A Boy, A Book, A Future (2000) Jose Ramiz Barquet

A Boy, A Book, A Future (2000) Jose Ramiz Barquet

Continuing with the number one artist and his sculptures around town, we arrive at a relatively new one installed in front of Los Mangos Library.

Ramiz Barquet has been called the artistic patriarch of Puerto Vallarta, and with the eight monumental sculptures he created and gave to the city, this is not a surprise.

A Boy, A Book, A Future” is a bronze statue placed outside the Los Mangos Library on Francisco Villa street by Ramiz Barquet from the year 2000.

The sculpture depicts a boy, Juan, sitting, reading a book. The message is quite clear: the importance of education and the role a library has in this process for both children and the community as a whole.

Ramiz was completely convinced that education is the key and he created this sculpture to honor the contribution the library offers to the youth of Vallarta. A young orphan, Juan, is finding his way out of poverty through reading, following the words of his adoptive father, don Plácido, that “knowledge is power”. Though he is teased by his friends, that enjoy playing instead, he outshines them in understanding and wisdom.

Funding for the statue was led by Gary Thompson, the owner of Galería Pacífico, and the person behind the popular Art Walk.

Author: M. A. Gallardo