Eleazar Valencia Valencia
Location: Illinois Prairie Path | Glen Ellyn
Hometown: Tabasco, Mexico
Sponsored by: Del estado de tabasco al diputado marcos rosendo medina filigrana y a karen paola pineda ruiz
Eleazar Valencia Valencia is a visual artist, cultural manager and promoter, originally from the town of Tamulté de las Sabanas. He has a 30-year career in the art world, studying painting, sculpture, engraving, drawing, ceramics and contemporary dance at the experimental art school "El Tesoro de Tamulté" created by the Cuban artist Leandro Soto Ortiz. He was taught by international artists such as Raoul Deal (USA), Tamami Kobayashi (Japan), Adrián González (Mexico CMX), Leandro Humberto Gonzales (Cuba) among others. He has a degree in Cultural Development from the Juárez Autonomous University of Tabasco, and completed two diplomas in Painting at the Veracruzana University of Arts.
He has participated in multiple individual and group exhibitions within the country, including in Mexico City (UNAM Chopo University Museum, Casa de Tabasco in Mexico Carlos Pellicer, Senate of the Republic), Veracruz, Quintana Roo, Puebla, State of Mexico, Tlaxcala and in different parts of the state of Tabasco. Internationally, his work has been in Cuba, Panama and several cities in the United States such as Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Phoenix, Arizona, and El Paso, Texas. He has created several murals including a collective mural at the Secretary of Education of the State of Yucatán (SEGEY) within the framework of the International Festival of Mayan Culture, two murals at the Papagayo Interactive Museum.
In 2015 he was selected in the Stimulus for Artistic Creation and Development (PECDA) program. He was selected in the federal program, “Creative Seedbeds” as a teacher in visual arts for girls, boys and young people in vulnerable conditions. He was also selected to represent the State of Tabasco in the Olmec Trail Culture And Legacy project. This project consisted of intervening 32 replicas of Olmec heads painted by artists from Mexico and the United States.
His works and work have been published in magazines, books and catalogs such as: Voices of Mexico, UNAM magazine published in the United States, the book The Flight of the Jaguar published by the government of Tabasco, the magazine EnredArte published by the Juarez Autonomous University of Tabasco and CONACYT, the catalog Manos filles de color edited by the UJAT as part of its 60th anniversary.
He is currently an art teacher at the Fine Arts Study and Research Center (CEIBA) and is dedicated to the creation and teaching of the arts to children and young people in his community.
Title of Work: Wonders of Tabasco
Description of work: It's a piece that represents WATER; without water, there is no life. It also showcases the cultural heritage left by our ancestors: dances, music, and gastronomy. Additionally, it portrays the biodiversity of plants and animals found in the vast swamps and tropical jungles, many of which are categorized as endangered.
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Timeline of Events
Artists in Mexico have begun painting and 15 national artists will arrive in May of 2024 to paint 15 heads here in DuPage County on-site at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage. This exciting international exhibition has already begun and will be completed in June of 2024.
Get Involved!
Artists can only participate by way of a sponsorship. Local, state and private institutions in the US or Mexico are invited to join in this unique opportunity to showcase modern-day murals reflecting Mexican American culture and regional interpretational art. We are confident that by participating in this project as a sponsor, you will be fulfilling the mission of your organization. Sponsors will be a part of a once in a lifetime opportunity to collaborate with multiple entities and organizations around North America, which can bring more awareness and support to your organization’s efforts. We are working together for one cultural, artistic, and educational purpose that will bring so many people together in a very unique way. Additionally, you will be supporting one of your local artists taking part in a major career opportunity that promises unique experiences, enhancement of their artistic skills, and a chance to display their talents on a monumental canvas. What an amazing opportunity!