GEMA ALAVA
contact@gemaalava.com

1973, Born in Madrid, Spain. Lives permanently in New York.

EDUCATION

1998-00 San Francisco Art Institute, MFA, Masters in Fine Arts, New Genre.
1997-99 The Academy of Art College, MFA, Masters in Fine Arts, Painting & Printmaking (with honors.)
1996-97 Círculo de Bellas Artes, Graduate Certificate, Aesthetics, History&Theory of Contemporary Art
1991-96 Universidad Complutense de Madrid, BFA, Bachelors in Fine Arts, Painting (top 10 graduates.)
1995 Chelsea College of Art and Design, The London Institute. BFA Semester Exchange Student.

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2009
Mumford Fine Art, “Just Tell Me,” London
SUNY Rockland Community College, “Gema Alava,” New York

2008
Messineo Art Projects & Wyman Contemporary, “Tell Me the Truth,” New York, NY.
Lucy Gooding Gallery, The Bolles School, “Tell Me a Story,” Jacksonville, FL.

2006
King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center of New York University, “Hay Ropa Tendida (Clothing,)” New York, NY.

2002
Lance Fung Gallery, “Land of No One,” New York, NY.

2000
Diego Rivera Gallery, San Francisco Art Institute, “The Siren’s Silence,” San Francisco, CA.

1999
Diego Rivera Gallery, San Francisco Art Institute, “List of Things to Forget,” San Francisco, CA.

1998
Mill & Short Gallery, “Fragments,” San Francisco, CA.

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS/ART PROJECTS
2011
Lehman College Art Gallery, New York, NY. “Fiber Art,” curated by Sandra Siders.

2010
Mumford Fine Arts, “Paperworks,” London

2009
United Nations/ONU, New York, New York. “Nueve Lunas” curated by Anahi Rubin
C-WOW “From Wall to Wall,” Art Benefit, NJ
Gallery Aferro, “Art Benefit,” New Jersey.
RED DOT Art Fair, Mumford Fine Arts, New York, NY
Guernica Art Project, “Art Benefit,” New York, NY.
CUE Art Foundation, New York. NY. Presentation of Art Project FIND ME by Gema Alava with the participation of artists Lars Chellberg, Barabara Holub, Ester Partegas, Paul Kos, Arne Svenson, Robert Ryman, Merrill Wagner, Lawrence Weiner and Maria Yoon.
The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse, Miami , Florida. Lotus House Women´s Shelter Benefit: Hope Blossoms – An Art Happening in Nine Parts.
Affordable Art Fair, London. Mumford Fine Art.
Mumford Fine Art, “PaperWorks,” London.

2008
Museum of Modern Art, Art Project: “Tell Me: Crisostomo on Tuesdays,” New York.
Queens Museum of Art, “Framing Aids,” New York. Curated by Ada Cintron.
Art Now Fair, Miami Beach.
El MUSEO del Barrio and The Cervantes Institute, “N.Y. Motion 1.0.” New York. Curated by Elvis Ramos and Paco Cano.
RED DOT: Art Fair, New York, New York. (Mumford Fine Art)
FORM: Art & Design Fair Olympia, London. (Mumford Fine Art)
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum,"A Dialogue," New York, New York. Art project proposal selected by Cai Guo-Quiang as part of "Everything is Museum." Proposal displayed February - May, 2008. The project took place on February 21, 2008 at 9PM at the Guggenheim Museum.

2007
Jersey City Museum, “The Feminine Mystique,” NJ. Curated by Rocio Aranda Alvarado (September 20 - February 2008)
Sacco Gallery, “Ladies and Gentelman,” Miami, Florida.
Aferro Gallery, “Desideratum,” Newark, NJ. Curated by Evonne M. Davis
Victory Hall- Contemporary Arts Center, “99 cent,” New Jersey City, NJ, Curated by Rocio Aranda Alvarado

2006
City Without Walls- Cwow, “Drawing Stage,” Newark, NJ. Curated by E. Carmen Ramos.

2005
Children’s Museum of the Arts, Art Auction Donation, New York, NY. Invited by curator Kimberly Marrero.

2004
Peekskill Project, “Ferry Tales,” Peekskill, NY. Curated by Lance Fung.
The Rotunda Gallery, “A Slow Read,” Brooklyn, NY. Curated by Katarina Wong.

2003
The Queens Museum of Art, “Proyectos Especiales,” NY. Curated by Hitomi Iwasaky.
Aljira-A Center for Contemporary Art, “Emerge 2002,” NJ. Curated by Calvin Reid.
2002 The Bronx Museum of the Arts, “AIM 2002,” New York, NY. Curated by Lydia Yee.
Exit Art Gallery, “Reactions,” New York, NY.

2001
The Alternator Gallery, “Dress-up,” Kelowna, Canada.
ARCO 01, Feria Internacional de Arte, Galeria Carmen de la Calle, Madrid, Spain.
AAC Gallery, “Spiralprosjektet,” San Francisco, CA, USA and Stavanger, Norway.
1999 McBean Gallery, San Francisco Art Institute, “Annual Artist Book Contest,” San Francisco.
Charles H. Scott Gallery, “Nature and Technology,” Vancouver, Canada.
Rana Museum, “Spiralprosjektet,” Norway.

1998
Circulo de Bellas Artes, Sala de Exposiciones, Madrid, Spain.

1996
Museo Gregorio Prieto, “Premio Nacional de Dibujo Gregorio Prieto,” Valdepenas, Spain.
Galería Eloy Gonzalo, “Premio Nacional de Dibujo Gregorio Prieto,” Madrid, Spain.
Sala de Exposiciones Mapfre, “XIV Premio Penagos de Dibujo,” Madrid, Spain.
Facultad de Bellas Artes, “Proyectos,” UCM, Madrid, Spain.
Facultad de Bellas Artes, “Premio de Pintura,” UCM, Madrid, Spain.

1995
Chelsea College of Art and Design, “Final Works,” London, England.
Galería el Gayo Arte, Madrid, Spain.
Sala de Exposiciones Maphre, “XIII Premio Penagos de Dibujo,” Madrid, Spain.

GRANTS/FELLOWSHIPS/AWARDS
2009
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Grant. Six week Workshop Series.
Guest Visiting Artist, SUNY Rockland Community College, New York.

2008
The General Consulate of Spain in New York, Visual Artist Fellowship for “Tell me the Truth.”
Guest Visiting Artist 2008 Art Department The Bolles School, Jacksonville, Florida.

2007
Fundacion General de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Full Fellowship “Cursos de Verano, El Escorial,” Madrid, Spain. (Residency.)

2006
The General Consulate of Spain in New York, Visual Artist Fellowship for “Ropa Tendida (Clothing.)”

2003
The General Consulate of Spain in New York, Visual Artist Fellowship for “Patrones de Fe.”

2002
The General Consulate of Spain in New York, Visual Artist Fellowship for “Land of No One.”

2001
The Bronx Museum of the Arts, AIM-- Artist in The Marketplace Program, New York.
Aljira-A Center for Contemporary Art, Emerge 2002 Program, New Jersey.

2000
San Francisco Art Institute, Finalist MFA 2000 Graduation Award.

1999-00
San Francisco Art Institute, International Student Fellowship for Graduate Studies

1997-99
Fundación “la Caixa”, Fellowship for Graduate Studies in the USA, Spain.

1997
Fundacion General de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Full
Fellowship “Cursos de Verano, El Escorial,” Madrid, Spain. (Residency)

1995-96
Ministry of Education and Sciences of Spain, UCM Contemporary Art History Fellow, Spain.

1995
Fundacion General de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Full Fellowship “Cursos de Verano, El Escorial,” Madrid, Spain. (Residency.)
Univesidad Complutense, ERASMUS Fellowship between European Universities, Spain.
MAPFRE Foundation. Second Prize. International Penagos Drawing Competition, Spain.

1994
Universidad Complutense, Beca-Colaboración Fellowship, Madrid, Spain.
Colegio Oficial de Ingenieros Tecnicos de Madrid First Alternate and Honorable
Mention, National Painting Competition, Spain.

COMMISSIONS
2008
Private Collection, Barcelona, Spain.

2007
“Land of No One 808,” Private Collection, London.
“Tell Me a Story No. 2,” Private Collection, New York, NY.

2006
“Hay Ropa Tendida (Clothing)” by The King Juan Carlos I Center of New York University, New York, NY.

2003
“Patrones de Fe” by The Queens Museum of Art, New York.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
La Caixa Foundation, Newsletter Bimonthly Magazine, 2009.
Laporte, Eduardo. "De Marcha en Nueva York," El Correo, Bilbao, Spain. November 8, 2008.
Armada, Alfonso. "El Mar de Harlem," ABC, New York, November 7, 2008.
Armada, Alfonso. "Falta de Atención," ABC, New York, October 21, 2008.
Armada, Alfonso. "El Sueno Americano, en Crisis," ABC, Madrid, Spain, October 26, 2008.
Fuentes, Elvis, Francisco Cano, Eduardo Lago, Carmen Caffarel, Julian Zugazagoitia. "NY Motion 1.0", Instituto Cervantes de Nueva York and El MUSEO del Barrio, New York, (catalog), September 2008.
Sirefman, Susanna. "Fung Sway" Surface Magazine, Art & Design, No.72. New York, NY, July, 2008.
Mooney, Ted. "Gema Alava: Tell Me the Truth," Artists Organized Art, New York, April 2008.
"Gema Alava: Tell Me the Truth," Iberarte, Edited by redaccion Iberarte, Madrid, 20 April 2008.
Armada, Alfonso. “Nueva York, El Deso y la Quimera.” Editorial Espasa, (Pages 195, 196, 199). Spain, 2007.
Aranda-Alvarado, Rocio. “The Femenine Mystique.” Jersey City Museum, (catalog), September 2007.
Haber, John. “Desperate Artists.” Haber Arts, Edited by John Haber, New York, October 22, 2007.
Laporte, Eduardo. “Ropa Tendida.” El Naufrago Digital, Geografias, Edited by Eduardo La Porte, Madrid, August 24, 2007.
“Las rutas del Arte.” Iberarte, Edited by redaccion Iberarte, Madrid, August 21, 2007.
Laporte, Eduardo. “Alfileres, Trozos de Cartas y Papel de Vater,” Edited by Universidad Complutense, Cursos de Verano El Escorial, July 2007.
Merino, Juan Fernando, "En Busca del Hilo Conductor." El Diario/LA PRENSA, Arte y Cultura, New York, April, 22, 2007.
Ramos, E. Carmen. "Drawing Stage." Cwow-City Without Walls (catalog) 2006.
Bischoff, Dan. "Make Room for Drawings." The Star-Ledger, New Jersey, September 22, 2006.
"Ciclo Sobre la Guerra Civil Española en el King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center." De Norte a Sur, New York and New Jersey, No. 303, November 2006.
Armada, Alfonso. "Un MoMA Enaltecido." Diario ABC, Madrid/New York, November 20, 2004.
Armada, Alfonso. "Escuela de Equilibristas." Diario ABC, Madrid/New York, 19 August, 2003.
Bischoff, Dan. "Aljira's New Gallery Emerges." The Sunday Star-Ledger, New Jersey, June, 1, 2003.
Piquer, Isabel. "El Museo Neoyorquino de Queens Recuerda el Sueno de Venus de Dali." EL PAIS, Cultura, June 23, 2003.
Sider, Sandra. "Gema Alava Crisostomo:Funambulista." FiberArts Magazine, NY, Jan-Febr. 2003.
Reid, Calvin. "Dancing in the Dark." Aljira- A Center for Contemporary Art, New Jersey (catalog) 2003.
Armada, Alfonso. "Caligrafia de la Fragilidad." Diario ABC, Madrid/New York, February 16, 2002.
Cotter, Holland. "Artist in the Marketplace." The New York Times, September 6, 2002.
Gelambi, M. Rosa. "Artistas en Vanguardia." Newsletter N.32, La Caixa, Barcelona, March, 2002.
Merino, Juan Fernando. "En Tierra de Nadie." El Diario La Prensa, New York, January 13, 2002.
Sevilla, Nacho. "La Artista Espanola Gema Alava Crisostomo expone su obra en una galeria
del Soho Neoyorquino." Europa Press, New York, February 25, 2002.
Yee, Lydia. "Aim 22," The Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York (catalog) 2002.
El Punto de las Artes, Madrid, p.20. May 1996.
The Canon, Jim Short Editions, San Francisco, Feb. 1998, p.12 (illustration) 1998.
Diario ABC, ABC de las Artes, Madrid, October 23, 1995.
El Punto de las Artes, Madrid, p.22 and 28. October 20-26, 1995.
XIV Premio Penagos de Dibujo, Fundacion Maphre, Madrid (catalog) 1996.
XIII Premio Penagos de Dibujo, Fundacion Maphre, Madrid (catalog) 1995.
XII Premio Penagos de Dibujo, Fundacion Maphre, Madrid (catalog) 1994.
Estaciones de Ferrocarril, Fundacion Amigos de Madrid (catalog) 1994.
Catalogo de Artistas Jovenes, Comunidad de Madrid (catalog) p.123, 1993.

ARTIST’S TALKS/PRESENTATIONS
CUE ART FOUNDATION, “Creative Survival Skills.” Roundtable, October 2009.
SUNY Rockland Community College, New York, 2009
CUE ART FOUNDATION, New York, New York. Presentation of art project FIND ME, 2009.
MARGULIES ART FOUNDATION, 2009.
NYU, New York University, 2009.
The Morgan Library and Museum, New York, NY, 2008.
Columbia University, "Art and Politics," New York, NY, 2008.
The Bolles School, Department of Fine&Performing Arts, Jacksonville, Florida, 2008.
School, Department of Fine&Performing Arts, Jacksonville, Florida.
The Morgan Library and Museum, New York, NY, November, 2007.
Universidad Complutense, Cursos de El Escorial, “La Memoria y el Arte Contemporaneo,” Madrid, 2007.
The Leadership Program, New York, NY, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007.
New Jersey Museum, “Slide Night,” NJ, 2006.
The Queens Museum of Art, “Patrones de Fe,” NY, 2003.
Whitney at Altria, New York, “Artist’s Books,” NY, 2002.
The San Francisco Art Institute, “The Silence of the Sirens,” SF, 2000.
The San Francisco Art Institute, “Land of No One,” SF, 1999.
Circulo de Bellas Artes, “Sentimiento,” Madrid, Spain, 1994.

TELEVISION
“Con Visado de Calle,” TVE, televisión española, 2010.
“Nueve Lunas en Naciones Unidas” NTN, December 10, 2009.
“Hope Blossoms Art Happening at the Margulies Collection at the Warehouse,” UVU, Miami, Florida, October 2009.
“Gema Alava: Conquistando la Gran Manzana,” NCI Noticias, HITM, Hispanic Information Telecomunications Network, Inc, April 2008.
“Dialogo de Costa a Costa,” Roundtable: “The Importance of Art in Education,” HITM,
Hispanic Information Telecommunications Network, Inc, March, 12, 2007. 12PM-1PM.
“Contact Arte,” HITM, Hispanic Information Telecommunications Network, Inc, 2006, 2007 and 2008. (6 Programs.)
“Por Arte de Mujer: Gema Alava Crisostomo,” HITM, Hispanic Information Telecommunications Network, Inc (On going 2007-2008.)

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Lecturer/Educator - MoMA, NY. 2004 – Present.
Educator - Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY. 2004 – Present.
Art Instructor/Educator - Whitney Museum of American Art, NY. 2003 – Present.
Art Instructor/Whitney at Altria, NY. 2002.
Lecturer/Educator - Guggenheim Museum, NY. 2002 – Present.
Art Instructor – The Leadership Program, NY. 2002 – Present.
Lecturer/Art Instructor/Educator - The Morgan Library and Museum, NY. 2001 – Present.
Art Instructor - Museum of the City of New York - Learning Department - NY, 2002 – 2004.
Art Instructor - The Queens Museum or Art - New York - Summer 2003.
Art Instructor Young Artists Program (Drawing, Art History) - San Francisco Art Institute - Summer 2000.
Graduate Teaching Assistant (Art History, Studio Art, Art critique) - San Francisco Art
Institute - 1999-2000.