Nací de Pie honors artistic legacy of Charles Brouns Jr.

SAN NICOLAS — Art Rap Foundation, in collaboration with Charlie’s Bar, will present Nací de Pie, a retrospective exhibition dedicated to the life and work of Aruban artist Charles Brouns Jr. (1941–2004).

Curated by Nelson Gonzalez, the exhibition opens Friday, September 18, 2026, at 7:00 PM at Art Rap Foundation, across from Charlie’s Bar.

Born in Aruba in 1941, Brouns painted throughout his life. After studying and working in Europe, Puerto Rico and Colombia, he returned to San Nicolas in the mid-1970s, where he transformed Charlie’s Bar into an evolving artistic environment filled with paintings, murals, portraits and objects carrying stories from visitors around the world.

His creative work extended beyond the bar through handmade signs, maps, environmental and community campaigns, and the installation of the Mariners’ Anchor in 1985.

The exhibition presents Brouns not only as a painter and businessman, but as a creative figure who combined art, hospitality, public space, memory and community participation.

Nací de Pie is part of the Let’s Brag About San Nicolas series, celebrating people and cultural initiatives that helped shape the identity of the community.

Admission is free.