Marcos Antonio

Marcos Antonio was born in Baitoa, a small town in the mountains of the Dominican Republic. He became a laborer at the age of 5 to help support his family of 11. In 1971, the family emigrated to New York and a few years later Marcos Antonio enlisted in the US Army, where he served for six years. He later acquired a business degree and became the owner of a cosmetic line. He sold his successful business in 1994 to dedicate himself entirely to painting, his life long passion. Marcos Antonio has exhibited his art work on three continents and has spoken about Latin American art at museums and galleries. From 1999 to 2002, Marcos became the director of the Providence Festival of New Latin American Cinema. He is also the founder of the Anthony Quinn Life Achievement Award in Film and the Arts. From 1990 to 2003, he acted as Providence's unofficial ambassador to the Caribbean, and this role, has undertaken humanitarian missions and represented the interests of Rhode Island institutions. In the fall of 2001, Marcos Antonio became Providence's first Director of Hispanic Affairs.