Oswaldo Garces-Poems from South America
Oswaldo Garces was born in Ambato Ecuador in 1961. He moved to Grand Rapids in the late ‘80s from where he led archeological searches for numerous expeditions. In 1994 he became one of the founders of a Grand Rapids Hispanic newspaper. He continues today to operate a janitorial company founded in 1995. In 2006 Oswaldo formed El Heraldo Enterprises, a company that is developing an Internet media Latino project.
Born to a family of artists and writers he was influenced by numerous mentors and started writing poetry at a young age. He has fond memories of the poems his cousin used to write and after his cousin’s sudden death, Oswaldo continued the legacy on in his memory.
Oswaldo is also a featured artist in the Tulipanes Fine Art Fair. He credits his mother for his love for painting that began when she uses to take him with her to her art classes when she was unable to find a babysitter. During that time he was lost in a world of adults who were painters and poets, where as a little child he became exposed to their magical inspiration.
Neruda, Lorca, Marti, Stormi, Becker, Rafael de Leon; have extensively talked to him with their words throughout the years.
For two years he lived the Latin American movement that developed in Europe after the exile of young minds that had left the continent to exercise the freedom that had been suppressed in their countries.
Through his professional life he has continued to be closely involved with community services that have greatly influenced his latest artist works. The poem book he is currently working on has three sections which include; the immigration persecution, the need to remember his roots and a romantic section.