Artist in Residence at VCFA Summer 2024

VCFA Summer 2024 in Colorado Spring



I had the incredible honor of being the Artist in Residence for the MFA Visual Arts Program at VCFA’s 2024 Summer Residency in Colorado Spring! I was beyond thrilled to share this fantastic experience with my vibrant community of artists and colleagues!

I gave an artist talk and student art critiques, created an artwork, and invited the students and faculty to participate.

During my residency, I worked on a project inspired by VCFA's recent transitions. These included announcing the sale of the buildings in Vermont, relocating residencies to Colorado and Pennsylvania, and partnering with CalArts in California.
As an alumni who loves VCFA and understands how these changes have impacted many individuals, the piñata project aimed to provide a break from the negative news, stress, and anxiety brought on by these changes and encourage a more optimistic outlook for VCFA's future.

I made the piñata shaped like VCFA’s VT main building using a wire from Vermont. I also used a newspaper from Colorado to shape the piñata as a reminder of its last residency before going to California. The wrapping paper was made from copies of all the news articles I could find about VCFA’s transmission. The candies inside were Lifesavers wrapped with the CalArts logo.

The first person to hit the piñata was one of the Visual Arts Program’s Co-Chair. The second person was the VA Program’s Director, followed by the graduate students, some of the last to attend VCFA in Vermont. Then, students from different semesters, including one who had just started the program, took turns. It was important to me that even those less familiar with VCFA’s transition took part because it also affects their future.

In the Search of Hidden Things, Contemporary Art From Central America

I'm thrilled to announce that I will be participating in the exhibition In the Search of Hidden Things, Contemporary Art From Central America.


In the Search of Hidden Things, Contemporary Art From Central America
July 5th to July 28th, 2024


Mansion #18, Nolan Park
Governors Island, NY

Participating Artists: Alejandro de la Guerra, Blanca Niño, Camila Borrero, Cesar T. Chox, Edwin Soriano, Ivanna Yujimets Hernández, John Paul Fauves, Lucia Madriz, Nadia Martínez, Patricia Belli, Rafael Gonzalez, Regina José Galindo, Sofía Verzbolovskis, Victor Cruz & Hugo Portillo.

Associate Curator: Alexander Wtges

Nadia Martinez, Between the Lines, 2019

Tridimensional, Galería D’Museo, Venezuela

I'm pleased to announce that I will be participating in the exhibition Tridimensional at Galería D'Museo in Caracas, Venezuela. I first exhibited Fuente de la Juventud at XVI Salón SuperCable Jóvenes con FIA in Caracas, Venezuela, in 2013. 

Tridimensional
March 2 - April 21, 2024

Opening reception: March 2nd, 2024

Galería D’Museo
Centro de Artes los Galpones (G2)
Transversal 8 con Av. Ávila, Los Chorros
Caracas, Venezuela


Participating Artists: Alberto Asprino · Samuel Baroni · Pedro Barreto · Gilberto Bejarano · Ricardo Cárdenas · Jesús Caviglia · Isabel Cisneros · Manuel de la Fuente · Luis Toto García · Giorgio Gori · Óscar Machado · Ángel Marcano · Noemí Márquez · Francisco Martínez · Nadia Martínez · Pedro Morales · Gabriel Morera · Saz Oner · Aureliano Parra · Francisco Pereira · Héctor Poleo · Carlos Prada · Reymond Romero · Iván Rojas · Marcos Salazar Delfino · Efraín Ugueto · Hugo Zapata · Cornelis Zitman

Fuente de la Juventud, PVC, resistors and wire

If You're ___ & You Know It" at The Norwalk Art Space

If You’re ____ & You Know It: Identifying Emotions at The Norwalk Art Space

June 16th - September 7th, 2023

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Curated by Kor
ry Fellow Isabella Montenegro and featuring artists June Ahrens, Melissa Benedek, Casey Correra, Kasimir Comunale, Chelsea Danburg, Erin Dolan, Britt Garth, Brett Masterson, Nadia Martinez, Russell Miyaki, Chris Sainato, Sharon Smalls, Brea Thomas-Young, Kelly Walters 

 

If we don’t tell people how we feel, how will they know? Communication is key. There are five types of communication: verbal, non-verbal, written, listening, and visual. All of which you can experience through this exhibition. As you wander the exhibition, you may question pieces and their meaning. However, take the time to be open-minded and accept that the first thing you see, hear, watch, etc., is an experience that is a more personal feeling or emotion for your own self. Understanding that there is no right or wrong answer in art is powerful, and using this practice to openly and freely communicate complex emotions could create the key to unlocking a more compassionate and open-minded society.

 

If You’re ____ & You Know It: Identifying Emotions is a group exhibition with artwork examining the concepts of feelings and emotion through art; not just through paintings but also through music, creative writing, dance, poetry, etc. The contributing artists were asked to consider the following theme: "Identifying Emotions''. The artist's responses will be presented in The Norwalk Art Space in an effort to show how they have used their practice to communicate their feelings and emotions through art. During the exhibition artists' work will be sold, if they so choose, with thirty percent of the proceeds donated to The Norwalk Art Space in support of its mission.

 

The Norwalk Art Space strives to increase opportunities and equity in the local arts community by offering free art and music education and mentorship to under-served students, sponsoring and promoting local artists through its Resident Artist program and Korry Fellow exhibitions, and providing the public an exciting venue to explore art and music, all free.

Fragmented Memory (The Impact), 2023 and Untitled (Fragmented Memories), 2021

The artist talks with Isabella Montenegro, Korry Fellow and Curator of the exhibition If  You're ___ & You Know It at The Norwalk Art Space.
Isabella will lead a discussion with 8 incredible artists from the exhibition, so don't miss this opportunity to gain insight into their creative processes, inspirations, and the stories behind their thought-provoking artworks. It's a chance to dive deep into the minds of these talented individuals who have contributed their unique perspectives to the exhibition.


Date: August 6th, 2023
Time: 3-4:30 PM
Location: The Norwalk Art Space, 455 West Ave, Norwalk, CT 06850

Featured artists:
June Ahrens
Kasimir Comunale
Casey Correra
Britt Garth
Nadia Martinez
Sharon Smalls
Brea Thomas-Young

Kelly Walters

In Light Of, three-person exhibition, Crown Gallery

In Light Of 

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Bridgeport, CT — The Crown Gallery, nestled within the historic walls of the Metro Arts Studio, has unveiled an extraordinary exhibition that transcends the ordinary. “In Light Of” invites visitors to explore the interplay between light and dark, textures and materials—a captivating dance that weaves themes of perception, environment, connection, and separation.

As you step into the gallery, the air hums with anticipation. The space itself seems to breathe—a symphony of old and new, where the echoes of the past harmonize with contemporary expression. The Crown Corset factory building, now beautifully renovated, cradles this artistic haven on its ground floor.

The exhibition features sculptures, installations, and prints, each a universe unto itself created by Tamara Dimitri, Nadia Martinez, and Debbie Smith—the trio of participating artists—The serenity of the surface belies the depths beneath. As light dances across these works, it reveals hidden currents—an invitation to plunge into the artist’s psyche. Their shared language transcends mere materials; it speaks of resilience, longing, and the human need for connection.

“In Light Of” is more than an exhibition; it’s an odyssey. As you move through the gallery, allow your senses to merge with the play of light and shadow. Let the whispers of history and the pulse of the present guide you. Perhaps, just perhaps, you’ll find yourself between worlds—where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, and the darkness holds its own luminescence.

My sculptural installations and prints featured are: "Between the Lines," "Finding Beauty in the Cracks," "Say It Loud but With Love," and "Touched by a Thousand Hands."

These pieces confidently celebrate resilience with boldness and tenderness. The resistors symbolize strength, while the crystals refract light, echoing hope. The imperfections, the cracks, reveal hidden beauty. Just as orange peels bear scars, our own vulnerabilities can be sources of strength, and the 24K gold adds value while highlighting the break. Each resistor represents a touch, a connection. When combined, they form a powerful network, a testament to our shared humanity. The fabric absorbs ink, preserving fleeting thoughts and unspoken stories.

Nadia Martinez, Exhibition In Light Of, Crown Gallery at Metro Art Studio

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Exhibition Details:

• Title: In Light Of
• Dates: March 26 to May 6, 2023
• Location: Crown Gallery @ Metro Arts Studio, Bridgeport, CT

Join us in this luminous exploration. The gallery doors await, and within them, a thousand stories unfold.

Crown Gallery 345 Railroad Ave, Bridgeport, CT, 06604 Gallery Hours: Thursday through Saturday, 12 to 4 PM (and by appointment)

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Faculty Exhibition 2022, NYSA

The Faculty Exhibition 2022 - 2023 at the New York School of the Arts showcased the diverse talents of faculty members. It was a vibrant celebration of creativity, innovation, and artistic vision.

My artwork is a three-piece installation titled Ways of Seeing, 2021, 2022, highlighting various mediums, including drawing, sculpture, and photography.

The installation explores the concept of perception, inviting viewers to engage with art in new and thought-provoking ways. The title suggests multiple layers of interpretation regarding how we perceive the world. The photograph collage comprises hundreds of detailed photographs of the sculpture, and the drawing depicts the sculpture. Each piece shows a different state of the sugar sculpture as it transforms over time.

Faculty Exhibition 

on view September - November 2022

New York School of the Arts, 315 E 62nd Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10065. www.newyorkschoolofthearts.org 

Solo Exhibition PROMISE OF SWEETNESS

Solo Exhibition

PROMISE OF SWEETNESS

May 14 to June 12, 2022

Stamford Art Association
39 Franklin Street, Stamford, CT 06901
stamfordartassociation.org

Nadia Martinez's skill at controlling materials and transforming them into graceful, delicate forms of expression are refreshing and inspiring. In this body of work, by using sugar as her material, Nadia surrenders control and embraces process as a new aesthetic form, creating the conditions for generosity, contemplation, and discovery.

She questions the idea of "instant gratification." By revisiting a happy memory instead of relying on contemporary narratives of happiness and sweetness that Capitalism has promoted.
Nadia shares a happy memory with the public, and in exchange, she invites the viewer to do the same thing.

"These trying times have had everyone looking for comfort. In my search, I went deep into my childhood memories, back to "La Sierpe," my grandpa's molienda, his artisanal sugarcane mill, and plantation, and found my sweet and happy place—a wonderful space to escape from everything happening around me. In that memory, I found a new meaning for 'sweetness' that went beyond something that could be experienced with one sense. Remembering my family working together to make from scratch something sweet, I realized that the sweetness that I was looking for was found in community, traditions, and laughter. My project, Promise of Sweetness, chronicles the growing of sugarcane from seed to plant in an effort to conjure this happiness." – Nadia Martinez