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ESTRELLA FAJARDO TOLEDO
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Born in Cienfuegos, Cuba on May 11, 1919.
Passed away on February 27, 2007 in Glenview, IL USA.
Parents: Atanasio Fajardo Cepero born in Cienfuegos, Cuba and Marina Toledo Oses, born in Santa Clara, Cuba
Siblings: Atanasio (her twin) and Ignacio
Married to Armando Triana Pozo on July 30, 1941.
Children Armando R born on 8/13/1943 and Estrella born on 6/14/1945
Estrella was the first woman in her extended family to become a university graduate and the first in her whole family to become a university professor. During Estrella’s professional career, she helped hundreds of teachers in Cuba and in Puerto Rico to develop sound teaching practices. One of her extraordinary contributions was in 1953. At that time, she introduced the first courses on preschool education in Cuban universities. That preceded by 10 years the landmark research in the US, which quantified the individual and social benefits of preschool education for children. In her later years she developed as a painter. She created her own style by giving color and life to the grooves in wood sheets. Her art was exhibited in Puerto Rico, Miami and Washington DC.
Estrella’s youth was deeply affected by external circumstances. During her early years she lived with her parents farm surrounded by siblings and cousins. However, the fear of a kidnapper in their area caused that her parents to send her to live in the city with her aunt and grandmother. However, even after her parents moved into the city, she continued to live at her unmarried aunt’s house to give her company. It was not until she was 16 years old that she moved back with her parents. This deprived her of intimacy with her family for most of her childhood.
As she was becoming a young woman, political instability in Cuba, had a surprisingly positive impact on her educational development. She was a student in the college preparatory high school during the years of the Great Depression of the 1930’s. In Cuba, this world crisis compounded the political instability. A dictatorial government closed all the college preparatory high schools trying to quash student protests. Estrella’s reaction was to continue studying and she registered in the teacher training Normal School, which remained open. However, a year later the Normal schools were closed also. Her response was then to register in the school for kindergarten teachers, which remained open. After all schools reopened. she found herself registered in the three schools. She went on, and completed the three programs simultaneously, the college preparatory, normal and kindergarten schools. Even then, she earned higher grades than her brothers in the college preparatory high school. As a result from completing the three programs, she saw more clearly the connection between pre-school and elementary education in children.
She continued her studies to become a doctor in Pedagogy at the University of Havana and the first female college graduate in her extended family. There, she became acquainted with the work of Jean Piaget, whose work on child psychology revealed the importance of pre school education in children.
Shortly after she graduated from the University in 1941, Estrella married his high school sweetheart. Her children were born in 1943, Armando, and in 1945, Estrella. She started one of the first private pre-school and kindergarten businesses in her hometown. However, her first years of marriage were economically challenging and after three years she had to close the school. Over time, Armando and she continued to support each other’s careers gaining success and recognition.
In 1950, she became a professor at the Normal School in Santa Clara where she had been a student. In 1953, she became the first member of her family to become a University professor. As a faculty member at the School of Education of the Universidad Central de Las Villas, she introduced the first courses on preschool education in Cuban universities. It was her resilience in completing three independent programs and the inspiration of Piaget work, which helped her to make this contribution. As a professional woman and mother, she was an example in Santa Clara’s social milieu before the revolution.
During the revolution against the Batista dictatorship, Armando was part of the civil leadership of Castro’s movement. However, within three months after the fall of Batista at the beginning of 1959, they both became increasingly involved in the resistance against the communist influence. By October 1960, three members of the resistance with whom Armando was collaborating were shot and he was being closely watched. At that point, the future and security of her children’s and here whole family were under threat
In December1960 she escaped from Cuba illegally arriving to the US without money, job or not able to communicate in English. She worked at a textile factory. Providentially, an acquaintance of Atanasio, Estrella’s father, helped the family to obtain Jobs and move to Puerto Rico, There, she was able to become a college professor at the Puerto Rico Junior College. She struggled while becoming ill with a dislocated disc in her back. She took care of her family, which at that time included her nieces Lillian and Lissette while their parents were trying to leave Cuba. During that time she made sure her teenage daughter and nieces could go to school full time. In 1971, she still had to pass the trial, of breast cancer and mastectomy. In 1973, they moved to Miami, and at that time she redefined herself as an artist. She complete over 150 paintings, and created her signature style which involved bringing life to the groves in wood with color. Her art was exhibited in Puerto Rico, Miami and Washington DC.
Her ever-lasting professional legacy lies on the lives of the children taught by the hundreds of teachers she helped educate.
Her spiritual contribution will always shine is in her art. There she left the scent of the peace and beauty of her persona for viewers to enjoy forever.
Her ultimate personal legacy rests on the lives of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and nieces. We were the recipients, and are the depositaries, of her kindness, strength of character and family centerness.
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Education
Secondary school degrees in High School. Normal School and Kindergarten School
Doctor in Pedagogy from the University of Havana in 1941
Professional Career
Founder and Principal of Estrella Fajardo School, Santa Clara, Cuba 1941-44
Elementary School teacher, Santa Clara, Cuba 1944-1953
Normal School Professor , Santa Clara, Cuba1950-60
University Professor on Pre School Education at the Universidad Central de Las
Villas, Santa Clara, Cuba1953-60
Textile factory worker, Miami 1960-61
College Professor at the Puerto Rico Junior College, 1961-1973
Painter with exhibitions in Miami, Fla, Puerto Rico, and Washington DC 1972-2000
Art Exhibitions
1974 , 1975,1976, and 1977 Metropolitan Museum and Art Center, Miami, Fla
1975,1976 Jordan March Art and Craft Exhibition, Miami, Fla
10/14-23/1975 Expocentro, Colegio Universitario del Turabo, Turabo, P.R.
11/1-12/, 1976 Solo Exhibition, Pan American Health Organization, Washington DC
1979 Key Biscayne Painters Workshop, Miami, Fla
6/27-29/1980 Drawings and Paintings by Estrella Triana, Waters Edge Building,
Coral Gables, Fla
10/27-29/1983 An Exhibition of Recent Works by Estrella Triana at Maria Casas Art
Gallery, Miami, Fla.
References
Diario Las Americas “Exposicion de Estrella Triana en Washington”, November
28, 1976 p.23
Miami Herald “Special Events” June 27, 1980Diario las Americas, “Inauguran Exposicion de Pinturas”, June 27, 1980
Diaro Las Americas “Linda Exposicion de Estrella Triana” July 15, 1980 p.13
Revista Villaclara “Exposicion de Estrellita Fajardo de Triana”, August 1980
Buen Hogar, “Estrella Triana: Una Artista en Plena Madurez”, October 22,1980
Cover, Proceedins of the Third National Symposium of Hispanic Business, 1983
Diario Las Americas “Otra Exibicion Interesante en Miami”, October 29, 1983
Diario las Americas, “Exposicion”, Sociales, November 6, 1983
Diario las Americas, “Exposicion de Pinturas”, October 23, 2084 p. 7F,-8D
GeoMundo, “Estrella Triana: Su Arte sobre Madera:, August 1986