In artist Domingo Batista’s own words: “A photographer is someone who can tell a story with a light that no one else can capture. When the sun is down for most people, that is when the photographer begins to see the light, the miracle. That is why the great value of photography is its capacity for preserving the past.”

Batista, through his photographs, is a witness of the country, of what the country was and what the country should be.

Even though he was city born and raised, he feels most at home in the outdoors. “Where I am a fish in the water is in the hills, in the solitude of the coasts, in the deep silence of the mountains. There I am transformed in such a way that I don’t even know myself. When I enter a river bed, the thoughts that decide how the next photo shot will be like come to me; the light that defines this.”

Pedro Jose Vega, curator/exhibition organizer, appeals to all to rediscover color through Domingo Batista’s photographs and the environment we all form a part of. “We live in an unique place and have the privilege of an artist dedicating his life to photograph it. Let us take advantage of those testimonies to reflect on this wonder that nature has given us and to understand its interaction with the splendor and drama of human society. Let us use these testimonies to become aware of how fragile this miracle is.”

Summer camp
As part of their commitment to bringing culture to the people and developing a relationship with the community, several artists who have participated in Centro Leon’s exhibitions shared their skills with children age 3 - 12 in a summer camp that took place in the center’s gardens and halls. “We need to support artists from the start, offering them activities, conferences and opportunities. It is a program that uses their talents as educators,” says Angela Garcia.