ART STATEMENT
The tools we use for nourishment are more than just objects; they are vessels for the memories and experiences that we share. Each piece tells a story, reflecting the unique cultural traditions and personal histories of those who use them.
Living, interpreting, and making are endlessly intertwined in a cycle of art and daily life. Within the bounds of pottery, I seek to transform ordinary rituals into extraordinary moments by crafting functional ware designed for everyday use. My journey as a ceramic artist is deeply intertwined with a quest for serenity. Creating labor-intensive pottery becomes a form of meditation. The surface reveals tranquil domestic scenes, each imbued with a fusion of past and present memories playing with the boundaries of reality, manipulating proportions, and reimagining commonplace objects to construct a realm of enchanting realism. These sanctuaries, both real and imagined, play a central role in the narrative of my work. In this exploration of memory and nostalgia, I aim to capture the universal longing for security and connection while also celebrating the unique experiences that shape our individual narratives.
At the heart of my artistic exploration lies an inquiry into personal history and cultural identity. Navigating the intricacies of my Venezuelan upbringing, now rooted in the United States, I intertwine threads of heritage, infusing my creations with the essence of my journey and the traditions that define me.
Through my work, I invite viewers to embark on a journey of discovery, where the boundaries between past and present blur, and the beauty of everyday life is celebrated in all its complexity and grace.
Maria received an MFA from Tyler School of Art and a BFA from the University of South Florida. Born in Kansas, she was raised in Venezuela and currently resides in Philadelphia.
CURRICULUM VITAE
EDUCATION
2013-2015
Masters of Fine Arts, Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
2006-2010
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Studio Art-Ceramics, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
CERTIFICATION
2020
Enhancing Trauma Awareness, Lakeside Global Institute, Philadelphia, PA
TEACHING & PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2024
Teaching Artist, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
Teaching Artist, Black Hound Clay South, Philadelphia, PA
Adjunct, Moore College of Art, Philadelphia, PA
2015-2024
Community Engagement Teaching Artist, Claymobile, Philadelphia, PA
Working with The Clay Studio outreach program, teaching hand-building techniques to children and adults.
2023-Current
Teaching Artist, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
Teaching basic and intermediate wheel-throwing techniques to adults
2020-2022
Exhibition Community Organizer for MPM Exhibition, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
Assisted with the Making Place Matter Exhibition in all things related to the community, teaching short hand-building projects as an opening for community meetings.
2015-2020
Teaching Artist, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
Teaching basic wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques to adults
2015-2018
Teaching Artist, Philly Art Center, Philadelphia, PA
Introduction to wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques to adults
Teaching Artist, Fairmount Art Center, Philadelphia, PA
Introduction to wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques to adults.
Ceramic Technician, Abington Art Center, Jenkintown, PA
Maintained ceramic department ordering materials, loading kilns, mixed glazes, and did minor kiln repairs like cracks, element changes, etc.
Teaching Artist, Abington Art Center, Jenkintown, PA
Introduction to wheel-throwing for kids, decal and surface workshop, and hand-building Summer Camps
2013-2015
Graduate Teaching Assistantship, Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, PA
Instructor of Record: Beginning Ceramics
Introduction to wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques to non-majors during the Fall and Spring semesters.
Ceramic Technician Assistant, Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, PA
Studio maintenance, managing firing schedules, loading and firing electric and gas kilns for the department.
EXHIBITION HISTORY
2024
PMA Craft Show, Philadelphia, PA
National Juries Exhibition, Storytellers, MUDFLAT, Somerville, PA
MUDFLAT Cup Show, MUDFLAT Pottery Studio, Somerville, MA
Group Show, Concurrent NCECA Exhibition, Abode, Richmond, VA
Our Community Exhibition, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
Small Favors 2024, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
2023
Domestic Spaces, Philadelphia Internation Airport, Philadelphia, PA
SIP: A Ceramic Cup Show 2023, Savannah Clay Community, Savannah, GA
Strictly Functional Pottery National Show, Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster, PA
In-house Artist Sale, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
In-house Artist Holiday Sale, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
2022
In-house Artist Sale, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
In-house Artist Holiday Sale, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
2020
Baltimore Marketplace, American Craft Council, Baltimore, MD
Small Favors 2020, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
2019
Ware/Wear, Southern Dreams Gallery, Pocosin Arts, Columbia, NC
Twin Cups: National Ceramic Exhibition, Potter Fine Arts Gallery, St. Joseph, MO
Ceramic Centric, Foundry Art Centre, St. Charles, MO
MugShot2, Mojo Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
Small Favors 2019, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
Art Star Craft Bazaar, Philadelphia, PA
WestCraft Fest, Philadelphia, PA
Crafty Balboa, Philadelphia, PA
Cherry St. Pier Market, Philadelphia, PA
North Front Street Festival, Philadelphia, PA
2018
Claymobile Teaching Artist, Group Show, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
Artist Showcase, The Ceramic Shop, Norristown, PA
76ers, Tyler Group Exhibition, NCECA 2018 Conference, Pittsburgh, PA
Our Community, Group Show, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
2017
Faculty Exhibition, Group Show, Abington Art Center, Jenkintown, PA
Tangled Loop, Solo Exhibition, Abington Art Center, Jenkintown, PA
Small Favors: Think Inside the Box, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
2015
Small Favors X, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
How I Long to Make Good from Far, MFA Thesis Exhibition, Temple Contemporary,
Philadelphia, PA
No Meat in Team, Crane Arts Icebox, Philadelphia, PA
Process: CASTING III, PSG Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2014
Beware of False Prophets, Stella Elkins Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Lengua Materna, Art &History Museums, Maitland, FL
Fresh Batch, Stella Elkins Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Small Favors IX, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
Off My Wall, Hatchway Gallery, Tampa, FL
2013
Tableaux, Metaphors, and Passages: Environments by Maria Albornoz, Jack King, and Randall Smith, Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, Tarpon Springs, FL
2011
Between Here and There, Salt Creek, Concurrent Independent Exhibition, NCECA, Tampa, FL
Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, Emerging Artist Programs, Tampa, FL
2010
El Recorrido del Inmigrante, Solo Exhibition, Center Gallery, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
2009
Pompous Circumstance, BFA Thesis Exhibition, West Tampa Center for the Arts, Tampa, FL
PERMANENT COLLECTION
Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, Tarpons Springs, FL
Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library, Tampa, FL
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP Collection, Tampa, FL
Saint Petersburg College, Clearwater, FL