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Nelas Arias was born in Cuba in 1915. The only child of a prodigious seamstress and a tobacco plantation owner, Nela showed an uncanny artistic ability early in her life. As a child of privilege, she traveled extensively through her childhood and spent extended periods in New York. Fast forward a few weeks before her hundredth birthday, Nela passed away, leaving a plethora of art pieces that she never intended to sell or usufruct. Her daughter, Carol Bird, together with Marcelo Llobell and Flor Mayoral, began classifying and cataloging her artwork and archiving records to preserve the legacy of what was to become one of the most prominent artists of the XXI century.
When Carol died, Marcelo and Flor founded the NonProfit Nela Arias Mission Foundation. A few renowned museums, like the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C started to collect her archives.
In August of 2022, Harold Gallo, at the request of the founders, further strengthened the foundation by establishing additional collaborations in the art world to expand the founders’ mission and make Nela’s work known to us all.
Riple’s efforts have generated a great deal of interest and impact. Two of Nela’s artworks are now part of a permanent collection in the Museo Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain.
Additionally, two pieces were acquired by two of the most important private collections in the United States – one in Los Angeles and the other at The Bunker in Palm Beach. In early 2023, a piece was acquired by the Museum of Fine Arts of Richmond, Virginia. Additional institutions, such as the Juan March Foundation, have begun showing interest in the Artist’s archives, with offices in Madrid, Mallorca, and Cuenca in Spain.
Riple continues to grow in the presence of the Artist’s work in fairs and exhibitions such as Art Miami, Sag Harbor, and The Hamptons Art Fair 2023, as well as the inclusion of a piece of the Artist to be part of the “Influential Latinas in the Art World Exhibition” at the Museum of Long Island in Stony Brook.
Our team is currently working on creating a Catalogue Raisonné of the Artist, an international exhibition project, and exploring the inclusion of other works of art in three of the most prestigious museums in California, New York, and Washington D.C.
