Margarita Cabrera. Photo: Jesús Fraire
On March 29, Art League Houston (ALH) announced Margarita Cabrera as its 2019 Texas Artist of the Year.
Jennie Ash, ALH Executive Director, states: “It’s a great honor for ALH to recognize Margarita Cabrera for her outstanding contribution to the world of visual art in Texas and beyond. Her work not only celebrates community histories and the value of exploration and learning, but also invites audiences to be part of the creative process and embark on their own journey of discovery. Her work truly captures and makes visible the imagination of a community.”
Currently based in San Antonio, Cabrera was born in Monterrey, Mexico and moved with her family to the United States when she was ten years old. Cabrera went on to study at the Maryland Institute College of Art and then earned BFA and MFA degrees from Hunter College of the City University of New York. She has been actively exhibiting since the 1990s, with recent exhibitions at Ruiz-Healy Art, Blue Star Contemporary, Southwest School of Art, and the Dallas Contemporary. For the past several years, Cabrera has worked on an ambitious public-art project at Mission Espada in San Antonio entitled Arbol de la Vida (Tree of Life), that is set to open in mid-May of 2019.
In a recent interview with Glasstire, Cabrera described her work:
“My art practice aligns with others working with socially engaged art in community. It empowers individual communities to define their place and voice in the social and cultural dialogues evolving within their communities. My art bridges contemporary art practices with traditional craft processes, allowing participating communities to reclaim, preserve, and innovate their traditions.”
Past recipients of the ALH Artist of the Year award include: Francesca Fuchs, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Terrell James, Amy Blakemore, Havel Ruck Projects, Rachel Hecker, Aaron Parazette, Mary McCleary, Joseph Havel, and Dr. John Biggers, among others. Cabrera will be featured in a solo exhibition at ALH from September 6-November 2, 2019, and will be celebrated at ALH’s annual gala on Friday, October 11, 2019 at Hotel ZaZa in Houston. For tickets and more information please, contact Jennie Ash at [email protected], or 713 523 9530.
