Acclaimed Artist And Illustrator, Edel Rodriguez, To Speak At Peace Forward Initiative In Patchogue

PATCHOGUE, NY — Internationally-acclaimed artist, Edel Rodríguez, will deliver the keynote address for the Patchogue Arts Council's PEACE Forward Conference next week.

The conference, which will focus on arts in education, partnerships, and possibility, will be held Aug. 17 to 18 at the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Registration is free, but required.

Attendees can bring their copy of his Rodriguez's memoir, "Worm: A Cuban American Odyssey," to have signed, or enter a raffle for a chance to win a signed copy.

Rodríguez's powerful visual work explores migration, identity, and social justice and has shaped global conversations across art, media, and public life, officials say.

The conference's keynote will invite attendees to reflect on the role of creative expression in education and contemporary society, according to officials.

Rodriguez was born in Havana, Cuba in 1971 and was raised in El Gabriel, a small farm town surrounded by fields of tobacco and sugar cane. In 1980, he and his family boarded a boat and left for America during the Mariel boatlift. They settled in Miami, where Rodriguez was introduced to and influenced by American pop culture for the first time.

Edel has been a regular contributor to The New Yorker magazine, The New York Times, and TIME magazine for the last 30 years. He has exhibited internationally with shows in New York, Los Angeles, Havana, Berlin, La Paz, Cape Town, Prague and London.

He has created over 200 magazine and book covers and has illustrated 15 children’s books, four of which he has authored. Rodriguez has also created several stamps for the U.S. Postal Service and has illustrated poster and advertising campaigns for many operas, films, and Broadway shows.

Rodriguez’s artwork is in the collections of a variety of institutions, including the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C., as well as in numerous private collections. His work has received numerous awards from The Art Director’s Club and The Society of Illustrators in New York City.

His memoir was published in 2023, followed by the PBS American Masters documentary titled “Edel Rodriguez: Freedom is a Verb."