Asociación de Amigos de LABoral formally established
The chairman of the institution, Luis Figaredo, urged the civil society to support the Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial
Part of the members of Asociación de Amigos de LABoral. Photo: Courtesy Paloma Ucha
The Asociación de Amigos de LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial has been formally established this Thursday with the holding of the Constitutional General Assembly. The assembly was attended by around fifty people, including the Vice-President of the Board of Trustees of the Fundación La Laboral and Deputy Regional Vice- Minister for Culture, Alejandro Calvo.
This event marks the lawful and effective start of the Association, that began its operation in August 2013 with the election of a Governing Board, chaired by Luis Figaredo, which took the first steps to make this institution a reality. Other board members are the Professor and former Rector of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Vice-president for Institutional Relations at IE Bussines School, Vice-president of Fundación Instituto de Empresa and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the IE Universidad de Segovia, Rafael Puyol Antolín, as First Vice-President; The writer and journalist Cuca Alonso, as second Vice-President; and the notary public Montserrat Martínez López, as Secretary.
The Asociación de Amigos de LABoral is a non-profit entity, with its own legal personality, aimed at fostering, encouraging and supporting any cultural actions related with the mission and activity of the Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial.
As Luis Figaredo explains, “We have now been for more than one year trying to help improve the visibility of Laboral’s activities in different ways working on communication, extending the existing knowledge about LABoral, recruiting new friends and looking for funding”. “It is obvious” he adds, “that funding is essential , as financial independence goes hand in hand with Independence of opinion, and therefore, of action”.
After welcoming the “freedom of action” of the Association, he asked “those who had committed to help not to look the other way”, because “the civil society is now-a-days more necessary than ever”. “Now that the efficacy of the usual channels is put into question, we must contribute as much as possible to the flowrishing of our museums and cultural institutions”, said Luis Figaredo, who also reminded that speaking about culture in Gijon, in Asturias is no wonder, as the Principality registers an expenditure in culture above the national average.
The Chairman of the Asociación de Amigos de LABoral reminded that “friendship like art is something that needs to be practiced” and urged to “foster culture, art, research and innovation, as one of the strongest strategies to build a future of welfare”.
The Asociación de Amigos de LABoral is currently made up by one hundred people including a large group of professionals and members of the Asturian civil society. They have all united based on the common will to actively collaborate for the development and support of the Centre at a moment when the economic crisis has reduced public support and funding for art and culture. They believe that they have to be an active part in the social enrichment that culture brings about, as it happens in any European or American capital, where the civil society actively contributes to the flourishing of their museums and cultural institutions.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President: Luis Figaredo, expert lawyer in maritime law
First Vice president: Rafael Puyol Antolín, professor and former rector of the Complutense University of Madrid, vice president of Institutional Relations of the IE Business School, vice president of the Fundación Instituto de Empresa [the IE Foundation] and President of the Board of Trustees of IE University of Segovia
Second Vice president: Cuca Alonso, writer and journalist Treasurer: José Miguel Fernández, economist, President of the Alumni Association of the Jovellanos Institute
Secretary: Montserrat Martínez López, notary
MEMBERS:
• Luis Adaro, President of Adaro Tecnologías
• Marta Aguilera, General Mannager of Restaurante Las Delicias.
• Álvaro Armada y Barcáiztegui, Count of Güemes, is member of the Board of Directors of the Mapfre Praico Corp. Expert in development of cultural and touristic projects, he has developed his professional life in multinational advertising and communication agencies in the United States, Canada and Caribbean.
• Carlos Caicoya, professor and expert museologist in the analysis of models for cultural management.
• Fernando de la Hoz, with an extended career in the banking sector, is a business consultant and advisor for companies belonging to the renewable energies sector and an active agent in various foundations and associations’ boards of trustees.
• Álvaro Díaz Huici, Director of Ediciones TREA.
• Paz Fernández Felgueroso, former mayor of Gijón and President of the Consejo de Comunidades Asturianas [Asurian Communities Council].
• José Miguel Fernández, economist, president of the Alumni Association of the Jovellanos Institute.
• Jorge Fernández León, Cultural Manager and former Vice President of the Board of LABoral.
• Javier Fernández Vallina, former Regional Counselor of Culture of the Asturian Government and lecturer at the Universidad Complutense Madrid.
• Javier García Fernández, General Mannager of EUROLAB.
• Lucía García Rodríguez, Managing Director of LABoral.
• Pilar González Lafita, Ex Director of FMCEyUP and of the city council of Gijón. Currently program director of the Department of Museums and Exhibitions of the FMC.
• Ignacio Gracia Noriega, Writer and journalist.
• Mariano López Santiago, former secretary general of Gijón City Council and president of the Special Employment Centre INTGRAF and theatre critic for La Nueva España.
• Jovino Martínez Sierra, Architect.
• Íñigo Noriega, Director of El Comercio.
• Germán Ojeda, senior lecturer of History and Economic Institutions at the University of Oviedo.
• José Pereira, Professor of Tax Law. University of Oviedo.
• Abel Rionda Rodríguez y David Martínez Álvarez, Directors of ADN Mobile Solutions.
• Pedro Sabando, doctor and former Minister of Health for the Community of Madrid.
• Ángel Luis Torres Serrano, Notary.
• Javier Targhetta, Mining engineer, CEO of Atlantic Copper SaU in Spain and Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales of the Group Freeport-McMoRan Copper Gold.
PURPOSE OF THE ASSOCIATION
It is aimed at fostering, encouraging and supporting any cultural actions that, in the broadest sense, are related with the mission and activity of the Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial.
In order to achieve this purpose, the Association may develop all those activities that, in the broadest sense, foster, encourage and/or support the mission and activity of Fundación La Laboral. Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial. Solely by way of example and by no means exhaustive it may carry out activities like the following: exhibition, production, research, sponsoring, conferences, seminars, publications, dissemination, printing, edition, workshops, cultural trips, guided tours, among others.
The Association of Friends of LABoral will work to support the management team in the following areas:
• supporting collaborations with companies and institutions with the aim of producing projects in artistic and industrial creation fields,
• supporting the accession of new members,
• helping with the dissemination of the centre’s contents to bring it closer to an increasingly wider public,
• providing contacts to gain new sponsorships,
• offering and sharing its knowledge and experience,
• suggesting thematic areas, contents and/or projects that could be interesting for the centre,
• encouraging the holding of events aimed at raising funds for the centre, fostering links with business networks in general and more specifically with those in Asturias,
• encouraging the creation of networks among the different cultural initiatives in Asturias, seeking a closer integration and coherence on the local scene,
• setting up an events programme specific for the members: artists talks / conferences, exhibition, private visits to artists’ studios, private visits to collections, trips to festivals, biennials and fairs, private visits to other museums or centres, etc.
• acting as a cultural centre of attraction for Asturias through promotion and dissemination activities led by intellectuals and renowned and prestigious figures.
