THE AMERICAN LEGACY

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THE AMERICAN LEGACY
Featuring the Public Premiere of Rockefeller Flag
New Works by American Artist Mateo Blanco

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, The Casements—the historic residence where John D. Rockefeller spent the final years of his life—will present The American Legacy, a new exhibition by American artist Mateo Blanco, whose works are held in the permanent collections of museums across the United States.

Exploring history, material, memory, and the ideas that continue to shape the American experience, the exhibition centers on the public premiere of Rockefeller Flag, a new oil-on-canvas painting created exclusively for this presentation and unveiled for the first time at The Casements.

Rather than portraying Rockefeller himself, Rockefeller Flag examines the relationship between material and history. Executed entirely in black oil paint, the work draws its conceptual foundation from petroleum—the natural resource that transformed American industry and helped redefine the modern world. By returning petroleum to the language of oil painting, Blanco establishes a dialogue between one of America’s defining industrial achievements and one of the oldest traditions in Western art.

Within a single work, industrial history and artistic tradition unexpectedly converge.

Installed in the residence where Rockefeller spent his final years, Rockefeller Flag establishes a dialogue between place and memory, inviting viewers to reflect not only on one of America’s most influential historical figures, but also on broader questions of vision, innovation, stewardship, and the legacies each generation leaves behind.

“For many people, The Casements represents the final chapter of John D. Rockefeller’s life,” says Blanco. “For me, it represents the beginning of another conversation—one about legacy. Every generation inherits ideas, opportunities, and responsibilities created by those who came before. What ultimately defines us is what we choose to build with that inheritance.”

The exhibition also includes paintings previously exhibited at The Butler Institute of American Art, together with a selection of photographs celebrating the landscapes, people, and cultural narratives that have shaped the United States across generations.

Bringing together painting and photography, The American Legacy offers a significant survey of Blanco’s recent work and reflects on the American experience during the nation’s Semiquincentennial.

About Mateo Blanco

American artist Mateo Blanco has developed a multidisciplinary practice centered on material transformation, cultural memory, and the evolving narrative of American identity. Working across painting, photography, sculpture, and mixed media, he investigates how ordinary materials become powerful symbols of history, belonging, and collective memory.

Blanco’s work has been presented by museums and cultural institutions throughout the United States, including The Butler Institute of American Art, the Orlando Museum of Art, the Boca Raton Museum of Art, the Museum of Art – DeLand, the Armory Art Center, the Cornell Art Museum, and the Brick Store Museum.

His works are held in the permanent collections of museums across the United States.

Blanco is represented by Rosenbaum Contemporary, with gallery locations in Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and Hollywood, Florida.

Presented during the United States Semiquincentennial, The American Legacy invites audiences to reflect on the enduring relationship between history, industry, art, and national memory, while considering how creativity, vision, and craftsmanship continue to shape the American story.