Francisco Miccio 1939-2026

Francisco Miccio was born on August 24, 1939, in Montevideo, Uruguay. As a young man in Montevideo, Francisco pursued a technical education at the Escuela de Enseñanza Industrial. After graduation, he began his career as a marine drafter at the Port of Montevideo, continuing a family tradition established by his father, Romeo, a port clerk, and his grandfather Francisco, who worked as a marine salvor and tug owner.

His passion for art emerged early. While working, he studied drawing, painting, and sculpture at the Instituto Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes in Montevideo and further refined his craft through a private apprenticeship with renowned Spanish artist and master carver Javier Nieva.

In his early twenties, Francisco embarked on an extraordinary journey that took him from Argentina through South and Central America before arriving in the United States. During his year-long travels, he supported himself as a working artist, mastering ceramic techniques in Peru and Colombia while exhibiting his work in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia.

After settling in New York City, Francisco worked at Sculpture House Casting before becoming a member of the Spanish American Painters & Sculptors, Inc., exhibiting alongside fellow artists at prestigious venues including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum between 1970 and 1975. He later enjoyed a long and successful career as a cosmetics display model maker, first with Daumann Displays in New York City and ultimately retiring from Display Producers.

Throughout his life, Francisco remained dedicated to his artistic calling. He created commissioned works for churches and private collectors, taught art both in the United States and abroad, and exhibited his work internationally. His preferred medium was direct carving, transforming wood and stone using only chisels and gouges. His legacy lives on through works that grace several churches in upstate New York, including a baptismal font in Stamford, angel candelabras in Worcester, and a sculpture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Cooperstown.