2018 Year in Review
ARTIST As I look back over 2018 I am shocked at the many opportunities I have been blessed with this year. It started with Texas Size Breach in Austin, TX at the Elisabet Ney Museum for our first public dance print. I got to have two shows with two of my favorite people; "Om" at Dock Space Gallery, curated by Bill FitzGibbons, with Luis Valderas and "Code Red:This Is Not A Drill" with Jessica Garcia at Rubio South Gallery. I participated in the "Common Currents" Tricentennial Celebration at Southwest School of Art, my piece even got featured on the Urban 15 podcast. Luis and I showed in our first "On and Off Fred" at the amazing home of artist Cody Vance in March. In the summer I started my new "Pretty Pictures" series which I showed the first piece in the "Color of Blind" group exhibition at the SA Library curated by Trina Bacon in May. "Pretty Pictures" will be shown at my solo at Freight Gallery in April 2019. In August I had the chance to show two more of my "Pretty Pictures" series in the "Over 40" exhibition at Brick, curated by Sarah Fisch and in the Inspire exhibition, curated by Lynn Maverick Denzer. Amanda Poplawsky at A.P. Art Lab allowed me to try out my new "Art History" performance series at her space in October, "Art History 2.018: Resistance". I've never been much of a performance artist but this was really fun. Meanwhile I am proud that I gained three new collectors this year, one of which is the San Antonio Public Library.
EDUCATOR All of these art opportunities were happening at the same time that I was gigging as an arts educator. Mary Cantu, Director of Spare Parts, helped me to transition from public school teacher to public artist by hiring me as lead artist on the PASA "Time Capsules" project at the corner of Blanco and Dresden in SATX. I am currently working as a Spare Parts Educator and leading a Spare Parts Club after school at the BiblioTech East with my good friend Juan Flores. In addition I have had the great opportunity to be an adjunct at Southwest School of Art teaching community drawing classes for my sixth year! In 2018 I also got to teach in my first summer art camp at SWSOA which was really fun. SWSOA also brought us our first studio intern, Anthony Garnica, from their BFA program.
2018 also introduced me to a new community of artists through the New York Foundation for the Arts Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program. A huge "Thank you" to the Blue Star Contemporary for nominating me to be mentor. We wrote the proposal and are now looking forward to our exhibition at the Centro de Artes in June of 2019. I am also looking forward to the second round of the program. I have already met with my new mentee, artist Caroline Royal, and am excited about getting to know her better.
MOM As John Lennon said "Life is what happens when you're making other plans." Through out the entire year my family has been celebrating some important mile stones. My youngest son arrived home safely from his second deployment and his first daughter was born just a couple of months later. I got to spend time with my older son and his wonderful family all the while being extraordinary lucky to live just two blocks from my Mom.
ME In 2018, I made new friends, found lost friends and met new family. I have had a world of opportunity given to me that I am so very thankful for. All in all, and despite the tension of world politics, it's been a very good year!! Oh! AND I got to see my favorite art work and meet one of my favorite artists...thank you McNay Art Museum.
