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Studio Work
1. La Madre, La Hija y El Espiritu Buscando 60” x 48”
2. Las Huellas del Tiempo, 24” x 24”
3. Ojos de Luz, 25'” x 36”
4. India Blanca, 24” x 30”
5. Sketch 10” x 10”
6. Warrior, 12” x 12”
7. Reina de Carnaval, 20” x 20”
8. Luz y Viento, 17” x 20”

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Public Art Works
1. Girl Scouts, Where Girls Grow Strong, 2007, 45' x 60'
     Philadelphia, PA
2. Girl Scouts, Where Girls Grow Strong, detail
3. Nuestra Historia, Our History, 2007, 20’ x 45”
     Collabortive Mural, Harlem, NY
4. Life Reflects Nature, 2006 20’ x 150’
     Philadelphia, PA
5. MYX The Art of Community Service- Youth Mural, 2005
     Costa Rica
6. The Doors of Destiny Are in Your Hands, 2004, 25' x 128'
     Philadelphia, PA
7. The Doors of Destiny Are in Your Hands, detail
8. Bridging Communities, Embracing Change, 2004, 30 x 56’
     Allentown, PA
9. Bridging Communities, Embracing Change, detail
10. Rhythms of Progress, 2003, 15’ x 20’
       The Reinvestment Fund, Philadelphia, PA

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Contact Information
e-mail: art@michelleangela.com
www.michelleangela.com
Please contact artist for purchases, commissions, etc.

Artist Statement
My work displays interactions and encounters with myself, those that came before me and those that have contributed to taking me to another level. Those interactions emerge from conversations with a fellow artist, opinions from an inner-city teenager, a vivid dream that my grandmother tells me or even patterns that remind me of my childhood. I display these experiences, not just to tell a story, but to record, document, and present my truth. Overall, I strive to present stories that reflect on the past and give us insight on why things are the way that they are now. I create to document my struggles, triumphs, observations and changes. I create to represent my existence and those that have contributed to my journey.

Artist Bio
Michelle Angela Ortiz is a mixed media artist, skilled muralist and a community arts educator. Culture, spirituality, community and the sense of self are strong elements in her work.

For the past eight years, Ortiz has worked with various nonprofit organizations in Philadelphia. She is a highly skilled muralist and has created over thirty large-scale murals and mosaics nationally (PA, NJ, NY) and internationally (Ecuador & Costa Rica).

Ortiz has exhibited her paintings and prints in numerous galleries in Philadelphia. She has various works in permanent and private collections in Philadelphia and abroad. Such as Stedman Gallery (Rutgers University), Galeria Tonatzin (San Juan Bautista, CA) and Xicanoindio Gallery (Mesa, AZ)

Besides teaching in the community and producing her studio work, Ortiz is a founding member of Las Gallas, a Philadelphia-based multi-disciplinary arts collective that incorporates all of their developed skills in theatre, visual arts, dance, film, poetry, spoken word & literature.

Las Gallas stretches the boundaries of arts collaborations by involving new ways of creating through workshops and mutual interactions. Since then they have gathered to share stories, inspire dialogue and debate around ideas of family, traditions, religion, education and gender roles.

Education
2002
Rosemont College
Masters in the Science of Arts and Cultural Management

2000
Moore College of Art & Design, Philadelphia, PA
BFA, Summa Cum Laude

Professional Experience
Present
Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation- LINC Philadelphia Coordinator

Artist in Residence, Center for Emerging Visual Artists, Philadelphia, PA

Community Partnerships in the Arts, Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia, PA

2007-2006
Project Coordinator, Community Arts Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

2006- 2003
Co-director/ Community Arts Educator, MYX: Multicultural Youth Exchange, Philadelphia, PA

2005-2003
Lead Instructor, Mural Arts Program, Philadelphia, PA
Mural Corps- Edison & CHAD

2004-2003
Adjunct Professor, Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, Philadelphia, PA

2003
Visual Arts Facilitator, Congreso de Latinos Unidos,
Philadelphia, PA

Artist in Residence, Please Touch Museum, Philadelphia, PA

Mosaic artist/ Art instructor, Network Arts, Philadelphia, PA

2002
Artist Facilitator, AMLA, Asociacion de Musicos Latinoamericanos, Philadelphia, PA

Education Director, Raices Culturales Latinoamericanas, Philadelphia, PA

2001
Art Teacher, Hostos Bilingual Charter School, Philadelphia, PA

Awards and Honors
2008
Board Member, Mural Arts Advocate

2005
Art and Change Grantee, Leeway Foundation

2004
Honored Visual Artist, La Casa Venezuela

Board Member, National Women's Caucus for Art

2002
Artist in Community Graduate, Asian Arts Initiative

Collections
Permanent Collection, Rohm & Haas, Philadelphia, PA

Commissions
Public Art
2000-present
Lead Muralist, Mural Arts Program, Philadelphia, PA

2006
Art for Change & Harlem Education Center, New York, NY

2005-2006
MYX The Art of Community Service, Costa Rica

2004
The Lehigh Valley Community Mural Project, Allentown, PA

The Reinvestment Fund, Philadelphia, PA

2001-2002
Art for Change, Salinas & Ambato, Ecuador

2001
La Casa Latina, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Bibliography
2008
Arts and Culture Special, UNIVISION, January 2008

2007
“My Mural” Mural Arts Special, 6ABC,October 2007

Moller, Maria, My North Philly: Neighborhoods. Murals. Stories, 2007

"Featured Artist Documentary", Golden Paints Company,
April 2007

2006
Golden, Jane, Robin Rice, Natalie Pompilio, Jack Ramsdale, More Philadelphia Murals and the Stories They Tell, Temple University Press, Philadelphia, PA

"Mural Arts Calendar", Mural Arts Program 2007-2008/ 2005-2006

Salerno, Gabrielle, "Street Strokes", Merge Magazine, Allentown, PA, July 2006, pgs. 10-13

2005
“Culture Trek: Costa Rica”, WYBE 35, November 2005

"Mural of the Month", FOX 29, September 2005

2004
"Tempo", PBS, November 2004

Nerl, Dary, "Picturing Allentown's Diversity", The Morning Call, Allentown, PA., July 2004

Vance Williams, Donna, "Women Holler", The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 2004

Ali, Rasheeda, "Spring Guide 2004- Young Artists", Philadelphia Weekly Newspaper, March 2004

2003
“New Americans”, PBS

2002
Ortiz, Melvin, "Arte Moderna Casera", Al Dia Newspaper, March 2002

Ledger, Martha, "Michelle Ortiz, Muralist", Art Matters Magazine, 2002

Selected Exhibitions

Solo

2007
Featured Artist, Metropolitan Bakery, Philadelphia, PA

2003
La Colectiva/ Talentos, Philadelphia, PA

2002
Surviving the Encounter, Kelly Writers House Gallery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Group

2008
New Works of Diverse Pennsylvania Artists, HUB Gallery Penn State University, University Park, PA
Traveling Exhibition

Memorias, Artesanos Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Frida and Me, Common Threads, Projects Gallery,
Philadelphia, PA

2007
Contemporary Hispanic Artists in Pennsylvania, USDA's George Washington Carver Center, Beltsville, MD

POST Contemporary Artists, Art at Sophi Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Featured Artist, Opiniones y Percepciones, Schmucker Gallery, Gettysburg College, PA

Faculty Exhibition, Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia, PA

St. Christopher’s Hosptial, CFEVA artists, Philadelphia, PA

2006
NALAC Artists, Gallista Gallery, San Antonio, TX

Mexico and Modern Printmaking, Art Store, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA

Visions of Liberty, National Constitution Center, Philadelphia, PA

A State of Independence, The Philadelphia Foundation, Philadelphia, PA

La Colectiva/ HACE, Women Holler Group Show, Philadelphia, PA

Los Tres Reyes, Mint Building, Community College of Philadelphia, PA

2005
North of the Border, Women Holler Group Show, Philadelphia , PA

2004
Intimate Exposures/Women Holller, Painted Bride Art Center, Philadelphia

NALAC Visual Artist Exhibition, Xicanindio Gallery, Mesa, AZ

Generations '04, A.I.R. Gallery , New York, NY

Mujeres in Da Movement, Bluestockings Cafe, New York, NY

North of The Border, Dot Dash Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2003
Women for Women, Tonatzin Gallery, San Juan Bautista, CA

Women's Expressions, Women's & Babies Hospital, Lancaster, PA

El Viejo San Juan Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2002
28th Anniversary Art Exhibition, Taller Puertorriqueño,
Philadelphia, PA

Aqua Lounge/ Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2001
Diga Brazil, October Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Not So Pretty, Stedmann Gallery, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ

4 Latinos/ 4 Artists, Fox Art Gallery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Women's Caucus for the Art Members Only Group Exhibition, Cherry Street Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Onda Latina Exhibition, Painted Bride Art Center, Philadelphia, PA

Moore College Alumnae Juried Exhibition, Goldey Paley Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2000
Emerging Philadelphia Artists, Centre Square, Philadelphia, PA
Permanent Collection

Emerging Artist Exhibition, Art Forms Gallery, Philadelphia, PA