Art Forum Guest Speaker, María Elena González

• María Elena González
• March 25, 2024, 5:30-7:00 pm
• Calcia Hall, Room 135

María Elena González is an acclaimed Cuban American sculptor with studios in Brooklyn, NY, and Oakland, CA. Renowned for her intricate installations and poetic arrangements, González seamlessly integrates conceptual depth with meticulous craftsmanship, exploring themes of identity, memory, and displacement. Currently, she is spearheading efforts to integrate climate change mitigation and sustainable practices into arts education.

Throughout her thirty-year career, González has earned prestigious accolades including the Prix de Rome from the American Academy in Rome (2003), the Grand Prize at the 30th Biennial of Graphic Arts in Ljubljana, Slovenia (2013), and a Guggenheim Fellowship (2006), among others. She has also received grants from leading foundations such as Creative Capital, Pollock-Krasner, and Joan Mitchell. González has served as Sculpture Commissioner for New York City’s Design Commission and taught at institutions including Cooper Union School of Art and Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture.

Notably, her site-specific works commissioned by the Public Art Fund and Storm King Art Center garnered widespread acclaim, while her Tree Talk Series culminated in a solo exhibition at The Mills College Art Museum in January 2019. González’s sculptures are featured in prominent public collections worldwide, including the Kunstmuseum Basel, The Museum of Arts and Design in New York, and The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.