Silvia Inés Gonzalez
We are pleased to introduce Silvia Inés Gonzalez, a multi-disciplinary artist and educator based in Chicago. We are currently exhibiting four images in the Community Art Collection from her Mexico Series, which are bold, colorful digital collages she constructed from her documentation when traveling in Mexico. Silvia intentionally isolates moments in an image by introducing color and graphic marks in a complementary palette. Inspiring color play, architecture, rich textures, natural beauty, and brief memories found in Mexico are celebrated and honored throughout this body of work.
“Myth and memory are a precarious and precious site of storytelling. The two are a tongue and a bridge to the formation of my identity.”
In addition to her photography practice, Silvia has curated and facilitated intentional dialogues in workshops, salons, and collaborations to address structures of power, imagination, play, confinement, and freedom. Her engagement with the community also manifests in her curatorial practice; she sparks timely conversations through exhibitions while lifting artists’ work.
She recently co-curated Seeding Ceremony, which is on view at the Chicago Art Department until September 16, 2023, which touches on the escalating climate crisis in conjunction with the global pandemic. She approaches these topics with care while inviting viewers to participate in a meaningful reflection which I invite you to participate in: What healing do we wish to mirror between our bodies, neighbors, neighborhoods, and larger collective? What seeds can we offer back as a commitment to healing our tender terrains?
Silvia holds a degree in Photography and Art Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and also has a masters from The School of the Art Institute. Her work has been exhibited at the National Museum of Mexican Art, Woman Made Gallery, Hyde Park Art Center, and ACRE, to name a few.
Artist Q&A
A conversation between Michelle Ruiz and Silvia Inés Gonzalez
Michelle Ruiz: Tell us briefly about your background and what led you to the arts.
Silvia Inés Gonzalez: I started drawing at an early age. My mother took note of this and was very supportive. When I was young, I started attending Marwen and got very involved with their programming, including their youth board, Art at Work Program, and College and Career trips. Through Art at Work, I was paired to work at the Lincoln Park Conservatory’s Education Department and the Chicago Children’s Museum. I’ll never forget that the first piece I ever sold was a photograph and that the person who bought it was a gallerist. I felt so supported and seen--I have a deep gratitude for those moments and for the folks I met at Marwen. Those experiences led me to believe in the power of using art to educate and inspire. I met mentors and life-long friends from my experiences at Marwen and realized I wanted to support others in my own career. I decided to go to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and graduated with two degrees: Art Education and Photography. I later attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and got a master's in Art Education.
MR: What projects or bodies of work are you currently excited about or working on?
SG: I currently have three exciting projects on the docket. The first is a workshop titled, Ecologies of Abundance on July 22nd in conjunction with the Chicago Art Department’s Contra Corriente Festival 2023. The workshop will take place at Caracol Gathering Space in the Burnham Corridor and will include a flora and fauna tour led by Ted Gross. After reflecting on themes of abundance as a collective, we will create mixed media zines inspired by the experience. The second project is a piece titled, Chocaya | Llorar/Gritar Weep/Cry Out, which will form part of this year’s Day Of the Dead exhibit at the National Museum of Mexican Art. I will share a piece reflecting on the impact of femicides while offering a portal toward remembrance, refuge, and care. Lastly, I am this year’s Program Curator for the Center Program at Hyde Park Art Center. Center Program artists participate in 20 total seminars, of which artists are required to be present for at least 75% (15 seminars). Program seminars center around artist presentations to peers and professionals. Spring Seminars run from Feb 27th to June 5, 2023, while Fall Seminars run from Sept 18th to November 20th, 2023 (program breaks for the summer). The Center Program's final exhibition will span three galleries/entire first floor of our building and run from December 9th, 2023, to March 19th, 2024. Stay tuned for the show title and press release!
MR: Congratulations on co-curating Seeding Ceremony at the Chicago Art Department in Pilsen. It is an important exhibit and larger conversation as it touches on the current climate crises in tandem with the global pandemic. Can you share who is included in this show, and is there a work of art you would like to highlight?
SG: Seeding Ceremony includes artists ebere agwuncha, Carlos Flores, Abena Motaboli, Vanessa A. Sanchez of the Chicago ACT Collective, Jassiel Serna, Fabrizzio Subia, and Kushal Vora. These seven artists amplify the connectedness of the current climate crisis in the time of a global pandemic through their artistic practices, radical learning approaches, and care. We have artists that come from community/organizing praxis, like Vanessa from the Chicago ACT collective, raising awareness of the effects of toxic levels of lead found in many public parks, schools, and homes in Chicago. Each artist in the show offers a rich perspective into the show--taking us through various personal experiences and responses to critical environmental issues. Walking through the show provides a view of the harsh realities of living in areas of polluted air in heavily industrialized corridors of the South side of Chicago, which are populated by a majority of Black and Brown working-class folks. At the same time, it points us back to our source of reciprocal relationship to nature: hands holding flowers, vessels pouring light and growing plants, and naturally, dyed fabric hung next to a poetic offering. Seeding Ceremony creates a space for mourning and remembrance, as much as our hope-filled vision for the future. It asks us to consider the following questions: What healing do we wish to mirror between our bodies, neighbors, neighborhoods, and larger collective? What seeds can we offer back as a commitment to healing our tender terrains?
For more information & to visit: https://chicagoartdepartment.org/seeding-ceremony-july-7-september-16/
MR: Are there any mentors or favorite artists that have inspired your work?
SG: Maria Gaspar, The Chicago ACT Collective (of which I am also a member), the On Mending cohort, Elsa Muñoz, Krista Franklin, Monica Trinidad, Molly Costello, Damon Locks--Chicago just has so many incredible people doing critical work at the intersections of identity, community, justice, and art. I am so blessed to be surrounded by relationships that nurture my growth, thought process, and expand my visual language so powerfully and poetically.
MR: In addition to the Seeding Ceremony exhibition at the Chicago Art Department, are there other events you are part of that we should bookmark?
SG: I am the Program Curator for this year’s Center Program at Hyde Park Art Center. “The Center Program is the Art Center’s answer to critical gaps in traditional professional development programs, allowing working artists access to space to develop studio practice, inclusion in critical dialogues, guidance from professionals in the field, and a platform to show new works to a broader, diverse audience.” It includes a cohort of 19 artists. The Center Program's final exhibition will span three galleries/entire first floor of our building and run from December 9th, 2023, to March 19th, 2024. I hope people come to see the opening! We have an incredible lineup of artists! https://www.hydeparkart.org/get-involved/artist-opportunities/center-program/