[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 151 (Tuesday, September 20, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E955]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING THE LIFE OF MARTA PERMUY

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MARIA ELVIRA SALAZAR

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 20, 2022

  Ms. SALAZAR. Madam Speaker, Marta Permuy was born on September 22, 
1938. She would have turned 84 this Thursday. While she may have passed 
on from this life, I want to ensure she remains immortalized in history 
by telling her story. To be recognized in a place where democracy is 
held sacred and steadfast seems like a fitting birthday present for a 
woman who understood that true art is born of free societies.
  Marta was a Cuban American Fine Arts Patron based in Coral Gables, a 
prominent part of Miami-Dade County, and a part of my district. Marta's 
heart was that of an activist, which explains her natural inclination 
for art. Why limit yourself to the ears of an audience when they have 
eyes?
  Born and raised in Cuba, Marta was a witness to the rise of the 
Communist regime. This led her to became active in the MRR, the 
Movement for Revolutionary Recovery, a leading force of resistance 
against the regime. She was among the few women given a central role in 
the organization's leadership. Upon realizing that their efforts would 
not be able to contain the regime, she fled to Venezuela with her 
family. In 1962, she resettled in South Florida where she would go on 
to open an art gallery, the Permuy Gallery. The Permuy Gallery became a 
home for innovative art, particularly from Cuban artists. In the 
evenings, after exhibitions, it hosted gatherings for South Florida's 
notable figures, to discuss art in its varying forms, whether it was 
painted on a canvas, written in literature, prayed in spiritual realms, 
or argued in politics. This was a significant meeting point for the 
community, especially for the Cuban exiles in Miami.
  After the Gallery closed, Marta devoted herself to her children. 
Eventually, the art world would call her back home to the Permuy House, 
where she would carry out her art ventures for over 40 years. In 2021, 
The Permuy House was designated a landmark of the City of Coral Gables.
  Her legacy lives on through her children, who remain involved in the 
arts, and seek to honor their mother through different cultural events 
in South Florida. May this record aid in preserving her spirit, and to 
inspire artists to understand that all talent, even unconventional, is 
useful to the cause of preserving a free and just society.

                          ____________________