Born in 1971 in Villa Juárez, San Luis Potosi, Mexico
Education
2002, Master of Fine Arts in Art, Northern Illinois University
1999, Master of Arts in Art, Governors State University
1996, Bachelor of Arts in Art, Governors State University
Academic & Professional Experience
2015 – Present, Professor of Art (Tenured), Governors State University
2024 – Present, Gallery Director, Christopher Art Gallery @ Prairie State College
2015 – 2023, Member, Board of Directors, Tall Grass Arts Association, Park Forest, IL
2009 – 2015, Academic Program Coordinator for the Art program, Governors State University
2009 – 2015, Associate Professor of Art, Governors State University
2003 – 2010, Gallery Director, Visual Arts Gallery, Governors State University, University Park, IL
2003 – 2009, Assistant Professor of Art, Governors State University, University Park, IL
2005 – 2010, Co-owner, Gallery Director & Curator, 33 Collective Gallery, Chicago, IL
1996 – 2001, Muralist & Art Teacher for Friends of Community Public Art, Joliet, IL
Selected Awards & Honors
2024, Honorable Mention, 47th Annual ArtComp, Beverly Arts Center, Chicago, IL, Juror - Kimberly Oliva, Oliva Gallery, Chicago
2024, 1st Place Award, Remembrances, Juried Group Exhibition, Union Street Gallery, Chicago Heights, IL
2017, 2nd Prize in Representational Work, 5th Annual BAC Art Competition, Bridgeport Art Center, Chicago, Jurors James Yood & Fred Camper
2017, Louise Renner 2D Award, Juror’s: Carol Weber & Robert Lee Fritz, 62nd Annual Park Forest Art Fair
2016, Helen V. Surovek Memorial Award (top prize), 73rd Annual Salon Show, South Shore Arts Center, Munster, IN – Juror: Carrie Johnson, Curator, Rockford Museum of Art
2015, Honorable Mention, BAC 39th Annual Art Competition, Juror’s: Michael Kaysen & Karolina Gnatowski, Beverly Art Center, Chicago
2010, Merit Award, 67th Annual Salon Show, Juror: Lanny Silverman, South Shore Arts Center, Munster, IN
2009, The Warrior/El Guerrero, 2004 (large scale work on paper) acquired for the Bank of America Collection
2009, Merit Award, 66th Annual Salon Show, Juror’s: Patty Carroll & Tony Jones, South Shore Arts Center, Munster, IN
2008, Excellence Award, Governors State University, University Park, IL
2008, Honorable Mention, Rockford Midwestern, Rockford Museum of Art, Rockford, IL, Juror: Robert McCauley
2007, Finalist Award, Illinois Art Council
2005, Nominated for Individual Artist Award, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Chicago IL
2003, Award of Distinction, 60th Annual Salon Show, Northern Indiana Arts Association, Munster, IN, Juror: Michael Rooks, Assistant Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL
2002, Best of Show, Gallery 2003, Robert F. DeCrapio Gallery, Moraine Valley Community College
Selected Exhibition Record
2025, The Body Imagined, Figurative Art in the Bank of America Collection, Group Exhibition, Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury, CT
2025, Javier Chavira / Nathanial Foley, Two-person Exhibition, Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery, Park Forest, IL
2024, Where the Past is Present: Dia De Muertos, Group Invitational, National Museum of Mexican Art
2024, Within Nature, Solo Exhibition, Barnsworth Gallery @ the Edith Farnsworth House, Plano, IL
2024, Arte Diseño Xicago II, Group Exhibition, National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago, IL
2024, 47th Annual ArtComp, Juried Group Exhibition, Beverly Arts Center, Chicago, IL
2024, Natura Naturans, Two-Person Exhibition, Water Street Studios Gallery, Batavia, IL
2024, Remembrances, Juried Group Exhibition, Union Street Gallery, Chicago Heights, IL
2023, Espectro / Spectrum, Group Invitational Exhibtion, Visual Arts Gallery, Governors State University, University Park, IL
2023, The Art Movement Auction Exhibition, Invitational Exhibition, Joliet Area Historical Museum
2022, Within Nature, Solo Exhibition, Crete Creative Gallery, Crete, IL
2021, Instruct et Construct: Art Practice as Pedagogy, Invitational Exhibition, Union Street gallery, Chicago Heights, IL
2021, GSU Art Faculty Exhibition, Invitational Exhibition, Visual Arts Gallery, Governors State University
2020, Sólo Un Poco Aquí: Day of the Dead, Group Invitational, National Museum of Mexican Art
2020, Signature Strokes, Group Invitational, Gallery 201, Argonne National Laboratory
2019, Annual Members Exhibition, Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery, Park Forest, IL
2018, Art of Illinois, Invitational, Illinois Governor’s Mansion, Springfield, IL
2017, Miradas: Ancient Roots in Modern and Contemporary Mexican Art, Group Exhibition, Nevada Museum of Art, Reno, NV
2017, 41st Annual Competition and Exhibition, Juried, Beverly Art Center, Chicago
2017, Memoria Presente: An Artistic Journey, Group Invitational, National Museum of Mexican Art,
2017, 5th Annual Bridgeport Art Competition, Juried, Bridgeport Art Center, Chicago
2016, Chevere, Invitational, Sirona Fine Art Gallery, Miami FL
2016, 73rd Annual Salon Show, South Shore Arts Center, Munster, IN GSU Alumni Exhibition
2016, Miradas: Ancient Roots in Modern and Contemporary Mexican Art, Group Exhibition, Peninsula Fine Arts Center, Newport News, VA
2015, Semblance, Solo Exhibition, Union League Club, Chicago, IL
2015, La Niña Muerta: Day of the Dead, Invitational, National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago, IL
2015, BAC 39th Annual Art Competition, Juried Exhibition, Beverly Art Center, Chicago, IL
2014, Miradas: Ancient Roots in Modern and Contemporary Mexican Art, Group Exhibition, Mexic Arte Museum, Austin, Texas
2014, Tradiciones, 4 Artist Invitational (Maria Tomasula, Marcos Raya, Dezine), Rockford Museum of Art,
2014, Miradas: Ancient Roots in Modern and Contemporary Mexican Art, Group Exhibition, Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, Arizona
2013, Miradas: Ancient Roots in Modern and Contemporary Mexican Art, Group Exhibition, Tampa Museum of Art
2013, Disparate Unit Sequence on Paper, Solo Exhibition at the 2013 International Izmir Biennale, State Museum of Painting and Sculpture, Izmir, Turkey
2013, Pulso: Art of the Americas, Group Invitational, Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, Grand Rapids, MI
2013, Obiter Dicta: Contemporary Latino Artists from the Midwest, Invitational, Holland Arts Council, Holland, MI
2012, Art Energy Future, Group Invitational, Museo Reginali Di Scienze Naturali, Torino, Italy
2012, Miradas: Ancient Roots in Modern and Contemporary Mexican Art, Group Exhibition, The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, Jacksonville, Florida
2012, ICONIC: Paintings & Mixed Media, Solo Exhibition, IU Northwest Gallery, Indiana University
2012, Miradas, Ancient Roots in Modern and Contemporary Mexican Art, Group Invitational, Oklahoma Contemporary
2011, Miradas: Ancient Roots in Modern and Contemporary Mexican Art, Group Exhibition, Witte Museum, San Antonio
2010, Miradas: Ancient Roots in Modern and Contemporary Mexican Art, Group Exhibition, Muzeo, Anaheim, California
Collections
National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago, IL
Bank of America Collection, NY, NY
DePaul Art Museum
Beverly Art Center, Chicago, IL
College of Lake County, Grayslake, IL
Joliet Junior College, Joliet, IL
Governors State University, University Park, IL
Excelon Corporation, Braidwood Station, Braidwood, IL
City of Joliet
Center for Latino and Latin American Studies, Northern Illinois University
South Shore Arts, Munster, IN
Numerous private collections
References Upon Request
