All images Copyright Luis Valderas-No image may be reproduced without permission.
Luis Valderas Artist Bio
I create because I want to see further. As a kid, I used to climb the avocado trees and the techo (tin roof) in my backyard—wanted to fly, but mostly just enjoyed the lack of boundary between space and sky—exploring the possibilities of other spaces. Underneath the techo was my mother’s ceramic/flower shop, and it was there that I first learned to create not only with my eyes, but also with my hands, as I helped make wreaths and mold ceramic figurines for Dia de los Muertos and Mother’s/Father’s Day. In so doing, I came to understand that what I was doing held meaning and worth to others as well. As I looked further, for example, while crossing the bridge from McAllen to Reynosa, I didn’t think about flying, but I did notice the immense space created by tourists as they avoided the Styrofoam cups in the outstretched hands of women and children. Again, I looked, but my perspective of misery and festivity in laFrontera was aided by my father’s cuentos—stories that created spaces of shared experience and still inspire me to share such memories. Most importantly, these early experiences fueled my interest in Mesoamerican mythology. Again, I create because I have always wanted to see further—to collapse borders, to transform and explore the social and cultural ambiguities that need not resolve in either time or space.
My consistent production and exhibition schedule has allowed me to achieve a few key successes. For example, I have works featured in two books; Chicano Art for Our Millennium-2004 and Triumph in Our Communities: Four Decades of Mexican American Art-2005, published by Bilingual Review Press. I founded and organized a nationally recognized annual group exhibit featuring Latino artists (Project: MASA I, II, and III) an exhibit focusing on Chicano identities. My works are included in the permanent collections of Arizona State University, the University of Texas San Antonio, and the Art Museum of South Texas.
My consistent production and exhibition schedule has allowed me to achieve a few key successes. For example, I have works featured in two books; Chicano Art for Our Millennium-2004 and Triumph in Our Communities: Four Decades of Mexican American Art-2005, published by Bilingual Review Press. I founded and organized a nationally recognized annual group exhibit featuring Latino artists (Project: MASA I, II, and III) an exhibit focusing on Chicano identities. My works are included in the permanent collections of Arizona State University, the University of Texas San Antonio, and the Art Museum of South Texas.
Resume
Luis Valderas
354 North Drive
San Antonio, Texas 75201
blog at http://intzalan-luisvalderas.blogspot.com/
Education
BFA Art Education, University of Texas-Pan American—Edinburg, Texas. 1995.
Visual Arts Program, Art Institute of Dallas —Dallas, Texas 89/90.
Solo Exhibitions
2008 Institute of Texan Culture —San Antonio, Texas.
2005 Southwest School of Arts & Crafts —San Antonio, Texas.
Gallista Gallery—San Antonio, Texas.
2002 1906-Gallery —San Antonio, Texas.
University of Texas—Pan American —Edinburg, Texas.
Gallista Gallery —San Antonio, Texas.
1996
to
2003 Public Sculptures on Loan-University of Texas-Pan American—Edinburg, Texas.
1995 University of Texas-Pan American —Edinburg, Texas.
1993 National Gang Peace Conference, McAllen Civic Center —McAllen, Texas.
Selected Group Exhibits
2012 Alamo Stadium Public Installation —San Antonio, Texas.
2011 MexicArte Museum —Austin, Texas.
Texas A&M at Kingsville —Kingsville, Texas
Tempe Center for the Arts—Tempe, Arizona
Gallery M Squared—Houston, Texas
Print Matters--Houston, Texas
OSDE Espacio de Arte/U.S. Embassy—Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2009 HemisFair Park Arch Public Installation —San Antonio, Texas.
2008 Alamo Plaza Public Installation—San Antonio Museum of Art—Centro Cultural Aztlan —San Antonio, Texas.
Centro Cultural Aztlan—San Antonio, Texas.
2007 Center for Mexican American Studies-UT Austin—Austin, Texas.
San Antonio Public Library —San Antonio, Texas.
Phoenix International Sky Port —Phoenix, Arizona
ASU Kerr Cultural Center —Phoenix, Arizona
UTSA-Downtown Gallery —San Antonio, Texas.
2006 Gallista Gallery —San Antonio, Texas.
Medellin Museum of Contemporary Art —Medellin, Columbia.
University of Texas-Brownsville-Richardson Gallery —Brownsville, Texas.
2005 Arizona State University-Gammage Auditorium —Phoenix, Arizona.
Blue Star Contemporary Arts Center —San Antonio, Texas.
St. Edwards University Ragsdale Center —Austin, Texas.
The Ice House Cultural Center —Dallas, Texas.
UT- Austin, Center for Mexican American Studies —Austin, Texas.
Mesa Southwest Museum —Phoenix, Arizona.
2003 Mexic-Arte Museum —Austin, Texas.
The Women's Museum-State Fair of Texas —Dallas, Texas.
Latino Cultural Art Center —Dallas, Texas.
International Museum of Arts & Science —McAllen, Texas.
Honors or Awards
2011 Peter S. Reed Foundation NYC-Artist Grant Recipient
2008 National Association of Latino Arts and Culture Leadership Conference
2008 Creative Capitol/San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs Workshop
2007 National Association of Latino Arts and Culture-Individual Artist Grant
Public Collections
University of Texas-San Antonio --San Antonio, Texas
Arizona State University --Tempe, Arizona
International Museum of Art and Science --McAllen. Texas
Mexic-Arte Museum —Austin, Texas
Art Museum of South Texas —Corpus Christi, Texas
Insituto For Latino Studies/Notre Dame --Notre Dame, Indiana
The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center--San Antonio, Texas
Publications
Chicano Art for Our Millennium: Collected Works from the Arizona State University Community
--Bilingual Review Press
Triumph of Our Communities: Four Decades of Mexican American Art
--Bilingual Review Press
Latino Cultural Center 2003 Inaugural Juried Exhibition of Dallas-Fort Worth Latino Artists Catalogue
--City of Dallas Publication
Chicano Art Magazine--Project:M.A.S.A. #1
The Poet Magazine--Dia de Los Muertos
Aztlan:A Journal of Chicano Studies vol. 33, issue 1 spring 2008
—UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Press
354 North Drive
San Antonio, Texas 75201
blog at http://intzalan-luisvalderas.blogspot.com/
Education
BFA Art Education, University of Texas-Pan American—Edinburg, Texas. 1995.
Visual Arts Program, Art Institute of Dallas —Dallas, Texas 89/90.
Solo Exhibitions
2008 Institute of Texan Culture —San Antonio, Texas.
2005 Southwest School of Arts & Crafts —San Antonio, Texas.
Gallista Gallery—San Antonio, Texas.
2002 1906-Gallery —San Antonio, Texas.
University of Texas—Pan American —Edinburg, Texas.
Gallista Gallery —San Antonio, Texas.
1996
to
2003 Public Sculptures on Loan-University of Texas-Pan American—Edinburg, Texas.
1995 University of Texas-Pan American —Edinburg, Texas.
1993 National Gang Peace Conference, McAllen Civic Center —McAllen, Texas.
Selected Group Exhibits
2012 Alamo Stadium Public Installation —San Antonio, Texas.
2011 MexicArte Museum —Austin, Texas.
Texas A&M at Kingsville —Kingsville, Texas
Tempe Center for the Arts—Tempe, Arizona
Gallery M Squared—Houston, Texas
Print Matters--Houston, Texas
OSDE Espacio de Arte/U.S. Embassy—Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2009 HemisFair Park Arch Public Installation —San Antonio, Texas.
2008 Alamo Plaza Public Installation—San Antonio Museum of Art—Centro Cultural Aztlan —San Antonio, Texas.
Centro Cultural Aztlan—San Antonio, Texas.
2007 Center for Mexican American Studies-UT Austin—Austin, Texas.
San Antonio Public Library —San Antonio, Texas.
Phoenix International Sky Port —Phoenix, Arizona
ASU Kerr Cultural Center —Phoenix, Arizona
UTSA-Downtown Gallery —San Antonio, Texas.
2006 Gallista Gallery —San Antonio, Texas.
Medellin Museum of Contemporary Art —Medellin, Columbia.
University of Texas-Brownsville-Richardson Gallery —Brownsville, Texas.
2005 Arizona State University-Gammage Auditorium —Phoenix, Arizona.
Blue Star Contemporary Arts Center —San Antonio, Texas.
St. Edwards University Ragsdale Center —Austin, Texas.
The Ice House Cultural Center —Dallas, Texas.
UT- Austin, Center for Mexican American Studies —Austin, Texas.
Mesa Southwest Museum —Phoenix, Arizona.
2003 Mexic-Arte Museum —Austin, Texas.
The Women's Museum-State Fair of Texas —Dallas, Texas.
Latino Cultural Art Center —Dallas, Texas.
International Museum of Arts & Science —McAllen, Texas.
Honors or Awards
2011 Peter S. Reed Foundation NYC-Artist Grant Recipient
2008 National Association of Latino Arts and Culture Leadership Conference
2008 Creative Capitol/San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs Workshop
2007 National Association of Latino Arts and Culture-Individual Artist Grant
Public Collections
University of Texas-San Antonio --San Antonio, Texas
Arizona State University --Tempe, Arizona
International Museum of Art and Science --McAllen. Texas
Mexic-Arte Museum —Austin, Texas
Art Museum of South Texas —Corpus Christi, Texas
Insituto For Latino Studies/Notre Dame --Notre Dame, Indiana
The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center--San Antonio, Texas
Publications
Chicano Art for Our Millennium: Collected Works from the Arizona State University Community
--Bilingual Review Press
Triumph of Our Communities: Four Decades of Mexican American Art
--Bilingual Review Press
Latino Cultural Center 2003 Inaugural Juried Exhibition of Dallas-Fort Worth Latino Artists Catalogue
--City of Dallas Publication
Chicano Art Magazine--Project:M.A.S.A. #1
The Poet Magazine--Dia de Los Muertos
Aztlan:A Journal of Chicano Studies vol. 33, issue 1 spring 2008
—UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Press