Through the Las Meninas Sculpture Project and the support of Antonio Azzato, the Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute will reach local, national, and international audiences to promote the importance of art in healthcare.
Inspired by the iconic painting “Las Meninas,” which translates to “Ladies in Waiting,” Spanish artist and sculptor Antonio Azzato created larger than life-size statues, fashioned in the shape of the Ladies in Waiting in the famous painting, that have been displayed in the streets of Madrid every fall since 2018. The statues are painted by various Spanish artists and celebrities and used to raise money for different charities. For the project with Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS), smaller statues that are white, like a blank canvas, will be distributed to 12 designated FCS clinics. Together with local artists, patients will bring their Las Meninas vision to life, giving each statue its own unique theme and color palette.
Once complete, the Las Meninas sculptures will be on display in local communities, raising awareness of the extreme healing power of art in medicine. After a months-long tour of the state, each will be placed on auction. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation. The Foundation assists cancer patients in need in Florida with essential everyday living expenses.
The final destination for the Las Meninas will be the gala, where interested bidders can bid on one of these magnificent statues during a live online auction. Stay tuned for more information.
By supporting local artists, patients, and clinicians, you are helping to strengthen the outcomes of cancer care in your community. The power of healing through art and community support will be widespread throughout the journey of these Las Meninas statues.
You can make a difference in a patient’s life today. Donate to the Las Meninas Sculpture Project and watch these beautiful pieces of art come to life at the hands of community members just like you.
Meet Antonio Azzato, the visionary behind the Las Meninas Sculpture Project. To continue the successful and positive spirit of the Las Meninas project in Madrid, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS) and Healing Arts in Medicine are bringing Antonio Azzato’s vision to the United States for the first time.
Azzato was born and raised in Venezuela and has Italian and Spanish roots. He has raised more than 550K euros for different charitable foundations. His experience in the engineering, business, marketing, and interior design fields has given him the technical and artistic training to develop his Meninas Gallery project, which has positioned the silhouette of the Menina as the new icon of the city of Madrid, where he currently resides. Learn more about Antonio here.
Painted by Diego Velázquez in 1656,“Las Meninas” translates to Ladies in Waiting. Considered a masterpiece depicting life in the court of King Philip IV of Spain, the painting represents a turning point in art history for the way in which Velázquez broke from the stiff formal portraits that typically defined royal subjects.