Alejandro Alsina, artist from Santo Domingo

Alejandro Alsina was born in Santo Domingo, capital city of the Dominican Republic, in 1951. Unconventional in contemporary times, Alsina has long used the benches of Duarte Park in the Colonial Zone as his open-air studio. This location, long regarded for its merchants and artist enclave, is a tourist destination, and historic central neighborhood of Santo Domingo and the oldest permanent European settlement of the Americas.

As a child, Alsina was interested in the arts, but did not pursue any formal training until his late teenage years. It was while on his book-selling route when he was first advised by a local art teacher to nurture his talent by enrolling in the National School of Fine Arts.

"One day I came to the house of a teacher named Jaime Corcho. It was he who told me to put myself in school because I had talent. I went to school, and I kept on painting and painting."

While at ENAV, Alsina was able to somewhat polish his technique. But he would not finish his art studies at ENAV. Choosing instead to concentrate on his career as an artist in the park where he has been selling his paintings since he was nineteen years old.

"I have a lot of time painting here. I went to school, but I did not finish, I just kept working. I developed a lot in drawing, and from there I understood that I could continue alone. So far I defend myself in painting. I have my ability."

His story, and style have made Alejandro Alsina a favorite and respected member of the Dominican art community, and the tourist that at times pay up to $300.00 for an original Alsina en plein-air.