BIOGRAPHY
Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and raised in California, Gustavo Martinez now resides in Tacoma, Washington. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Spatial Art with a minor in Mexican American studies from San Jose State University, San Jose, California. He has been involved in the completion of public artworks for the city of San Jose. In 2007 Martinez spent six weeks exploring sacred archaeological sites in southern Mexico and Central America, where he also studied traditional indigenous pottery and techniques at Escuela Valentine Lopez in San Juan de Oriente, Nicaragua. He received a Masters of Fine Art from the University of Washington in the 3D4M: Ceramic / Glass / Sculpture program, and was the recipient of the Parnassus Teaching With Excellence award. In the fall of 2012 Martinez worked as a ceramic water filter production consultant for Ecofiltro SA in Guatemala, where he also helped organize the first annual ceramic symposium and sculpture exhibition at Ecofiltro SA to raise funds for the donation of ceramic water filters to the rural Guatemalan communities in most need. Martinez collaborated with Electric Coffin in the 2017 exhibition “Future Machine” at the Bellevue Arts Museum. In March of 2018 he traveled to the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania with La Paz International Foundation to help build a ceramic kiln in a woman’s potter village. Gustavo Martinez is part of the Fine Art Department at Green River College where he teaches Ceramics.
Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and raised in California, Gustavo Martinez now resides in Tacoma, Washington. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Spatial Art with a minor in Mexican American studies from San Jose State University, San Jose, California. He has been involved in the completion of public artworks for the city of San Jose. In 2007 Martinez spent six weeks exploring sacred archaeological sites in southern Mexico and Central America, where he also studied traditional indigenous pottery and techniques at Escuela Valentine Lopez in San Juan de Oriente, Nicaragua. He received a Masters of Fine Art from the University of Washington in the 3D4M: Ceramic / Glass / Sculpture program, and was the recipient of the Parnassus Teaching With Excellence award. In the fall of 2012 Martinez worked as a ceramic water filter production consultant for Ecofiltro SA in Guatemala, where he also helped organize the first annual ceramic symposium and sculpture exhibition at Ecofiltro SA to raise funds for the donation of ceramic water filters to the rural Guatemalan communities in most need. Martinez collaborated with Electric Coffin in the 2017 exhibition “Future Machine” at the Bellevue Arts Museum. In March of 2018 he traveled to the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania with La Paz International Foundation to help build a ceramic kiln in a woman’s potter village. Gustavo Martinez is part of the Fine Art Department at Green River College where he teaches Ceramics.
RESUME
EDUCATION
2011 MFA 3D4M: Ceramic / Glass / Sculpture University of Washington, Seattle WA
2008 BFA Spatial Art, Minor in Mexican American Studies San José State University, San José CA
HONORS AND AWARDS/GRANTS/SCHOLARSHIPS
2016 Southeast Alaska Arts Teacher Initiative (SAATI) Artist Residency Grant
2014 Pilchuck Glass School Scholarship, Stanwood, Washington
2011 University of Washington Parnassus Teaching With Excellence Award
2010 Belle Foundation for Cultural Development Individual Grant, San José, CA
2009 Jurors Award, Jacob Lawrence Gallery University of Washington, Seattle
Chihuly Scholarship, University of Washington, Seattle
2007 Dean’s Scholar, San José State University, San José, CA
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS *solo shows
2018 *Conversations with Guardians, Feast Arts Gallery, Tacoma WA
2017 *Guardians, Warriors, and Allies, Kittredge Gallery, Tacoma WA
Future Machine, Fuel Phase, Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue WA
2016 * Balance Interference, Spaceworks Woolworth Window #1, Tacoma WA
2015 Bi-annual GRC Fine Art’s Faculty Exhibition, Helen S. Smith Gallery, Auburn WA
Soup’s On! The Extraordinary, Exotic, and Sometimes Erotic Soup Tureens,
Bellevue College Gallery Space, Bellevue WA, Curated by Lars Husby
2015 * Dualismo, Hellen S. Smith Gallery, Auburn WA
2014 Metal-urge, Foss Waterway Seaport, Tacoma WA
Permanent Display, Ethnic Heritage Art Gallery, Municipal Tower, Seattle WA
*Agua es Vida, 4Culture Gallery, Seattle WA
2013 Bi-annual GRCC Fine Art’s Faculty Exhibition, Helen S. Smith Gallery, Auburn WA
2012 Exhibicion De Esculturas: Apoyando La Beneficencia, Ecofiltro SA, Guatemala
In The Vicinity of Pilchuck, Pilchuk Glass School Art Gallery, Stanwood WA
Perspectives in Art, Ethnic Heritage Art Gallery, Municipal Tower, Seattle WA
2011 *Gustavo Martinez MFA Thesis Exhibition, CMA 3D4M North Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle
*Our Ancestors are Listening, CMA 3D4M South Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle
MFA Class of 2011 Group Exhibition, Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle
Skull, Black Bird Studios, Las Vegas Nevada, Curated by Chris Bauder
Zoomorphism, The Myers Gallery, Santa Ana CA, Juried by Max Rain
2010 Earth Bound City Windows Gallery, City Hall San Jose CA, Curated by Kathryn Funk
MFA Class of 2011 1st yr. Exhibition, CMA 3D4M Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle
MFA Class of 2011 First Year Exhibition, Jacob Lawrence Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle
Does Size Matter? Jacob Lawrence Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, Juried by Sylvia Wolf
Art & Design 2010 Juried Exhibition, Jacob Lawrence Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, Curated by Eric Elliot
2009 Hope and Change Show, Submission Gallery, San Francisco CA
2009/07 The Chicana/o Biennial, MACLA Gallery, Juried exhibition
2008 * Cultura- Lost in Translation, BFA Exhibition, Herbert Sanders Gallery, San Jose State University, San Jose CA
* Ode to the Modern Ones, Cube Farm Projects Gallery, San Jose Museum of Art, CA
RELATED FIELD EXPERIENCE
Green River College
4/2012- Present Adjunct Faculty Fine Art Ceramic Department
1/9/2012- 6/6/2012 Instructional Laboratory Technician
La Paz International Foundation
2018 Ceramic wood fired kiln building with the Tanzania Women's Pottery Project
Sitka Fine Arts Camp
2015/16/17/18 Ceramics Faculty- Middle School and High School Session
Ecofiltro S.A. Guatemala
9/17/12- 12/14/12 Ceramic Water Filter Production Consultant
Pilchuck Glass School
2012 Summer Staff, Audio Visual Coordinator, Session 6 and 7
Penland School of Crafts
2012 Summer Studio Assistant, Mixed media on Paper- Erin Goodwin-Guerrero
University of Washington 3D4M Ceramic/ Metal / Glass / Sculpture Department
2011 Summer Quarter- Lab/ Kiln Technician Ceramics Department
2010 Autumn, Spring Quarter- Teaching Assistant-Instructor of Record- Ceramics 201, Intro to Hand Building
2009 Teaching Assistant- for Professor Jamie Walker, Ceramics 201, Intro to Hand Building
San José State University
2008-09 Teaching Assistant- Professor Stan Welsh, Intro to Wheel Throwing
2008-09 Preparation and Installations - Natalie and James Thompson Gallery
San José Museum of Art
2005-2006 Gallery Teacher
2004-2008 Museum Experience Representative
Guest Speaker
2018 Feast Arts Center, Visiting Artist Residency Artist Talk, Tacoma WA
2017 Bellevue Arts Museum, Electric Coffin's Future Machine: Fuel Phase, Bellevue, WA
2016 Blatchley Middle School Art Room, Sitka AK
2015 Green River College, Hellen S. Smith Gallery, Auburn WA
2014 Evergreen College, Sculptural Ceramics and The Art of Mexico, Olympia WA
University of Washington, Ceramics Metal Arts Building, Seattle WA
2012 Fotokids, Guatemala, Guatemala
Antigua International School, Ciudad Vieja, Guatemala
2008 Martin Luther King Library, San Jose, California
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2018 Davison, Dave: "Fear not, there are guardians amongst us" Tacoma Weekly
2014 Luttikhuizen, Esther: “¡Agua es Vida!” 4culture.org
