«The memory of Mestre Rodrigues has to last forever. In addition to all the dedication he had to art, he was a very affable man, a great Lagoon». The words are from the mayor of Lagoa at the inauguration of the panel with the effigy of Master Fernando Rodrigues, on the exterior wall of the city's School of Arts, which, in 2013, received its name.
At the ceremony that took place on Friday, September 8, a municipal holiday in Lagoa, Francisco Martins recalled that his first contact with the school's patron, which was the last potter in Lagoa and died in October 2013, took place in 2004, when he was Councilor for Culture. «Master Rodrigues came to talk to me, because he wanted a decent space to teach the art of pottery and to share his knowledge». And then works were carried out in the old slaughterhouse in Lagoa, as well as a new oven to bake the clay pieces was purchased.
For his part, José Águas da Cruz, president of the Municipal Assembly of Lagoa, recalled «the great friend, noble son of this land, remarkable person, with a great heart and sympathy and a true passion for his land» of Lagoa.
The Lagoon artist Patico, who is currently responsible for the Master Fernando Rodrigues School of Arts, recalled the contacts he had with the master potter: «he told me right away that I had no talent for pottery, nor patience» for learn.
The daughter of Mestre Rodrigues, representing the family, thanked the interest in «keep alive the work and legacy» of her father. "There, wherever he is, he's enjoying it," added Isabel Luísa Rodrigues.
In the end, the tile panel placed on the outer wall of the School of Arts, facing the entrance, was unveiled by the mayor Francisco Martins and the widow of Mestre Rodrigues.
The panel, composed of tile fragments in shades of red, is by the artist Ricardo Crista, from Poly Urban Art, responsible for many public art interventions from North to South of the country.
Photos: Elisabete Rodrigues
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