About the Artist
Growing up in a Mexican Cuban household things like color, music, family and religion were deeply woven into my own life weave. They have become the emotional bonds that run through my art work.
As a mixed media artist I use encaustic wax as my primary medium and often combine it with photography, drawings, found objects, anything from twigs to screen doors. The wax allows me to work in layers encasing fragments of memory as a means of stopping images and words in time. If I am working with clay, it connects me to the earth as I build sculptural vessels or figures and working with discarded metal, gives me the opportunity to repurpose a forgotten item into something new.
My work derives from my own personal questioning wanting to dig deeper into the empathic nature of being. To learn more about the world being about “us” and not “I”. This brings it to a more universal level. The work is narrative. It celebrates life and it answers questions I am deliberating on. I work in series giving myself time to explore deeply each question or theme.
My personal goal is to create meaningful art through which I can engage with the viewer.
Bio/Resume
Born and raised in Mexico City to a Mexican/Cuban family, I came to the United States to study Art & Design at The Art Center of College of Design (LA) and Parsons (NY). Then spent 25 years as a designer/creative director developing images for major brands. This experience has added methodology and diversity of thought to my mixed media work today. My work is conceptual and has been shown in numerous galleries in the US and in Mexico. It is owned by private collectors in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe. My work has been published in the New York Times and many regional Publications.
Selected Solo Exhibits
“Fleeting Moments” 2022, Opuntia, Santa Fe, New Mexico
“Mementos” 2019, Galería Pez Gordo, BCS, Mexico
“Closing Circles” 2016, Galería de Todos Santos, BCS, Mexico
“Wabi Sabi” 2014, Galería de Todos Santos, BCS, Mexico
“Roses of the Desert” 2010, Galería de Todos Santos, BCS, Mexico
“The Greeters” 2009 Casa Montemar, Todos Santos, BCS, Mexico
“The Feminine” 2009 Haviland St. Gallery, Norwalk, CT
“The Feminine” 2009 Galería On-cé, Todos Santos, BCS, Mexico
“Visions” 2009 CaFélix, Todos Santos, BCS, Mexico
“Merging Cultures”, 2008 Mattatuck Museum of Arts and History, Waterbury, CT
Solo Exhibition “Gateways”, Sept. 2007 Silvermine Guild of Art, New Canaan, CT
Solo Exhibition “Shelter”, March 2007 Haviland Street Gallery, Norwalk, CT
Solo Exhibition “Private World”, April 2006 Carl Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon, NY
Solo Exhibition “Short Stories”, October 2005 Haviland Gallery, Norwalk, CT
Two Person Show “Layers” August 2005 Fenn Gallery, Woodbury, CT
“Leaving Our Mark” Solo Exhibition/Artist Gallery Talk, January 2005 Westport Arts Center, Westport, CT Juror: Robbin Zella, Dir. of the Housatonic Museum of Art, CT
Selected Group Exhibits
4 Points of View, August 2011
Carlos Olachea Gallery, La Paz, Mexico
Global, November 2006
Westport Arts Center, Westport CT
Curator Richard Klein (Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art)
Identity, October 2006
City Lights Gallery, Bridgeport, CT
Curator Ben Ortiz
Contemporary Women Artist Exhibition XIII, March 2005
Mad Art Gallery, St. Louis, MO Juror: Judy Chicago
“New Members Show”, January 2005 Silvermine Guild of Art, New Canaan, CT
“The Heart”, January 2005 (WCA Exhibition)
City Lights Gallery, Bridgeport, CT
“Women Power and Politics” October 2004 (WCA Show)
Lyman Center for the Performing Arts, SCSU, New Haven, CT
“Spectra ‘04” Nat. Photography Triennial November 2004 Silvermine Guild of Art, New Canaan, CT Curator: Barbara Hitchcock
Celebrating Hispanic History Month “Spirituality in Latin America”, September 2004 The Small Space Gallery, Arts Council of Greater New Haven
Curators: Debbie Hesse, Manny Rivera.
“Mexico Today and Yesterday” September 2004
Bendheim Gallery at the Greenwich Arts Council, Greenwich, CT
Curators: Benjamin Ortiz, Reyna Henaine and Nan Lvoff
“Featured Artist of the Month” August- Sept. 2004 RiverWinds Gallery, Beacon, NY Curator: Elisa Pritsker
“Earth, Air, Water & Fire”, July-August, 2004 The Great Hall Gallery” Westport, CT
Curator: Gloria Santoyo Ruenitz
“Known & Unknown” June, 2004 Betty Barker Gallery, Waveny Park, New Canaan, CT Curator: Cecelia Barnett Artist Gallery Talk
“6 x 6” June, 2004 (WCA exhibit) ArtSpace, New Haven, CT
Women’s History Month March 2004 Benefit for “Equality Now”, Locus Media Gallery, New York, NY Curator: Marcia G. Yerman
“Winners Circle” March 2004 Ridgefield Guild of Artists, Ridgefield, CT
Curator: Debra Browne
“24th Annual Photography Exhibition” February 2, 2004
The New Canaan Society for the Arts (Betty Barker Gallery) New Canaan, CT
Juror: Charles Hagen
“Coming Together: Women Telling their Stories” January. 2004
Innovation Center, Bridgeport, CT
Curator:Robin Gilmore Jopp
Women, War & Peace, Lyman Center for the Performing Arts, Southern CT University
Panel speaker and art exhibitor, Oct. 2003
Ridgefield Guild juried Show, Oct. 2003 Ridgefield, CT Award of excellence
Juror: Lisa Streitfeld
Women's Work Exhibit (WCA-CT Exhibit), August 2003
The Ridgefield Guild of Artists, Ridgefield, CT Artist Gallery Talk 8/31.
Curator: Debra Browne and Jackie Flatow
The Big Show, June 2003 Westport Arts Center, Westport, CT
Juror: Adam Weinberg (formerly a curator at the Whitney, NYC)
"Objects & Images", May 2003 White Silo Farm, Sherman, CT (WCA Exhibit)
"Found Object Art", April 2003 Guilford HandCraft Center, Guilford, CT
Curator: Arthur Burke and Arthur Guagliumi
"The Common Thread", January 2003 Westport Arts Center, Westport, CT
Curator: Rhonda Brown and Tom Grotta
."Viewpoints", November 2002 Award Northern Westchester Center of the Arts, Mt. Kisko, NY Curator: Susan Cross (Associate Curator/The Guggenheim Museum)
"Hispanic Heritage Month", November 2002 Citibank/Greenburgh Branch, White Pl. NY Curator: Simone Dewey
"Celebrating Latin Culture & Diversity", October 2002 Simone's Gallery, Pelham, NY
Curator: Simone Dewey
"Prints from Within II", February 2002 Connecticut Graphic Arts Center, Norwalk, CT
Curator: Benjamin Ortiz
Snapshot, January 2002 The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art
(organized by the Contemporary Museum in Baltimore)
Associate curator: Jessica Hough
Spectra ’01 Nat. Photography Biennial/Silvermine Guild Arts Center, New Canaan, CT Curator: Marianne Brunson Frisch.
Key Accomplishments
President of the Women Caucus for Art –CT (2004-2006)
Before I became President I spent two years doing as the Public Relations Coordinator for the organization. Through leadership and motivation I have been able to increase our membership by 30 %. This year I started a Coaching Program for the professional development of our members. In the last year I was instrumental in getting a grant from The Commission of Culture and Tourism for the creation of a short film with the goal of creating awareness to the contributions of women in the visual arts. Collaborated many hours with film maker Lisa Seidenberg in the creation of the film, which is now finished. It has gotten a lot of attention from Art Centers and educational institutions, which will allow us to further our goal.
I have found venues, raised the level of opportunities for our organization to exhibit, give lectures and participate in community related events.
With a great belief in documentation I have written several articles for our quarterly newsletter.
Silvermine Guild of Artists: Guild Member, Volunteer, Gallery Committee and Teacher in their out reach programs particularly in schools of diverse backgrounds where some classes are held in Spanish.
Westport Arts Center: Member. Have volunteered as a juror for art competitions.
Ridgefield Guild of Artists: Member. Have given artists talks and volunteered in the gallery. Worked on joint programs with the WCA-CT.
Selected published quotes about her work
Ridgefield Press, Danbury Press 8/28/03 "Women's Work" Stamford Advocate 9/07/03, "Preparing fertile ground in Ridgefield".“Her art expresses a personal vision of the metamorphosis of “Women’s Work”, from outer-directed to motivated from within, which makes her vision the most compelling in the exhibition, By L.P. Streitfeld
Stamford Advocate 1/16/05, "Silvermine welcomes new blood". , By L.P. Streitfeld “Gloria Santoyo Ruenitz, a new female voice that has risen in the region, displays two works that nicely sum up her talent in using unexpected materials from everyday life to elicit erotic connections from her personal autobiography.”
Arts Fairfield County Weekly by Brita Brundage. Westport Art Center’s Solo Exhibitions 1/20/05 “Sometimes an artist is more committed to concept than form, and this is certainly true for Gloria Santoyo Ruenitz and her installation “Leaving Our Mark” which consists of black and white photos of footprints in sand and a box of sand which sits on the ground for visitors to leave their own marks. What strikes a viewer here is how small certain feet are, and how fossil-like the imprints, yet how impermanent…. It’s the sort of art that leaves a lot of questions hovering behind it.
Hersam-Acorn Newspapers, 2/10/05 Feature Article by Susan Shultz. “Footsteps in the Sand… led to a new life for Gloria Santoyo Ruenitz. “Her words are artwork, put together to reveal human understandings that can only take form after years of deep introspection.” “Within frames and shadow boxes, inside sculptures, are the pieces of what make this artist unique”.
• Culture Catch review online 4/11/07 by Dominic Lombardi. . “And Santoyo Ruenitz’s art is so wonderfully simple and symbolic as it represents love, memory, and dreams with a quiet wisdom that is both edgy and comforting.”
Awards
Honorable Mention "Viewpoints", November 2002 Northern Westchester Center of the Arts, Mt. Kisko, NY Curator: Susan Cross (Associate Curator/The Guggenheim Museum)
Award of Excellence – Ridgefield Guild of Art Juried Show by Lisa P. Streitfeld,
Ridgefield, CT. October 2003
Visual Artist Grant from the Commission of Culture and Tourism (2005)
Helen Wurlitzer Foundation Artist Residency, Taos, NM (2008)
Education
Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico, D.F. Graphic Design 1970
Art Center College of Design, Los Angeles, CA. BA/Graphic Design 1974 Parsons School of Design, NY, NY. Textiles, Papermaking and Collage 1985-1990 Silvermine Guild Arts Center, New Canaan, CT. Ceramics/Encaustic. 2000 International Center of Photography, NY, NY. Photography and digital Archival Printing. 2001 Graphic Arts Center, Norwalk, CT Silk screening, paper making, 2000; Indigo printing in Japan 2016..