Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandra Gonzalez.
Hi Sandra, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Tamaulipas, Mexico. I moved to Laredo, Texas in 2000. I am an active muralist in South Texas and an art educator at Roosevelt High School in San Antonio, Texas.
I have participated in numerous art exhibits throughout the United States. In 2013, I received a Master of Fine Arts degree at The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
I have involved the community in most of my large-scale mural projects. It is great to see how people feel empowered by beautifying their neighborhoods. I also have worked with my students in beautifying our school campuses.
In 2014, I decided to return to South Texas where most of my family lives, and I began teaching art at the high school level. I have worked at J.B. Alexander High School in Laredo, Texas, and at West Oso High School in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
In 2016, I created one of the largest murals for the Corpus Christi-Caller Times building. I was very happy to find out that my design was selected for this project, but at the same time, I knew it was going to be challenging because I was a full-time art teacher in Laredo, Texas.
I accepted the challenge, and the result has been one of the most gratifying experiences in my life. It was the first time that the Corpus Christi community was involved in the creation of a large-scale mural. I was able to do most of the underpainting with the community, then I worked on touch-ups during the summertime.
This was possible because I am using a process where I paint on treated fabric panels indoors which are installed when the mural is painted. This technique has proven to withstand the elements over a period of 15-20 years. This Corpus Christi mural experience gave me confidence that it is possible to be a professional full-time muralist and an educator.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My personal paintings reflect a colorful Mexican American culture where I like to include portraits, native plants, and Mexican textiles. If allowed, I love to include these themes in my large-scale murals. However, I think of each mural project separately, I like to consider the surroundings and history of the place/building.
I have involved communities such as student groups, organizations, and the general public in most of my large-scale mural projects.
I learned a lot about engaging with the community when I worked for the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program for over a year, I was able to be an assistant for various large-scale murals, it was a meaningful learning experience because I worked with different groups of people such as inmates, mental health patients, students, and several artists.
My time in Philadelphia was essential in my art career, from obtaining an MFA degree to learning about public art from the most respectable mural arts program in the country.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
I am thankful to all the people that have supported my career as an artist and as an educator. I feel blessed for my parents Jose Angel Gonzalez and Alejandra Gonzalez, my sister Mayra Jischke and my loving niece Kira Jischke.
They are my best support system, my biggest cheerleaders! I also met Malachy McKinney, the love of my life during the creation of my first large-scale mural in Corpus Christi. We remained friends for years and now we share our life and create murals together.
After I completed the mural at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times building, I was asked to teach a Summer Mural Arts Camp for K Space Contemporary Gallery. I used the same technique to create several murals in the downtown area for four consecutive summers.
For each of those projects, I was the leading muralist, each mural required planning based on location, size of the mural, and installation logistics. My summer camp students, assistant instructors, and I were featured on the local and national news for transforming places with public art.
It feels great to have found a team, I am thankful to have worked with these amazing artists on different mural projects: Malachy McKinney, Eugene Soliz, Natasha Perez, Monica Marie Garcia, Neomi Rojas, Mayra Zamora, Eric Payne, Andrea Rivas, Lori Qualls Edwards, Michelle Bower Smythe, Cheryl Redding Votzmeyer, Tony Armadillo, Christina Marie, and Natalia Hinojosa.
Thanks to the multiple large-scale murals where I have involved the community, I was able to develop and maintain connections in different cities. The Art Center of Corpus Christi, K Space Contemporary Art Gallery, Laredo Center for the Arts, and the San Antonio Museum of Art has allowed me to organize community painting events for different projects.
I truly enjoy these events where we invite the public to be part of the mural process, hundreds of people have been part of the mural creation.
Pricing:
- $20-$25 per square foot for mural pricing.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandragonzalezart/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xxsandragonzalezxx/
- Other: https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2021/09/16/san-antonio-teacher-expresses-hispanic-culture-through-colors/
Image Credits
Earl Parr Photography, Corpus Christi, Monica Marie Garcia, Eugene Soliz, Malachy McKinney, Natasha Perez, Eugene Soliz, Gertrude Adair Stewart Photography, Tony G’s Soul Mural, Suzy Gonzalez, and Sandra Gonzalez
