the event to Puerto Rican media outlets.
Aponte said he had counted the days until critical eyes would analyze and decipher meaning from his works. Before falling asleep, he would picture what the event would look and feel like.
“I felt very nervous. I used to joke that I was going to hide in the bathroom every night, but it turned out I felt great talking about my art to the crowd,” said Aponte.
More than 500 people attended the exposition during its three-day run. Aponte sold several digital copies of his pieces and will use the funds to create another exposition in South Florida and possibly involve other artists in hopes of making it an annual event.
Since coming back to Fort Lauderdale, he has entered his pieces in local competitions and won a People’s Choice Award for his piece “Virgen en Pena” (The Virgin’s Sorrow) at the Gallery 101’s Black and White Showcase. He also pitched one of his logos to Surfer’s For Autism and is continuing to work on his digital art. He has begun his second collection of works and is experimenting with other mediums.
“I think to myself, where have I been hiding my cojones (confidence) all this time?” Aponte said. “I got tired of waiting for something great to happen to me. I wasn’t doing the work to achieve anything.”
Aponte said that receiving positive feedback on his work gave him the courage to work harder.
“I’m happy with the turn out of my event, but I still have stories to tell the world through my art,” he said. “I’m not done yet.”
