Artist Statement: I created a magical world where Nature and Animals combine, creating a different space that invites to be explored. They interact creating different stories that the viewer can complete. I want to attract people from far away, make them walk to the piano wondering, “What is that piece of art?” “What are those vibrant colors?” Flowers that look at you, a cat playing with birds, friendly snakes in love, a squirrel tricked by a cat, koi fish that hide when you play the piano and come back when you close it: they ask you to start playing the piano. The sky is blue and the grass is green. I love using words in my work; I included encouraging sentences for people to use the piano, sing, dance, create poetry, get inspired by it. I am an illustrator and a painter. My artwork could be defined as graphic expressionism. Children enjoy it because they can relate to it, and adults enjoy it because it appeals to their child within.
"Laura Alvarez was born in Valencia, Spain. Studied an MA in Fine Arts in Spain and England. She has been a graphic designer for more than 15 years. Before she left Spain, she managed the Communication and Public Relations department in a private school for several years. She arrived in New York in 2009 and went back to basics: art, illustration, mural painting. Laura then, became a community leader and educator. She has been teaching and collaborating with different organizations in The Bronx, such as New York Botanical Garden, The Bronx Council of the Arts, Young Urban Christians & Artists, Inc. (YUCA Arts), the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (SoBRO), The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, and The New York Public Library. She was granted the Seniors Partnering with Artists Citywide (SPARC) Residency in 2013, part of a program from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. She also received a grant from the Citizens Committee of New York City to create and teach an Educational Summer Art Program at Soundview Park. Laura was awarded the The Golden Trowel Award 2013 by Partnership for Parks, in recognition of her commitment to enacting change in neighborhood parks through superb community activism con Friends of Soundview Park. She attended the New York Foundation of the Arts’ Artepreneur Boot Camp in 2013-14. She was selected to participate in Assets for Artists, a program coordinated by Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA). Her last project is an ambitious mural in The Bronx, as a beautification project collaborating with the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Kingsbridge Heights Community Center, that will take place in the spring of 2015. Laura is the Co-Founder, Vice-President and COO of a newly created non profit organization called BxArts Factory, a multidisciplinary initiative that will be an incubator to artists and arts-based projects to assist underserved minorities in The Bronx. She has exhibited all over Europe and New York in collective and solo shows. In 2013 she also began curating art shows."
