Luis Joaquin Rodriguez Arias  "El Maestro"
Born - 1942, in Herrera, Holguin province, Cuba.
Biography - A member and the acknowledged leader of the 'Bayate' group of self- taught artists in the Village of Mella, near Santiago de Cuba. He is known as "El Maestro" to distinguish him from his son, Luis Rodriguez Ricardo, who goes by “El Estudiante”.  His paintings depict the events of daily life in small-town and countryside Cuba.  He first exhibited in 1983 and has since been in numerous group shows in Cuba and the United States.  His work was included in shows at Indigo Arts Gallery in 2002 and 2009.  In 2014 and 2015 he exhibited his work at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, NM.