By Jesús Ibarra

On Sunday, June 11, 2023, Mr. Rodolfo Fernández Martínez Harris, President of the “Enrique Fernández Martínez” Art Foundation, which subsidizes the Instituto Allende, School of Art and Spanish, passed away.

Don Rodolfo was affectionately known in San Miguel de Allende as "Rudy." He was born on September 25, 1952 and his parents were Mr. Enrique Fernández Martínez and Mrs. Nell Harris, co-founders of Instituto Allende, which opened its doors in 1950, and was a precursor of art and tourism in San Miguel. So Rudy was born and raised in this cultural milieu. Upon the death of his parents, Rudy continued with the school, always promoting art and education, with programs such as the Bachelor of Visual Arts, the G.I. Bill, a program subsidized by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, which grants war veterans scholarships to study at the Instituto, as well as art workshops open to the community. Rudy also created the program known as "Rodarte", whose mission is to bring art to children from rural communities in the municipality of San Miguel de Allende. “I am convinced that the only way to achieve social and economic growth is through quality education”, Rudy used to say.

A man of great generosity, he always helped the people around him, both his family, his friends and his employees, which left him with the affection of everyone who knew him. Rest in peace Mr. Rodolfo Fernández Martínez Harris.