After nearly a quarter-century of painting in the Tampa Bay Area, Edel Alvarez Galban—known artistically as AGalban—is embarking on the most ambitious artistic endeavor of his career.
Opening at the Gallery at Creative Pinellas
AGalban, a practicing physician and prolific painter, has been a steady force throughout Florida’s growing art scenes. But in the last three years, his profile has grown considerably. He now finds his work in the permanent collections of the Tampa Museum of Art, the Wilzig Museum, and one of Florida’s largest public libraries. He was also commissioned to create the artwork for Guillermo Fragoso’s album 5 Herencia, and served as the inspiration for a major character in the 2025 international award-winning film Líneas, for which he also created original paintings. In a new milestone, Galban successfully secured support from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the State of Florida, and Creative Pinellas to launch the ambitious Flora & Fauna exhibition, which would ultimately draw more than one thousand visitors and significant coverage.
Then came a moment in July 2024 that changed everything: a spiritual near death experience at a world-famous site. Galban was visiting Barcelona, the home of both his greatest artistic inspirations: artist Joan Miró and architect Antoni Gaudí. It was his fourth — and most impactful — visit to the city, as well as the first shared with his wife Rebecca and children, Lucy and Lennon. While seeing the iconic La Sagrada Familia Basilica, Galban felt deeply fatigued and unwell. As a medical doctor, he recognized his symptoms to be those of a heart attack and, to avoid causing alarm, encouraged his family to explore the basilica without him as he rested on a seat.
As he observed the basilica from the air conditioned visitor’s center, Galban felt its architecture come alive to him amidst the intensifying cardiac episode. He began noticing several details in the facade that he had never seen before on his previous visits, and began to photograph and sketch them. Upon returning to the U.S. and receiving major heart surgery, he felt called to create a series of works in honor of Gaudí’s genius.
Watching this powerful set of works emerge, Galban knew they needed to be unveiled in a similarly unique way. The result is Sacred Pilgrimage: Gaudí and Galban, his first-ever traveling solo exhibition. Co-curated by Tarin Mohajeri and Antonio Permuy, the exhibition has emerged as a team effort that has garnered a grant from the Gobioff Foundation, and is joined by the AIA Tampa Bay Center for Architecture and Design as an educational partner.
The exhibition takes a novel approach. The “pilgrimage” in the title anchors the exhibition back to its spiritual origins, placing the works in the setting of various sacred sites to reconnect them with his life-changing experience at the basilica. The concept also nods to the historical role of churches in Western Europe as primary patrons of public art. This historical public art would often be experienced by locals as well as travelers journeying from church to church through the various pilgrimage travel routes to popular sacred sites such as Rome, Jerusalem, and Galicia. Here, however, Sacred Pilgrimage takes the journey to viewers by touring several community-rooted venues, many with spiritual significance.
The pilgrimage begins June 25th 2025 with an opening reception at Peace Memorial Presbyterian Church in Clearwater, a historic setting famous for its rare Tiffany stained-glass windows. The launch event will feature classical guitar by Miko Krupa, wine and cheese charcuterie arrangements, and remarks by architect and Sagrada Familia enthusiast Peter Hauerstein from the AIA Tampa Bay Center for Architecture and Design.
In August, the exhibition will travel to The Portico in Tampa. Once the site of downtown Tampa’s first church, The Portico remains a spiritual center and is now a hub for community-building through art and social initiatives. These include cultural workshops, programs for the homeless, and hosting the popular Café con Tampa lecture series spearheaded by Tampa Councilman Bill Carlson.
In September, the show will arrive at Creative Pinellas, a nod to the success of last year’s Flora & Fauna exhibition.
Future stops include a planned Miami debut at a yet-to-be-confirmed landmark church, followed by the nation’s oldest city, St. Augustine, in 2026. The final leg of the tour will take place in Barcelona—the city where the story began—exactly 12 months after the launch to coincide with both the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death and the projected completion of La Sagrada Familia.
Thematically, Sacred Pilgrimage expands on Galban’s signature visual themes. Each work in the exhibition displays his fluidly organic Cubist style and Surreal scenes against dramatic color field backdrops infused with moody atmospheres and symbolism. One standout work, God’s Architect, transforms Gaudí himself into his own architecture in a powerful metaphor begging for reflection. Another highlight, Gallo Gaudiano, features a vivid blue rooster, a recurring symbol in Galban’s native Cuba, yet here reinterpreted with sculptural elements drawn directly from the Sagrada Familia’s façade. The piece has already become one of the exhibition’s most emblematic images, featured in promotional materials and reproduced as a limited edition print.
Beyond its aesthetic ambition, the exhibition is also a philanthropic one. All works are available for purchase, with a portion of proceeds supporting the work of each host venue. Each stop will also feature special events: panel discussions, guided tours, lectures, and art workshops designed to deepen engagement and enrich audiences. Additionally, some select works will also feature educational reference photographs of the exact sites of the basilica that inspired them.
Through Sacred Pilgrimage, Galban invites viewers to experience a compelling homage to divine illumination captured through his art, Gaudí’s architecture, and the creative spirit that flows through both.
More than a typical exhibition, this is a transformative journey of gratitude, inspiration, and discovery.
And the journey is just beginning.•
