He was one of the founding members of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Carlos in 1784, where he served as a professor and participated in activities there until his death. Most of his works were on religious themes, paintings for churches, or portraits of notable people. He was known to be active in all the cultural affairs of the city.
Despite his success as a teacher, the creation of the Academy assured the arrival of painters trained in Spain, such as Ginés Andrés de Aguirre [es] and Cosme de Acuña [es], who would have a profound effect on the local styles.
Robin, Alena: "La Pasión de Cristo según José de Alcíbar (Museo de Arte Sacro, Chihuahua, México)", Via Spiritus, Revista de História da Espiritualidade e do Sentimento Religioso, 17, 2010, pgs. 197-228.