Andrés García Benítez

Benítez had only completed two years of high school in Holguín before informing his father, the Don Saturnio Garcia Zaballa, that he was going to drop out of school to pursue the life of a professional artist.^[6] Benítez had no professional training as an artist in the beginning of his career, and largely taught himself the craft.

By 1932, when he was only 16 years old, Benítez had already sold his first paintings, had his first art show, and had been hired by Alfredo T. Quiléz to draft covers for Carteles, one of the most popular magazines in Cuba.^[5][6] His first submissions were sent by mail.^[6]

In August 1936, Benítez was promoted to the position of official designer for Carteles.^[5] It is notable that his work defines the second phase of Cuban folk art, following the first phase art of Víctor Patricio de Landaluze.^[5]

Benítez worked as a graphic artist and illustrator for Carteles and Vanidades for over twenty years, until 1961, when the magazine industry in Cuba was completely shuttered by the Castro regime.^[9]

In June 1942, Benítez designed the set for the production of La Comedia de la felicidad de Everinoff, a play commissioned by Luis Martínez Allende.^[5] He also designed scenery and sets for the Havana theatre productions of Prometeo, Talía, Las Máscaras and others. In Holguín, he also designed the production of the Tropicana Cabaret.^[6] More notably, he designed the productions of Doña Rosita the Spinster, The Shoemaker's Prodigious Wife, Electra Garrigó, and Romeo and Juliet.^[5]

Benítez collaborated with maestro Ramiro Guerra on the ballet productions of Havana 1830, El Milagro de Anaquillé, and Liborio y esperanza.^[5] In 1948, he went into a brief collaboration with Alicia Alonso.^[5]

Benítez designed productions for the Tropicana Club and the Tropicana Cabaret, the Cabaret Parisien, and the Hotel Capri.^[5] He also designed the costumes for Esther Borja, Elena Burke, Merceditas Valdés, and Luis Carbonell.^[5]