Maria Botti Villegas
Maria Botti Villegas, a muralist, illustrator, and multidisciplinary artist, was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She holds a 5 -year degree from Pueyrredón School of Fine Arts in her native country, Argentina.
After training in modern ballet with Graham technique and while singing in a 40 member choir at the Italian Association of Vicente Lopez, Maria became the Manager at Casa del Ángel Art gallery in Buenos Aires, selling and dealing with Argentinian masters. She was a pen-and-ink illustrator when she came to United States on the occasion of showing at a group art exhibit in New York City.
In 1992, as she fell in love with El Dorado, Arkansas, Maria became an Arkansas Arts Council Artist-in-Education (AIE artist). As a working artist in The States, she has participated in numerous exhibits and competitions in Arkansas, Louisiana and other states winning numerous awards including the 2001 scholarship from the Committee of The National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. Maria has also painted 30 public murals in Arkansas and Louisiana.
In her El Dorado, Arkansas hometown, Maria has been a teaching artist at The South Arkansas Arts Center Arts Academy and an AIE artist in the school system in levels K-12 for more than 25 years. Maria also teaches art forms and art therapy at her studio as a way to channel a myriad of emotions and the most personal deepest questions. She shares her art with her husband, artist Jorge Villegas, her students, and with Lulu and Krishna, her cats.
Maria's work is represented in the permanent collection of the following entities in Arkansas:
Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources, Smackover.
Fort Smith Civic Center, Fort Smith
Historic Arkansas Museum, Little Rock
South Arkansas Arts Center, El Dorado
University of Arkansas Community College, Hope
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Became an American Citizen in 2004.
Education
1989-1987
Voice training
1982-1975
Dance training
1978-1973
National school of Fine Arts Prilidiano Pueyrredón, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Experience
2023-1995
Teaching artist at the South Arkansas Arts Center, El Dorado, AR
2019-1993
33 public murals in Arkansas and Louisiana
2019-1992
Artist– in – Education in Arkansas and Texas
1991-1989
Manager at “Casa del Ángel” Gallery, Buenos Aires, Argentina
1989-1979
Studio Artist– Freelance Illustrator for children books, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Awards
2023
Arkansas Arts Council Governor’s Arts Awards- Arts in Education Award
2001
Scholarship recipient Arkansas committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), Washington DC
Purchase Award Fort Smith Civic Center, Art Quest Exhibit, Fort Smith, Arkansas
2000
TRAHC Annual Juried Competition – Honorable Mention – Painting, Texarkana, Texas
1995
Masur Museum of Art Annual Juried Competition – Award of Excellence – Painting, Monroe, Louisiana
1993
South Arkansas Arts Center Annual Juried Competition – Purchase Award – Painting – Second Place – Drawing, El Dorado, Arkansas
1992
Arkansas Artist Association Henderson State University – Honorable Mention –Drawing, Arkadelphia, Arkansas
South Arkansas Arts Center Annual Juried Competition – Second place, Painting, El Dorado, Arkansas
1991
South Arkansas Arts Center Annual Spring Exhibition – Third place, Graphics – Honorable Mention Painting – Graphics, El Dorado, Arkansas
1987
Autumn Exhibit Ateneo Popular Esteban Echeverría – Honorable mention – Graphics, San Fernando, Argentina
Autumn Exhibit Sociedad de Artistas Plásticos – Honorable mention – Graphics, Buenos Aires Argentina
1984
Tigre Municipality – Second place – Painting, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Solo
2017
Silent interludes, El Dorado Arkansas
2016
Crónicas de lo Efímero, Cox Creative Center, Little Rock, Arkansas
2002
Stage impromptus, Texarkana Regional Arts Council, Texarkana, Texas
2000
Under the Mediterranean Sun, Travel emporium, El Dorado Arkansas
1999
Bella Tuscany, Travel Emporium, El Dorado Arkansas
1992
Chroma Gallery, Little Rock, Arkansas
1989
Espacios, Casa de La Cultura, San Fernando, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Group
2023
Selected to be a presenter during the opening reception of the 49th Arkansas Governor Conference on Tourism, Municipal Auditorium, El Dorado, Arkansas
Selected to participate in Small Works on Paper, 2023 season, Arkansas Arts Council, Little Rock, Arkansas
ABRAZO, a virtual exhibit, Verum Ultimum Art Gallery, Portland, Oregon
STRATA II: Manifesting through the layers, a virtual exhibit, Verum Ultimum Art Gallery, Portland, Oregon
2022
Juried into Diversia 27th Group Exhibition-UN Calendar September 2022 Biafarin Online Exhibition
LIMINAL II, a virtual exhibit, Verum Ultimum Art Gallery, Portland, Oregon
ELEMENTS, a virtual show, Art Fluent Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts
Masur Museum Annual Juried Competition, Monroe, Louisiana
A generous Kingdom 6, a virtual show, Verum Ultimum Art Gallery Portland, Oregon
2021
Joy (This is what I needed!) a virtual show, Edward Dixon Gallery, Dayton, Ohio
Chasing Ghosts VI: Piercing the Veil through Remembrance, a virtual show, Verum
Ultimum Art Gallery, Portland, Oregon
All about Women, Marin Society of Artists, a virtual show, San Rafael, California
Near and Far, a virtual show, Rhode Island Watercolor Society, Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Liminal, a virtual show, Verum Ultimum Art Gallery, Portland, Oregon
2021
Irene Rosenzweig 2021, The Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
2019
Irene Rosenzweig 2019, The Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Small Works on Paper, Arkansas Arts Council, Little Rock, Arkansas
2018
Gordon and Wenonah Fay Hall Permanent Collection Exhibit at the Historic Arkansas Museum, Little Rock, Arkansas
2016
Interconnections, Christ Church, Little Rock, Arkansas
2014
Arts in the Hearts for Decades, 32 years of Arts in Education in El Dorado, South Arkansas Arts Center, El Dorado Arkansas
Legacy and Inspiration, South Arkansas Arts Center, El Dorado Arkansas
Indigo Visions, Hearne Fine Arts, Little Rock, Arkansas
2013
Historic Arkansas Museum, Little Rock Arkansas
2012
Multicultural Center, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas
2006
Small Works on Paper, Arkansas Arts Council, Little Rock Arkansas
2005
Small Works on Paper, Arkansas Arts Council, Little Rock Arkansas
Historic Arkansas Museum, Little Rock Arkansas
Oval Gallery New Artists Exhibit, Little Rock Arkansas
2004
Arkansas Arte Latino, Historic Arkansas Museum, Little Rock, Arkansas
Arkansas Repertory Theater, Little Rock Arkansas
2001
Originals, Arkansas Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, Arkansas
Fort Smith Civic Center, Fort Smith, Arkansas
2000
Small Works on Paper, Arkansas Arts Council, Little Rock, Arkansas
Delta, Annual Juried Competition, Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock,
Texarkana Regional Arts Council, Annual Competition, Texarkana, Texas
1998
University of Monticello, Arkansas
1995
Masur Museum, Monroe, Louisiana
1994
Museum of Natural Resources, Smackover Arkansas
1992
Square One Gallery, Little Rock, Arkansas
White Space Gallery, Little Rock, Arkansas
1991
South Arkansas Arts Center, El Dorado Arkansas
1990
Dome Gallery, New York, NY
1986
Salón Manuel Belgrano, Buenos Aires Argentina
Rodolfo Cascales Gallery, Buenos Aires, Argentina
1987
Salón de Otoño de San Fernando, San Fernando Argentina
Salón Manuel Belgrano, Buenos Aires Argentina
Ateneo Popular Esteban Echeverría, Buenos Aires, Argentina
1985
Salón de las Malvinas, Buenos Aires Argentina
1984
Salón Premio Braque, Buenos Aires, Argentina
1981
Salón Premio Esso, Buenos Aires, Argentina
1980
Salón de Otoño de San Fernando, San Fernando Argentina