Ponta Grossa gains free gallery with unpublished works on the tropeiros
Space at Curso Positivo honors artist Irineu Alves and brings together eight exclusive works inspired by the history of the Campos Gerais
The Irineu Alves Gallery, in Ponta Grossa, brings together eight unpublished works by the artist from Paraná in a permanent exhibition dedicated to the history and journeys of the tropeiros. Installed in the Positive Course, at Santos Dumont Street, 400, in the Center, the exhibition has free entrance and visitation open to the public from Monday to Friday, from 7 am to 7 pm.
The works were produced exclusively for the institution and highlight a theme related to the economic, social and cultural formation of Paraná. The proposal also brings the community closer to the production of an artist whose trajectory has the Campos Gerais as one of its main references.
Castro artist portrays identidade regional
A native of Castro, Irineu Graciano Alves accumulates more than five decades dedicated to painting and drawing. During this period, he developed a production focused on landscapes, historical events and regional memories, with emphasis on the tropeirismo. In addition to the creation of works, the artist participated in the formation of new talents and the diffusion of art in the Campos Gerais. Its production is characterized by the richness of details and the representation of elements that help to tell the history of the region.
Renato Ribas Vaz, director general of the Positive Course, said that the installation of the gallery values this legacy and allows students and visitors to have contact with references from the Paraná training. “Irineu Alves has a trajectory deeply linked to the Campos Gerais and can transform into art elements that are part of our memory and the formation of the Paraná,” he says.
Tropeirismo and vestibular meet in the proposal
The exhibition establishes a symbolic connection between the paths taken by the tropeiros and the preparation of the students for the entrance exam. According to the institution, both days involve planning, discipline, knowledge of the route and determination to overcome obstacles. In Vaz’s assessment, the works also offer opportunities to work on history, culture and identity, in addition to stimulating observation and interpretation.
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“Education doesn’t just happen in the classroom. It also involves the ability to observe, interpret, make connections and understand the world around us,” the director-general said. The intention is that the space contributes to present to the new generations a part of the regional history, using art as an instrument of learning.
Gallery integrates initiatives in other cities
The space in Ponta Grossa integrates the initiatives of the Positive Course that bring art and education closer together. In 2022, during the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the institution, the Poty Lazzarotto Gallery was inaugurated in Curitiba, with 18 exclusive works by the artist from Paraná. More recently, Joinville received the Galeria Juarez Machado, composed by works of the series “Island of Santa Catarina – Notebook of Sketches”.
