Oral History Interview with Maria Guerrero, Founder of the Women in the Arts, Inc. and the 2024 Women in the Arts Expo

My name is Maria Guerrero. And about where I was born, I was born in Uruguay, and that is Uruguay with a “U”. Some people say Paraguay or Hawaii. No, it’s Uruguay with “U”. And that’s where I was born. But I’m also an American, so I feel like I am from America. And looking at beyond that, the question “Where are you from?”, is something that really has puzzled me because I feel like I belong to many places. And “Where am I from?” when people ask me that, I think beyond that. And the coolest answer that I have is that I’m not only from Uruguay or now that I’m in America, I’m from America or any other place. I just feel like I’m from the universe and that I’m part of the universe. And I am dust. I am from a huge star explosion from the universe. And that’s where I feel that I am from. And I feel that we’re all from. And I think that’s fun.

We invite you to listen and be inspired by this Oral History Interview with Maria Guerrero, Founder and Director of Women in the Arts, Inc. at the Orlando Public Library, March 8, 2024, International Women’s Day.

LISTEN:

What did your parents do for a living?

Well, my father was a musician and also an orchestra conductor. So that was extremely cool for me to see. And then my mom worked as a secretary in a school where we all attended.

Did you know your grandparents growing up?

Yes. We had my grandparents around, and it was so reassuring to have them. We enjoyed it.

What were they like?

They were simple people, but very devoted to family, and they were a very good example for us growing up.

What was a typical Sunday like for you growing up?

I remember going to church or getting ready for the week or playing, I think. It was very simple, but good.

What would you do for fun in the summer?

In the summer, when I was a little bit older, I really loved going to see my aunt. She had osteria, it’s called in Spanish. It’s a small hotel near the beach, and I would just love to go there and work with her during the summers.

And where was that?

That was in the coast, south, southeast, in Rocha.

Do you remember your first experience with art? Was it in school or visiting a museum with your parents or on vacation?

Yes, that’s what’s really incredible, an incredible memory for me is art. And I remember drawing, and one of my aunts was a teacher, and she would always encourage me to draw. And I would draw everything. And later on, that turned out to lead me to architecture. But my first experience with drawing was actually very positive and a very happy memory. And then later on I did ballet, and I did that for as long as right before going to college. So it was just a life-changing experience for me to be in the world of dance and movement and performance. And also, that love that I had for drawing and for design and making things. I remember designing shoes when I was little. I just loved to make platform shoes with anything I could find. And of course, they never worked. But it was, I kept trying to make them stick to my feet. And since then, I mean, now I always wear platform shoes when I can.

You mentioned college, would you tell us about your educational path, please? You went to college, is that right?

Oh, yes. So when I started architecture school in Uruguay, I went for a couple of years. And then, I met my husband. So he’s American, and we married, and then I finished my school in Washington, DC, in Catholic University of America.

And was that a degree in architecture from there or something else?

Yes, architecture.

Would you tell us a little bit about how you happened to come to Orlando?

Yes. So basically, work-related, we ended up living here. And it was, I think, the best luck that we had because we fell in love with the community and with everyone that we met here. Not that we didn’t like people in other places, of course, but it was just a warm community in all senses, like not only weatherwise, but people were very open and multicultural and really receptive. So this was a place that we felt we
could call home.

Well, we’re glad you’re here.

Thank you.

Would you describe for us the origins of the organization you founded, the Women in the Arts in Orlando, Florida?

Thinking about how we got started, I think it was a need that I saw when art was taken out of the schools at that time, and it was no longer part of the curriculum. And that just seemed unacceptable. And I had young girls growing up at that time. And I also was friends with women that were incredibly artistic and great in their professions as artists, as creatives. I saw that need as well of what is happening for women here, for women that are designers, creatives, artists. And for our generation of children that are growing up, where are we going with this? Because for me, being exposed to the arts all my life, I just could not understand that my children and their children and our children would be living their childhood without exposure to the arts. And that changed not only by our efforts, but many other organizations in the Orlando area. Gradually, everybody started to do something for the community, and we were part of that movement as well. So we started offering art classes, getting grants to do those programs.

Women Artists

And then we started to look into what is important for women artists. Why, aren’t any women artists being represented at that time? We’re talking about 2007 even before that. Where are the women artists? That was simply a response to those questions and we were starting, trying to look for answers.

And I understand you had an early collaboration where you had programs at Saint Andrew Catholic Church, how did that work?

We began our programs at Saint Andrew Catholic Church where they offered us a space where we could hold the art classes and then we started looking for a place that would be fitting for the women artists to exhibit, to show, to meet each other. And that was when we came across the Library. And we visited the Southwest Library. We talked to Sandy and that’s how our first exhibition began.

And this would be Sandy Mayer, the Librarian at the Southwest Library?

Correct.

So she was supportive or she was part of the collaboration?

We asked Sandy to exhibit a group of women artists that I was inviting to be part of the show. And then, of course, Sandy provided the space and the support that we needed to carry out that program. But the interesting part about that is, the Southwest Library played an even bigger role before that without probably, not even knowing. It was that when we decided, what is our board now, decided that we wanted to have a nonprofit organization. We were researching on how to do that.

Southwest Branch Library

So actually one day, I go to the Southwest Library looking for books to see how to do that. And I pulled out a book by author, Aretha Olivarez. I didn’t know her, but it was just what the title, the summary said and I checked it out. So I take that book home and I am reading through it and I just jump off my chair because I see that the author is local. I mean, what are the chances of you looking through the library stacks and pulling out a book, I didn’t know anything about the author, and I just happen to find this author that lives in Orlando. And then, I love the book, of course. And then, I share with the board and then I called her and we meet at the Southwest Library. So she really, truly helped us to get started in the right direction and it was crucial that we met her and how she helped us.

Would you tell us about some of the achievements of the Women in the Arts that have special meaning for you? Is it the opening night of the show or an experience of a young artist or seeing the different artworks of women artists on display? Are there moments that you particularly remember?

I think one of the most important moments in the history of Women in the Arts is when actually, Sandy because I explained to Sandy the vision and what we were trying to do, we were trying to get all the women artists of Orlando to meet each other and to share their art in an exhibition. And one of those pivotal moments was when Sandy referred me to the Orlando Public Library and to Sara Brown at that time, who was the liaison for that type of program. So that was incredible! Because we met with Sara and that is when the Women in the Arts exhibition and then later on it became a competition and a succession of changes and evolution happened throughout. And to me, that was an incredible moment in our history because meeting one person sometimes can change your history. It can change the lives of many other people. And I didn’t know, we didn’t know about that. So we were directed to the Orlando Public Library. We connected with a department and since then it’s been one achievement after another. And, it’s been incredible. It’s been inspiring to me.

And to many people, right, to everyone who knows about it.

Yes.

I don’t want to ask any private information, but would I be correct in saying that the funding continues for the organization? In other words, initially you applied for a grant, you applied for some grants, so it continues to be sustainable as a nonprofit?

Yes. Absolutely. And as we evolve, I have confidence that it is even going to grow even more. Because of what we are going to focus right now into more networking and into the new expo program that we are developing. And so, I’ve already seen that year after year, not only that we keep our donors since the beginning, we are always receiving additional support. And sometimes, from organizations that they are not even here and that is always surprising and inspiring.

I understand that you have a Community Arts School for young people. Would you tell us about that?

The Community School of the Arts program is so much fun! I just love working with children and working with our staff and our teachers creating the program for the summer. It’s just wonderful! It’s for grades Pre-K through 12th and also we offer adult art classes through the Southwest Library Branch as well. And this program is offered at different libraries, for example, the Hiawassee Library, the Eatonville Library, Southeast Library so far. And it also has evolved with the needs. Through the pandemic we began to do the online program and then since then we’re transitioning to a hybrid program where we have the Community School of the Arts online through the summer.

Mennello Museum of Art

But also, they come together for their awards ceremony and for a digital exhibition at the Library and that has worked wonderful! It’s been an improvement because now we see that not only the students are relating to the art program, involved in it. But also, the siblings, friends, parents, grandparents, caretakers, they’re also part of the program. And then, they’re just so thrilled to come at the end of the program and see all of the things that they have achieved. It’s just incredibly fun. That program then, we have expanded it for the older kids to go to the Mennello Museum of American Art during the fall. So it’s a transition from a community based program into a museum program that will give them the whole picture of what is a cycle of an art piece and an artist. And it’s been a wonderful experience.

Have you also seen progress for female artists in Central Florida? For example, have you seen collectors coming to buy the art from female artists or have you seen female collectors? I heard that may be a trend now as women have their own money that they buy art by other women. Or have you seen maybe large public contracts awarded to female artists in the state? Have you seen these sorts of transitions or maybe we’re not there yet? Or is there progress in different areas?

So I am happy to say that I’ve witnessed change here in Orlando. And that is always something that I’m very happy to see. And really, from the time that we started until now, in the community the change is huge. However, I would have to say that worldwide, overall, globally, nationwide, it’s not. The progress is very, very slow. We actually have a very unique, vibrant, involved, caring artist community. But, overall, looking at the market reports, for example, I was looking at the 2023 Women Artist Market Report, the conclusions that we drew from that is that the progress is very slow. And it could be very either alienating or it could be very discouraging. So, we just have to look at everything. We have to look at the entire picture. And then we have to look at what is happening in our community.

I am very happy to say, our community is very special, very caring, and very open for change and to make things better. But, globally, looking at, talking just about market shares in the auction environment, for example, in 2023, there was this report that showed that in a span for example, of the past ten years, women arts and gender diverse people or minorities were only ten percent of that auction market. So in the ten years, ten percent, that could be shocking. So those are numbers that worry me. And then, the industry claims for example, that women contribute to the auction market, one billion dollars. But it is one billion compared to nine billion of male artists work. So the gap is tremendous. It’s huge.

There has been progress. There is progress. But I find it very, very slow. Also, if you want in trying to digest those numbers and thinking what does this mean? But to put it in more simpler terms, for each dollar that you invest in a woman artist’s work, people would invest ten to twenty in a male artist’s work. So I can digest that. So I can see the gap right there, you know, the difference. And those numbers may have changed since we last saw this report. And the conclusions keep coming and they keep deferring and they keep going back and forth in who is right and who is wrong. But to me the research is pointers, but the fact of the matter is that people are not aware of the huge difference of income that women have versus male. And we love our guys, we want them to succeed. But we want to succeed as well. We want our women artists to succeed as much and that’s the facts.

Collecting Art by Women Artists

I think what is really, really important, is that you mentioned collectors. I think that’s when the public comes into play. Because for women artists to succeed or any artist to succeed they need collectors and they need people that love their art and they want to get them in their homes and give it to others as a gift. In collectors, the word sounds very intimidating.

Art Collecting for Everyone

Who is a collector and who gets to be a collector? I am a collector. But you don’t have to be ultra rich to be a collector. You can be a collector within the means that you have. And, I think, we need to understand that term and we need to understand that we all can be art collectors. And we can all have access to women artists work. And that there is room for everyone to enjoy having a collection of art in your home of different types. And so, there are several myths in the industry that I think we need to revisit, we need to talk about more and make people understand that you can buy art, you can buy this piece. Just stay within your budget. Do what you can. But you can afford to give a gift that is unique and created by an artist.

It is beautiful and transformative. It presents a new paradigm doesn’t it?

Exactly, yes. It transforms the vision of who is an artist. For example, someone can start collecting their children’s work. You know, that’s the easiest way to get started. I did. I started to keep every single drawing, painting, picture that they did. And I put them in a binder and I dated it. We titled it. You know, we had fun with it. And I have it. And that’s my art collection of my children’s art collection.

And then you just start meeting people. I mean, artists are such beautiful people, such incredible human beings. The most generous I know. The bravest I know. How can you not get some of that art into your home? And so, you little by little start. And I did. And I hope that I can keep doing that. And I enjoy it and I love it. And everytime I see a piece, I know the artist and it just makes me smile. It makes me happy and I’m happy.

Are there some artists from any time period that really fill you with joy? It could be local, it could be like I said any time period. Are there some artists that you particularly love…

Absolutely. I have many. But if I have to say one, I would say Louise Nevelson. She’s a sculptor. She was a sculptor. And her sculptures live on. So every time that I come across her artwork, her constructions. She worked a lot with installations, building with wood and other materials. She used black and white. The white constructions are very, very hard to find. But I actually, recently had the chance to see it. I saw them for the first time. I’ve always seen her installations on black. And then finally, I found a sculpture, in a huge, huge installations at one of the museums in Florida… [The Baker Museum, Naples, Florida] But I was at this exhibition and I was totally surprised because I’ve never seen her work painted in white. I’ve always seen her dark installations. And I thought that was so beautiful.

“You can imagine an entire world inside these installations…”

And, I think, it’s very special to me because of my architectural training seeing form. Seeing the positioning of the pieces. Creating something sculptural, something that transcends a building. But they look like buildings. They look like spaces. There are some installations that you can even walk inside of them. And you are discovering. They may have these little windows, but they are not windows. They don’t have a ceiling. They are open sometimes. But you can imagine an entire world inside these installations. Or, there are some that are wall mounted. She’s definitely my top artist. And I relate to her because she built her work. And, I think, that’s what I liked about architecture. I liked the design, getting things together, and then all of a sudden there is a building where people can inhabit it. And then, enjoy it. And this is even beyond that, is a space, is a form that you can imagine many things happening at the same time. It’s unlimited what that piece could be for you or for anyone else.

Thank you.

You’re welcome.

What do you see as your vision for the future either for your organization or for arts for women locally or internationally? Do you have a sense of optimism?

I am very optimistic! I believe in people first of all. I believe in the good of people. And I believe that things are going to change. I have great hope in what is coming up next. And the vision continues to evolve, and the way that I like it to evolve is not because I have this great idea. I don’t think that that works actually. But, I think, when you respond to necessities or to things that are pressing in the community that you’re working with and that you observe around, I love to observe and see.

And when you really care, when you’re really observing what’s happening and you ask yourself, do I keep doing this or do I need to do something else? You know, is this thing necessary? You know, I think one of the best ways to have a vision is just to get yourself out of the way and just look and see what is important here.

And then when you know what’s important, then you can go back to a vision of it. So, the way that we have worked all these years is that way. We’ve observed what is needed. We look into the artist community. We fill a gap, not only us, but as I say, many others in the community do the same thing. And then we ask ourselves, is this still needed? What is next? What is pressing right now?

Sustaining Female Artists Throughout Their Lifespan

So, the vision now is an answer to the question, how do we make the women artists sustainable throughout their lifespan without gaps, without interference, without having them be intermittent because they have many roles to fulfill, and they can’t do it all. And when they can do it all they find that they’re depleted and they don’t have the support that they need.

“A springboard where you can really depart and then follow what your vision is…”

So yes, you can be an artist and you could be a successful artist. And yes, you can be a sustainable artist. But I think it takes a lot more than the single artist to make it. Yes, you can do it all, but you need support. You need support from your community, from your friends, from the people that care, to really have a springboard where you can really depart and then follow what your vision is for your specific type of art.

Women in the Arts Expo

So with the Women in the Arts Expo, which starts this year, and we are extremely excited, that’s exactly what the Expo is. We’ve done the competition and the awards on an international scale with the help of the library, with the help of our benefactors, with the help of our board, our partners, and the public and the artists, you know, with so many people, that we felt we fulfilled that goal. That we learned about women artists that we know now where the women artists are, what they’re doing, what’s happening.

Amazing Women

What is happening around the world with women artists. We were caught in the middle of the “Me Too” movement and our voices during history month that the library has celebrated all these years since we’ve been partners and even before us, that is incredible because it really gave us, actually, we are actually standing on the history of women and women artists. We’re standing on the stacks of books here on all that history and what better place to just take this project ahead. We’re not discovering the wheel. We’re just, we’re standing in the strides of all these amazing women that made paths for us here. And we don’t have to do it all. We just need to keep pushing what we can our way while we’re here. 

The Vision Continues… 

But so the vision continues. The vision continues now with the Expo. We learned a lot during that period of years over a decade working with artists in the competition, now we’re ready to really integrate the community, the public, the artists, the art industry, open a dialogue, in a very specific way at the library.

Resources for Women Artists

And so, we are, we’re very excited about this stage. Because, I think, this would help everyone. And will help the women artists to find answers. To have a steady career. To find the resources that they need so when things happen in life, they have plan B. And they know how to, you know, how to navigate through that. And especially the young artists that are graduating, you know, to know ahead that things can happen through our life and being an artist is a career for life. So how do we enable these women to be strong throughout life changes and situations and global situations. Just look at the pandemic and everything that’s happening in the world.

Community

So how does a woman artist survive? Or you know, any artist, how do they survive the ups and downs? And, I think, the answer is in community.

And there are a lot of organizations and events in central Florida for the arts. So do you see maybe a possibility in the future of having more studios or maybe a collective studio for women in the arts with childcare and studios. And they participate in this partnership, this collaborative …

I truly hope. And, I think, they may exist. I that that’s something I dream for all women in all industries. You know, that is something that people are working on and some companies have that figured out But we’re still, again, it’s a very slow process and very slow to change, but it is changing. And people are trying, and companies are trying to adapt to all situations that a worker may have when it comes to balancing family and work. So, I think, the issue, even though it’s larger in terms of, I think, it affects most industries, all industries, you know. I think and I hope that the solution or the best solution is going to come from a creative community. So I think that probably the artists will play a crucial role, a normative role in coming up with a solution that then the rest of the world, the rest of the industry, the rest of the companies can adopt. But if it’s going to come from somewhere, it is going to come from the creative community and from women artists.

It’s very sensible, isn’t it?

Yes, of course.

So, for the upcoming event that you mentioned, the Genius of Women, a 2024 Women in the Arts Expo, that will be open to the public, is that right?

Okay, so I am so glad that you’re asking that question because when the Women in the Arts Expo, this first year, what we’re aiming at is to bring together the artists and the art industry leaders and people involved with the decision makers, basically, to bring them together in a dialogue, in a networking event at the library.

The Public as a Resource for Artists

We will be having the Women in the Arts Expo on March 30th, 2024 at the Melrose Center, which is an amazing place to have it. It’s the creative space, technology-oriented, and a wonderful, wonderful space for this type of activity. So we are not going to have art per se at the Expo, this time at least. Because what we’re focusing right now is on a networking session between decision makers, people working in the industry, and the artists and the public. Because the public, like we said before, you know, they play an important role in being a resource for the artists and being the ones that need to be also aware of the difficulties and struggles and also the amazing things that women artists create.

Katherine Page, Mennello Museum of American Art Curator and Educator

So we find that this first expo is going to focus on networking. So the public, the artists, and the industry will be networking together. And then, we will have a guest speaker from the museums. Our guest speaker for this year is Katherine Page, she is the curator of art and education at the Mennello Museum of American Art. And she will be on stage in a dialogue to answer questions about how do I become visible? I’m invisible right now. How do you see me? How do people find me. So there are many ways to become visible. But sometimes you need to talk to an expert to give you a little bit of advice. To say, well, these are the things that, you know, will help you to become more visible, more active in the arts community and that will lead you to other things.

Gallery Representation

And, for example, I think, the most important question would be, how do I become a good artist? What makes me a good artist? What do I need? Because, I think, that that should be the first question. How do I make my art good? How do I make myself relevant through my work by my work being good? You know, so questions like that. And then, for example, if I’m thinking of being represented by a gallery, you know, is this gallery going to be the best choice for me, you know? Is this what I’m really looking for? How do I know to which gallery to go to? How I do know to which competition to enter? Where do I put my energy in applying for grants or in applying for competitions or shows? How do I make it into a show? How do I get selected? Questions like that. And then other questions, for example, how do I price my art? What is my reference? How do I do these things? Who is in my support team?

Engaging Groups for Artists

I think that that’s really, really important because we observe that artists work alone, but they work better in groups. They work better in a community when they’re together. I mean, they don’t have to work together all the time, but it’s very important that they have their studio time alone. But it’s very important that they feel engaged with a group that then becomes their support group, their friends, you know. So we know that that’s extremely important.

Networking for Artists

We know that artists may feel alone sometimes and that is what we are trying to bridge. We’re trying to make sure that the artists know that they’re not alone. That they have people and that they may find people in this networking session that they may become friends with. And we know this because we did over 10 years of meetings with, through the competition of these women that become friends. They do their own groups after that. They share. They do incredible things that I would never think of. Then, you know, they create projects together, they collaborate. They go and enter other competitions. They do other things and it’s all because they find a community. So that’s, for example, another question.

Response from the Art Industry

And then, you know, how do I become sustainable? How do I live off of my art? How do I make it without any gaps? And, you know, I don’t know if these, you know questions or the answers to these questions will be all solved in one day in the span of a couple of hours. But at least we can start asking. And at least we can start putting people together to try to find the answers together. And to know that there is a spirit of and a willingness to find those answers together. The response that we had from the art industry attending this event is incredible.

Museum Shows

Okay, what does that tell you? That tells you that they care. They’ll tell you that it’s a caring community, that we all want the same things, you know, we all want to help and we all want to do things better. So, basically, this session is going to be that. It’s going to be networking, getting to know each other. And then, you know, asking questions that an expert can guide through by, maybe, you know, giving some examples of, what does it take to put on a show at a museum? You know, what does it involve? Because sometimes the women artists may be focusing on their own concerns about, you know, how do I make my piece and all that entails from making the piece to hanging it in a show.

“The Library is an Enormous Resource…”

But then you also need to understand the enormous amount of work that the women also that are working at the museum and everyone that’s working in the museums do to make that piece visible and available, you know, for the entire community to enjoy. And it’s a tremendous effort, what they do. And it is a lot of work. And so, I think understanding each other’s roles and answering those type of questions would bridge a lot of the unknown things and then we’ll take it from there and see how it went and then we’ll elaborate on what else they want to learn more about. And the library is an enormous resource because whatever it is, the Library can do it.

The Business of the Art

You know, so I know the Library has capability to teach everything that you may need to function as a business, you know because there is a businesses aspect of it, of being an artist. You, whether you like it or not, also become a business and somebody has to manage it. Sometimes, not necessarily the artist, but, you know, sometimes you get somebody else to do it. And I think that’s sometimes best because it’s a full-time job to run a business. And the library has so many ways of supporting entrepreneurs and businesses and emerging artists and everyone really that I think we are in the mothership, you know, and there is no other place.

The Future

So I am thrilled, I’m honored that we’ve been doing this program with the library for so long and that it has grown and evolved into what it is right now today, this day. But the most exciting part is, I don’t know what is going to be in the future. And I just have enormous hope that it’s going to be amazing. And eventually, eventually it won’t be needed. And when it won’t be needed, is when we all as a community have accomplished the final goal, because we’re all making it.

Well, thank you so much for your brilliant statement and the contribution that you’ve made to art, to women in the arts, to our region, but also internationally, because you have international artists and you have international connections. So, we know as many things that do happen in Orlando it’s local, but it is also global. You know that happens a lot in a really beautiful vision as you have and as you’ve accomplished. We look forward to celebrating the premiere of the Genius of Women at the 2024 Women in the Arts Expo. That’s incredibly exciting. And thank you so much for taking time out of your extraordinary schedule to meet with us today and to share so beautifully and articulately about the accomplishments and the legacy that you’ve given to our area. So, it was a great joy to meet you. So, thank you so much. 

Thank you, Jane. 

Interview: Maria Guerrero

Interviewer:  Jane Tracy

Date: March 8, 2024

Place: Orlando Public Library