Chuy Benitez

In Memoriam: Gil Cardenas was my first and biggest mentor and collector. He bought my first portfolio of work and exhibited at Latino Studies at Notre Dame for my Graduation in 2005. He connected me to Mexican American Studies at University of Houston when I went there for grad school, which then connected me to other pivotal mentors like Luis Jimenez and Delilah Montoya. Over the past 20 years, I have shared with him my successes as an educator and artist, and he always was proud of me and believed in me like no other.

This is the first time one of my portraits that is actively exhibiting turns into a memorial for the person in the portrait, but I think it is totally fitting for Gil and a way he would have wanted to be memorialized. So if you happen to be able to make it out to the Cheech in Riverside, CA or the MACC in Austin, TX, you can see Gil in the full glory of his collection there. I am forever grateful and thankful that Dolores and Gil were able to make it to the Cheech opening, and that I was able to talk about Gil’s huge influence to my life and so many others then.

Thank You Gil for all of the wisdom, knowledge, support, and friendship you gave me. I was changed and bettered from Day 1.

An extra thank you to @roj_rodriguez for being there to also build an amazing friendship with Gil and Dolores in my absence from Texas. Thank you for being a brother-in-arms and supporting them when I could not.