Mara I. Torres González

Born 1980, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Lives and works in Sarasota, Florida, USA

EDUCATION

2004 - BFA in Fine Art, Major in Painting, Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Diseño de Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR

1997 - University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR

PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS

2022 - Present

Advisory Board, HALO Arts Project, Sarasota, FL

2020 - Present

Founder + Curator, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, MTG Studio LLC, Sarasota, FL

2001 - 2018

Designer, BBM and Ambiance Event Rental, San Juan, PR

GRANTS + AWARDS

2023 - Highest Bid Award, Pending Conversations, Angels for Artists Art Auction, Sarasota, FL

2022 - Fellowship Award, Halo Arts Project, Sarasota, FL

2022 - Highest Bid Award, Camino a la Realidad, Angels for Artists Art Auction, Sarasota, FL

2021 - Fellowship Award, Halo Arts Project, Sarasota, FL

2020 - 1st Place, New Normal, Art at Home - Pro, Art Ovation Hotel, Sarasota, FL

2018 - Honorable mention, Broken, Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, FL

1997 - Art Honor Award, Cupeyville HS, San Juan, PR

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2024. - Urban Perspectives, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

2024. - Intuitive Visions, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

2024. - PrimaVera, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

2024. - ChromaShock, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

2023 - Square One, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

2023 - she/her/hers, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

2022 - ArtBox.Project Miami 3.0, Art Basel, Miami, FL

2022 - Justified + Ancient, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

2022 - Vivid Summer, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

2022 - black + white, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

2022 - Duality, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

2022 - Angels for Artists, Halo Arts Project, Sarasota, FL

2021 - WOMXN, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

2021 - Angels for Artists, Halo Arts Project, Sarasota, FL

2020 - Onward and Upward, Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, FL

2019 - Art for Hope, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institutes, FL

2019 - JetBlue, New York, NY

2018 - Intermix, Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, FL

2018 - New Modern, Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, FL

2018 - 209, La Concha Hotel, San Juan, PR

2004 - Exposición de Graduados, EAP, Cuartel de Ballajá, San Juan, PR

2003 - Mara, Coral Princess Hotel, San Juan, PR

1998-2004 - Group Exhibitions, Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Diseño de Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR

1984 - Exhibición Anual de Estudiantes, Liga de Arte de San Juan, San Juan, PR

CURATED EXHIBITIONS

2024

Curator, Still Waters, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

Curator, Small Talk by Julia Rivera, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

Curator, Canvas Conversations, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

Curator, Zen, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

Curator, Urban Perspectives, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

Curator, Intuitive Visions, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

Curator, Playgrounds, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

Curator, PrimaVera, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

Curator, ChromaShock, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

2023

Curator, Square One, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

Curator, she/her/hers, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

Curator, INTERSECTIONS, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

Curator, Lisa DiFranza, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

2022

Co-curator, Justified + Ancient, Halo Arts Project and MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

Curator, Emerge, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

Curator, Vivid Summer, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

Curator, black + white, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

Curator, About-Face, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

2021

Curator, The Millers, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

Curator, WOMXN, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

Curator, Through the Lens, Perspectives, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

Curator, Timelapse, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

Curator, Brenda K. Robinson, MARA Art Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

PUBLIC ART

2021-2022 - Art In Common Places, Sarasota, FL

MTG was selected by Art in Common Places to collaborate with writer/poet Danny Shot from New Jersey. The collaboration started August 2021 and ended April 2022 with a presentation via Sarasota County Libraries.

PUBLICATIONS

2022

Mara Torres González, 209, The Peppertree Press, September 20, 2022, 112 pages

BIBLIOGRAPHY

2024

  • https://www.srqmagazine.com/srq-daily/2024-11-08/25403_Julia-Rivera-Sparks-Discussion-at-MARA-Art-Studio--Gallery

  • https://nanettesnewlife.blogspot.com

  • https://www.ringling.edu/risingtogether/episodes/

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwdgkTTUOo0

  • https://www.srqmagazine.com/articles/1974/An-Anchor-for-the-Arts

  • https://issuu.com/yourobserver.com/docs/seas_ssk_20231228

2023

  • https://www.mysuncoast.com/video/2023/11/27/mara-art-studio-gallery-part-2-using-art-voice/

  • https://www.mysuncoast.com/video/2023/11/27/mara-art-studio-gallery-part-1-mixing-contemporary-colors-multi-ethnic-cultures/

  • https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/entertainment/arts/2023/11/22/sarasota-art-studio-highlights-10-artists-in-new-downtown-gallery/71583399007/

  • https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2023/oct/30/mara-gallery-on-move/

  • https://www.srqmagazine.com/srq-daily/2023-11-17/22947_M-A-R-A-Art-Studio--Gallery-Opens-On-Palm-Avenue

  • https://www.srqmagazine.com/srq-daily/2023-01-03/20921_M-A-R-A-Art-Studio--Gallery-Presents--Lisa-DiFranza

2022

  • https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2022/dec/12/artist-keeps-living-in-the-eye-of-the-storm/

  • https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/entertainment/arts/2022/11/04/artists-put-modern-spin-antiquities-new-sarasota-gallery-show/8246503001/

  • https://www.yahoo.com/now/antiquities-inspire-local-artists-sarasota-090053123.html

  • https://www.srqme.com/srq-daily/2022-10-28/20424_Justified-+-Ancient-at-Mara-Art-Gallery

  • https://fox40.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/598748007/the-carl-kruse-arts-blog-invites-all-to-the-justified-ancient-exhibit-in-sarasota-florida/

  • https://menafn.com/1105107159/The-Carl-Kruse-Arts-Blog-Invites-All-To-The-Justified-Ancient-Exhibit-In-Sarasota-Florida

  • https://www.visitsarasota.com/justified-ancient-art-exhibition-presented-halo-arts-project

  • https://wsca.news/2022/10/31/the-carl-kruse-arts-blog-invites-all-to-the-justified-ancient-exhibit-in-sarasota-florida/

  • https://www.yoursun.com/venice/news/explore-aftermath-of-hurricane-mar-a-in-puerto-rico/article_669ecc18-2575-11ed-a3ef-7bc0b7eea4cf.html

  • https://www.elnuevodia.com/suplementos/huracanes/notas/mara-torres-gonzalez-de-la-resiliencia-al-arte/

  • https://parie-visual-art.com/mara-torres-gonzalez-will-talk-about-her-visual-art-book-exploring-the-aftermath-of-hurricane-maria-in-puerto-rico/

  • https://issuu.com/endi26/docs/huracanes20220922end_1

  • https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwihwYT0pqT7AhWtVzABHbAtBPQ4KBAWegQIAxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpodcasts.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Fmedia-revue-pod%2Fid1437916032&usg=AOvVaw3jOnpth1_u9LhQ5ZJNwFPa

  • https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/local-state/2022-09-19/sarasota-artist-creates-images-of-resiliency-five-years-after-hurricane-maria-uprooted-life-in-puerto-rico

  • https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/09/20/suncoast-artist-shares-hurricane-marias-impact-through-canvas/

  • https://canvasrebel.com/meet-mara-torres-gonzalez/

  • https://www.americansforthearts.org/sites/default/files/pdf/2022/Sarasota%20Mentor%20Bios.pdf

  • http://www.scenesarasota.com/magazine/halo-arts-project-and-mara-art-studio-open-new-exhibit/

  • https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/entertainment/2022/05/13/sarasotas-mara-gallery-focuses-local-artists-creates-black-white/9702842002/

  • https://scgovlibrary.librarymarket.com/event/art-common-places-presents-danny-shot-and-mara-torres-gonzalez-zoom

  • http://www.scenesarasota.com/magazine/m-a-r-a-art-studio-gallery-presents-about-face/

  • https://www.artincommonplaces.com/projects/choir-48clj-49teh-rggsy

  • https://www.yoursun.com/coastal/entertainment/artist-mara-torres-gonz-lez-showcases-bold-new-work-at-cutting-edge-gallery/article_5b113766-7fb0-11ec-9818-bb4b02fa7898.html

  • https://siestasand.us/art-shines-bright-this-night/

  • http://voyagetampa.com/interview/conversations-with-mara-torres-gonzalez/

2021

  • https://siestasand.us/arts-on-the-horizon-november/

  • https://www.srqmagazine.com/srq-daily/2021-07-30/17680_Mara-Art-Gallery-Highlights-Women-Artists-with-Summer-Show

  • https://www.yourobserver.com/article/mara-art-studio-and-gallery-exhibit-highlights-local-photographers

  • https://raychelceciro.com/Beginning-Again-Showroom

2020

  • https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/sponsored/2020/10/mara-torres-gonzalez

  • https://www.yourobserver.com/photo-gallery/local-artists-showcase-works-at-rosemary-ramble#photo-1

2019

  • https://sarasotaarts.org/summerskirmishwinner/

  • https://www.scenesarasota.com/magazine/people-business-wednesday-january-30th/

2018

  • https://periodicoelsolpr.com/2018/09/18/artista-puertorriquena-presenta-la-exposicion-209/

2017

  • https://www.pressreader.com/puerto-rico/el-nuevo-dia1/20170820/282484298878980

  • https://www.elnuevodia.com/magacin/sociales/fotogalerias/atmosfera-artistica-de-noche/

RESIDENCIES

2019 - Art Ovation Hotel, Sarasota, FL

2019 - Art Ovation Hotel, Sarasota, FL

AFFILIATIONS

2023 - Present

Women Contemporary Artists, Sarasota, FL

2022 - Present

Advisory Board, Halo Arts Project, Sarasota, FL

1996 - 2001

Fomento Industrial de Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR

OTHER

2023 - Still Life Exhibition Juror, Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, FL

2022 - 209 Book Signing, Sarasota Art Museum, Sarasota, FL

2022 - Sarasota and Manatee DIAL Program Mentor, Sarasota, FL

2020 - Finalist, Art Battle, Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, FL

2019 - Finalist, Art Battle, Selby Library, Sarasota, FL