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 The Latest News
Name Dropping Event 2010: All of the paintings José Antonio turned 80 on December 26th
At Christmas our children and grandchildren joined us in Sitges to celebrate José Antonio's birthday. On June 5th, there was a wonderful surprise event hosted by the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Please support Mental Health Intiatives in Nova Scotia: For those of you who live in Nova Scotia, we would like to invite you to view the One-in-Five website (www.oneinfive.ca) and to support the initiatives of a number of agencies in Nova Scotia who are working together in an attempt to lobby the govenment to do more in this province for the mentally ill. As parents of a mentally ill son we know that this is a real need in this province. This segment of the population is practically ignored. Few get the help they really need. There is no cost for you to go online and sign a petition. You can also contribute by sending a letter to your MLA, the premier and the Minister of Health. It is time that society stops looking the other way and begins to truly help the mentally ill. The problem is most people are silent.
The house is still for sale and we have reduced the price: After much soul searching we have decided to sell our beloved home in Sitges. I don't think there could be a more perfect house for an artist or an art-lover. This tiny four-storey converted fisherman's house is a little jewel. We are selling it fully furnished and equipped. In the heart of the old Sitges, La Clau, as the house is named, has been very dear to our hearts. Unfortunately as we are both getting older and frailer the four flights of stairs, which up until now have served as our own personal step class, are now getting a bit too much for us oldies. This has been a very difficult decision for José and I to make. If you, or someone you know might be interested in what will no doubt be a very sought after property, do get in touch with us by e-mail, or telephone (34) 93-894-8468. We'd be happy to show you around Sitges and put you in contact with our lawyers should this Spanish hideaway be something you would love to own. (Photographs can be supplied upon request.)
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needing names have now been named. The judges had a difficult time with so many really great entries:
and what a lot of parties we have had to celebrate this milestone event. It began with an "it's almost-José's-birthday" event in July at Jon Dimick's house 
in Chester. What a wonderful venue, surrounded by so many of José Antonio's beautiful paintings in Jon's home.
It was kind of nice to be able to sit outdoors for lunch on December 26th for a change, in Sitges' beautiful yacht club, although as you can see by the family photo, some days were a little chillier than normal and necessitated scarves.
to celebrate José Antonio's 80th year and his contribution 
to the vibrant art community of the province of Nova Scotia. A small showing of José Antonio's artwork was on display for the event and a fund has been established by the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia: the JOSÉ ANTONIO VALVERDE-ALCALDE NEW ACQUISITIONS FUND which will be used to purchase the work of emerging artists across Canada. Many thanks to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Board and staff members, for honouring José Antonio in this way. And thank you too to those of you who loaned your paintings for the evening and for your generous support for this kind tribute. 
Many clients have asked for this and now we have done it! We are delighted to let you know that there is a new edition of Blandford Bell. People kept asking for an image that would fit over a chest of drawers, or over a mantlepiece with not a lot of height. The wrong reason of course, as far as an artist is concerned, but several clients specifically asked for this special size with the Blandford Bell image, so eventually I was able to persuade José to do so. We have done this on paper. The image itself is 25" X 14" and the framed size is 35" X 24". It is framed under glass with an off white mat and a mid-blue frame, and yes it will fit perfectly over a chest of drawers. 
We are delighted that José's print of The Canadian Consulate, Plaza de Cataluña, Barcelona now hangs in the Canadian Consulate in Barcelona. We currently have this framed with a silverish frame. It looks spectacular.