Colección Elías-Fontes

Artistas en su colección de arte

Mónica Arreola

Descripción del Profesional del arte

Colección privada de arte contemporáneo de la familia Elias Fontes, reunida por el coleccionista Alonso Elías y su mujer Patty Fontes, en Mexicali, Baja California. Alonso Elias has been an avid collector of Northwestern Mexican art for several years, particularly the innovative, contemporary outpour bursting out of Baja California's border region. The yearning constantly present when Alonso Elias observes a work of art is the principal motivator for his collection currently expanding to over 200 works of contemporary art. Having bought his first work of art in 1993 and continuing into the 2000's, the momentum and love he gained for purchasing locally produced, defiant art became uncontainable. With the support of his wife, Patty Fontes, and the enthusiasm of his family reinforcing his purchases, the Elias Fontes art collection was born. "We have about 210 artworks in our collection. Some very large, some very small. Ninety-five percent of these are from Baja California artists. I bought my first work of art in 1993. A photograph by Mexicali photographer Odette Barajas. It was a picture of a gang member with the word 'Chicali' tattooed on his chest. The second work of art I bought was in 2003. The purchasing sped up during 2008 when I met Jaime Ruiz Otis from Tijuana and he started introducing me to many talented artists," states Alonso Elias.