About the Artist

Artist Statement:

 
I am a portrait artist who works with oil on canvas. My work is meant to reflect the timeless and diverse traditions held by each subject's heritage. I endeavor to reveal the external realism of my subjects' true emotional, selves.

 
Preservation through artistic expression. My inspiration comes from my own experience as a New Mexican and Native American. I was born in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and moved to Santa Fe in 1979. In 1993 I embraced the painter within and have painted every day since.

 
Artist Bio:

 
Originally self-taught, Rita Valdez, became interested in atelier style and chose to study with several Santa Fe artists including Lyndall Bass, Tony Rider, and Michael McGuire.

Rita has been showing her portraits in galleries and exhibitions for the past 33 years. For nearly a decade, she participated in the Contemporary Hispanic Market on the Santa Fe Plaza. In 2002 and 2009, she won awards in painting at the Annual Northern New Mexico Cultural Art Celebration in Taos, NM. Rita participated in the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation's "Maravilla Gala" fundraiser with Master of Ceremonies, Cheech Marin.

Rita Valdez is a descendant of the early Tlaxcalan people who settled on the Baria de Analco which they coined as "the other side of the river" - or what is now known as Santa Fe's historic, Canyon Road. Her diverse legacy moves her to capture and reveal the intimate and unique stories behind each portrait that she brings to life.

 
For more information about this artist:

 Artist Contact: [email protected]

 Instagram: rvaldez.art