What we're up to

NOVEMBER – Studio Visit with Vanessa Alvarado – Albuquerque

Visit to Vanessa Alvarado’s Studio

Vanessa Alvarado has had a career in the arts for 21 years, creating public art in the form of tile mosaic murals with ALMA, a non-profit she co-founded in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 2011, she received her BFA in Studio Art: Painting at the University of New Mexico. She was born, raised, and lives in the South Valley of Albuquerque. In addition to working for ALMA, she also works as a full-time art and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) high school teacher and has her own ceramic earrings business, i.m.perfect_art. She was also the Art Director for the South Valley Marigold Parade for four years. Her first love was painting, and she is now allowing herself to indulge in it again. She believes that art is the perfect vehicle for teaching, uniting, and healing. Healing is a personal focus in her oil paintings because she believes that if we cannot heal ourselves, how can we ever hope to help heal others.

From Vanessa: “For as long as I can remember, I have struggled with my weight. Being Mexican-American, I have felt like I was part of two cultures that held a certain canon of ideal expectations for the female form, none of which I fit into. Like so many people, I have experienced sizeist bigotry and unwarranted comments on my body, and have felt like my body is against me in many ways. I have felt powerless and trapped in my own skin. I feel like I am shedding that skin and coming into a skin that is full of power and confidence. Some people find my work shocking or uncomfortable to look at, but I like this reaction because it gives them a taste of the discomfort I have felt in my own body, my entire life. My paintings are my attempt at moving into a place of self-compassion, love, and appreciation, all of which I hope for my viewers. Embrace the beauty in the imperfections. I am essentially trying to transfer my great love of oil painting into a part of my life that I was never able to love: my body.”

Vanessa shows at Lapis Room. Her recent exhibits include the El Paso Biennial 2026-2027, El Paso Museum of Art, and El Museo de Arte Cuidad Juarez.

WEBSITE: vanessalynnalvarado.com | almatile.org

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DECEMBER – CAS Holiday Party at EXHIBIT/208 – Albuquerque

CAS Holiday Party

It’s time to jingle, mingle, and be merry! CAS invites members to a holiday party at EXHIBIT/208 and catered by Slate Street. Please join us in celebrating CAS and the holiday season!

WEBSITE: exhibit208.com

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