José Luis Menghi
(Buenos Aires, 1904 - Avellaneda, Buenos Aires Prov., 1985)
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La Boca Artists
José Luis Menghi
 
He was born in Buenos Aires on July 28, 1904. He begins his artistic formation with his maternal grandfather Fortunato Debenedetti and continues his studies with Adolfo Montero. He befriends the painters of the Círculo de la Escuela de la Boca and encouraged by Nicolás Bruno he starts spending time with the El Bermellón group. He exhibits at the Salón Nacional as of 1927 and takes part in most of the national, provincial and municipal exhibitions, obtaining numerous awards. A fire in his workshop causes all of his paintings to go up in smoke. As of 1941, he makes more than twenty individual exhibitions. Parallel to his artistic activity, he works as an ironsmith and electrician during more than 30 years.
Among his many awards we can find: Premio Adquisición at the Salón de Santa Fe (1940), Honorary Mention at Salón Nacional de Bellas Artes for his work El lirio blanco (The white iris flower) (1954); Premio Adquisición at the Salón Municipal in Mar del Plata (1960); First Prize at the Salón Municipal in Avellaneda; Third Prize at the Salón Nacional and at the Salón de La Plata (1966); First Prize at the Salón Annual de Santa Fe for his piece La sala (The room), First Prize at Salón Nacional (1969).
He is a founding member and vocal at the Agrupación de Gente de Artes y Letras Impulso from its foundation in 1940 until 1944.
He dies in Avellaneda, on February 25, 1985, after a long illness.
His work can be found at the following museums: Museo de Bellas Artes de La Plata; Museo de Bellas Artes “Benito Quinquela Martín”, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Museo de Arte Moderno and Museo “Eduardo Sívori”, both in Buenos Aires, among other collections.