The painting of Ramon Castañer will always be alive.

       This new section will aim to collect all the references made about Ramon after his death. As a blog I will arange in reverse chronological order all the new entries.


    Carlos García de Cortázar y Nebreda, from Alcoy who currently lives in Madrid, has donated 8 paintings by the artist Ramón Castañer Segura that were acquired by his parents, José Antonio and María Luisa, directly to the author in the 60s and 70s of the last century.(see)


    In the annual magazine of the Círculo Industrial de Alcoy for 2019, Adrián Espí, a great connoisseur of the pictorial work of Ramón Castañer and also a great friend of the painter, publishes an article in which he names the main exhibitions of Ramón Castañer and in especially those that occurred in the Círculo Industrial where the Castañer Room is located.


    On September 13, 2016, in the church of San Mauro and San Francisco in Alcoy, Pepa Botella makes the proclamation at the holydays in honor of the Virgen de los Lirios. It was incredible to see the way in which Pepa had documented herself on the origin, development and historical repercussion of the miracle of the Virgen de los Lirios and presented a great theological study on it. But not only that, Pepa took the opportunity to defend that alcoyanía in which the city has excelled in facets such as painting, sculpture, music, literature and without forgetting the textile industry and urged the creation of a museum artistic and an audience that Alcoy needs so much. The perfect diction and the candor of his voice and his expression captivated the attendees as always. The Alcoyana Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gregorio Casasempere and the Alcoyana Polyphonic Choir, conducted by Alexandra Soler, the Alcoy Singers Group, conducted by Alfonso Marco, and the soprano Tania Bou participated in the proclamation. From here we thank the Archconfraternity of the Virgen de los Lirios for having invited Pepa de Castañer to carry out this emotional proclamation. Bravo.

    The news was published in various media such as Information from Alicante(see), la Cope (see), Página 66 (see), El Nostre (El Nostre 20-09-2016). Al finalizar el pregón, Maite Pinilla, presidenta de la Archicofradía de la Virgen de los Lirios, entregó a Pepa un recordatorio de este evento.

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    All documentation relating to the paintings of Ramón Castañer (newspaper articles, exhibition catalogs, personal photographs, etc.) and also newspaper news on poetry of his wife Pepa along with a lot of books (poetry, painting , history, novels ...) they have been donated by my mother Pepa to the Municipal Library of Alcoy. A lifetime of memories of which has not been easy to divest.

    This is a great physical and spiritual void that is filled knowing that all that information and experiences will be available to everyone who wants to look at them and especially given for the city of Alcoy. Special thanks to Jose Luis Santonja, director of the Municipal Library, who made all the arrangements. The news echoed in several newspapers of Alcoy. (El Nostre 12-12-2015). We reproduce photographs in the study of Ramon in Madrid during the process of filling the boxes with books and documents.

biblio1 biblio2

    On March 7, 2014 the Asociación Prometeo de Poesía paid tribute in the Trovador hall in Madrid to Pepa Castañer, excellent reciter of poetry and wife of the decesased painter Castañer. In this tribute extensive contributions of Pepa in interpretation and poetic disclosure were highlighted. The event was presented by Juan Torres Ruiz, president of the association. We thank from here the performance of this tribute and the way it was conceived by Juan Torres Ruiz, by Angela Reyes (secretary of the association) and ultimately by all the poetic association. The tribute consisted of:
     - Justification of the tribute (Juan Ruiz de Torres);
     - Projection of images of her large poetic history by Ramón Castañer Botella;
     - Reading excerpts from her written works -essay and prose- read by Carmina Casala, Enrique Gracia Trinidad, Simeón Martín Morales and Alfredo Villaverde;
     - Dedicated reading poems and testimonies (there were read twenty of the total received);
     - Presentation of a folder containing poems, writings and contributions of friends residing in Madrid, Valencia, Alcoy and Agres who joined the tribute;
     - Delivery of a diploma-souvenir.
     At the end of act Pepa talked excitedly remembering some of the moments lived at Prometeo to date.
     The filmmaker José Vicente Rodriguez recorded the act on an excellent DVD that will serve as a permanent souvenir.

recuerdos protad

    On April 1, 2013 was held in Alcoy the presentation of the Official Program of Fiestas of St. George and the announcer Poster. Indalecio Carbonell, artistic adviser of the St. George Association, chose different pictorial themes of Ramón Castañer that were elegantly combined in a collage resulting in a beautiful cover. Between them appear as the central part, the 1989 Castañer work (reproduced as the cover in 1996) of the figure of St. George whose protective arm extends over Alcoy and over a self-portrait at the Altar of the Festa. At the bottom right of the collage, the alcoyana party is represented by the head of the warrior of the 1974 poster and by a very colorful theme of another cover of the 1953 program.  At the top, there is an illustration of 1983 of one Pepa Botella's paper that represents people watching the party. In the program it is also reproduced the Concordia cover with one image of St. George's Altar. Indalecio Carbonell very fondly reminded us a Ramon funny detail who painted one of St. George's shoes bearing the 45 in Roman numeral.

    Pepa Botella wrote in this program a literary article entitled "En el recuerdo" which recalls the many artistic collaborations of Ramon with St. George Association, walnut stains, aquatints, watercolors ... that Pepa described with love and tenderness. In memoriam

    Both the newspaper Ciudad de Alcoy (Ciudad 02-04-2013) as Información de Alicante(ver) published the news of the official presentation of the program and the poster that were attended by representatives of the town council and of the St. George Association.

Portada Concordia

     In this Christmas period (December 2012) the 'Centro Instructivo Musical Apolo' of Alcoy gives a tribute to the painter Castañer. The association's president, Francisco Paya, told us that the Apolo web site showed a picture of the painter who, Pepa Botella, widow of the painter had collected as Christmas greetings. We thank 'Centro Instructivo Musical Apolo' the delicacy of this detail.Christmas greeting Apolo 2012


     On November 4, 2012, in the village of Agres, the Ramon Castañer Avenue was inaugurated. The event, chaired by the Mayor Josep Manuel Francés, attended with chirimiteros group. Attended by relatives and friends of Ramon, and a great representation of the people of Agres of which the painter was the Adoptive Son. We thanks Yolanda Sevadilla and Inés Reig who made several photos.

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     In November 2012, the magazine "Arenas del Serpis" Bullfighting Club of Alcoy in its issue 17, dedicated two mentions to the painter Ramon Castañer. One of them is the related to the XXIV Bullfighting Conferences in announcing that in the Alcoy Circulo Industrial on January 27, 2013 will be attended the exhibition of the collection 'Bullfighting', ink on paper that the artist donated to Alcoy Bullfighting Club on November 28, 2005 for the XVII Bullfighting Conferences. Moreover, the magazine in its section In Pace: 'Toreros and Festeros' reminds Ramon. Arenas del Serpis nº 17


     The September 10, 2012, in the Alcoy Circulo Industrial took place the publisher's foreword of Lilia magazine, held in honor of the patron saint, la Virgen de los Lirios. It was celebrated the 25th anniversary of the magazine publication. The presentation ceremony was attended by the Deputy Trini Miró and the Mayor of Alcoy Toni Francés, accompanied by the president of the Virgen de los Lirios Archconfraternity Marcela Martinez, the Pastor Vicente Balaguer and the chronicler of the journal Georgina Blanes. We reproduce the article of Chelo Llorens, person with a great artistic relationship with Alcoy, entitled "Hasta siempre amigo Ramón". Also, we thanks Gráficas Alcoy for sending the article's file. Artículo Revista Lilia

Rev_Lilia

     The town of Ibi, in its Programme of Celebrations 2012, devotes several articles to Ramón Castañer who was a great lover of its traditions, landscapes and peoples. Antonio Revert, the Festival Committee, Carlos Merchan and Pepa de Castañer wrote several articles in the program. We reproduce the paint of Castañer dedicated to Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados and a drawing of the painter Carlos Merchan dedicated to Ramon Castañer In Memoriam. We thank the company Tábula Comunicación Visual who has given us the electronic file. Programa Ibi 2012

Desamparados InMemoriam

     In the Agres 2012 feats program under the heading "En el record ...", several people that had great relationship with Agres are honored among which we remark the painter Ramon Castañer. The Agres Housewives Association d'Agres, Grup d'Agres L'Aparició, La filà Els Pastorets, Francisco José Ferrer Bravo, Josep Manel Francés i Reig (Mayor of Mayor), Adrian Espí Valdés, Antonio Castello Candela, Pepa Botella and Antonio Francés Perez (Mayor of Alcoy) collaborated writing articles about Ramon. We reproduce here a photograph of the artist with his wife Pepa and the Agres Housewives Association. We thank the press Dominguez who has given us the electronic file of this tribute. Programa Agres 2012

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    On May 20, 2012, in a newspaper article in Ciudad de Alcoy, Adrian Espí, who is an expert on all valencian paintings, appoints great painters who also wielded the arts of engraving, decorating and lithography. It's a pleasant surprise to find in the article the photographs of fans illustrated by Castañer during a dinner at a 'masía' in Ibi. Adrian beautifully describes all these fans motifs. Ciudad 20-05-2012

abanicos

     On April 8, 2012, in Ciudad de Alcoy newspaper in its extra edition about Fiestas de San Jorge 2012, Antonio Castelló dedicates the article "Homenots Alcoians" to two Alcoy city gold medals, Ramón Castañer and José Gonzalvo where he stressed the passion they both had for the cultural movement in Alcoy. Ciudad 08-04-2012A

     In the same issue, Adrán Espí  honors the extensive works of Ramón Castañer dedicated to Alcoy festivals among which he stands out four covers and a poster. Adrián describes exhaustively all this Ramón thematic work, illustrations, pictures amnd "his most outstanding work" in the Altar de la Festa.  The article is finely acompanied with a lot of Castañer works. Ciudad 08-04-2012B

     In the Alcoy festivalprogram, the Asociación de San Jorge dedicates one article to Ramón Castañer in the section In Memoriam.


     Our great friend, the organist and conductor Paco Amaya, has written a few paragraphs in his blog about Ramon where it reflects the high regard he had for him and he has for all our family. Paco, we're grateful to you and Carmina who in addition sometimes have helped me so much...  Blog


    On February 3, 2012, our friend from the Philatelic and Numismatic Association of Alcoy called Alberto Molines suggested the idea of requesting to the post office the printing of one stamp dedicated to the memory of the painter Ramon Castañer. The selected theme was one of his self-portraits as it was a painting of Ramon and at the same time represents its own image. The initiative has been a real success. The stamp image is the following:

Sello Castaner

    On January 8, 2012 were published at Ciudad newspaper two articles about Ramon Castañer, by Francesc Jover and by the painter Carlos Merchan which includes a portrait of Ramon and who kindly send the original drawing dedicated to my mother Pepa. Ciudad 08-01-2012

Retrato de Merchán

   The Blog called Raíces de Papel that is a cultural platform created in 2009 by Juan Calderon and Javier Bueno Matador, gives a tribute to the painter Ramon Castañer. Juan Calderon's poem dedicated to Ramon is breathtakingly beautiful and so the precious phrases dedicated to Ramón written by Javier Bueno. Thank you indeed to both. Raíces de Papel
    In the blog some Ramon paintings are reproduced and there are some very endearing video of Pepa and Ramon at a meeting of the literary group "Tirarse al folio". In the video we see Pepa reciting black poetry with accompanying Ramon who played a makeshift bongo.
    Reproduce the poem by Juan Calderón dedicated to Ramón:

            DESPEDIDA

   A Ramón Castañer,
   gran pintor, mejor amigo.


Con el dolor cosido a su estatura
y humillado
por tanta herida inútil,
Ramón tomó el camino de regreso
al paisaje inquietante
que nos espera a todos.

En el zurrón, guardado,
se lleva el magro capital de amor,
que le fue regalando
la mujer, que bordaba
flores en las orillas
del sendero que juntos recorrieran,
y adherido a su mano
viaja el calor y el mimo
del fruto de su árbol
y el fruto de aquel fruto.

También lleva con él
pigmentos, telas y pinceles,
convencido de hallar en su paleta
los desconocidos colores,
que serán necesarios
para que se reflejen en sus lienzos
los parajes que aguardan su visita.

Y mientras llega a su destino
Ramón le hace retratos a los ángeles
que salen a su encuentro.


   Juan Calderón Matador



 

 

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