Philadelphia Weekly:
March 2004

Spring Guide 2004: One From the Art

Young Philadelphia artists are doing really cool stuff.

PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY EDITORIAL STAFF (editmail@philadelphiaweekly.com)

Contributors: Rahsheeda Ali, Erik Bader, Jeffrey Barg, Patrick Berkery, Chris Cummins, Roberta Fallon, Julie Gerstein, Kia Gregory, Mike Newall, J. Cooper Robb, Anita Schillhorn van Veen, Suzann Vogel and Kris Wilton

Photographs by Jessica Griffin

Name: Michelle Ortiz

Age: 25

Why we're watching her: In addition to being a skilled muralist, Ortiz uses her passion for art and culture to teach and inspire creativity in urban teens. She recently became co-director of the Multicultural Youth eXchange (MYX) in Old City, where she facilitated the current "Viewpoints of Community" exhibit. Her gallery works reflect her Latino heritage and detail her struggle with identity. Many of Ortiz's pieces chronicle family experiences, shaping personal understanding of her ethnicity.

Background: Raised in South Philadelphia by a Colombian mother and a Puerto Rican father, Ortiz says, "We were the only Latino family on the block." She questioned her cultural identity at a young age and started expressing herself visually, pursuing formal art training through programs at Moore College of Art and Design and the University of the Arts. Ortiz's first mural was inspired by an altercation with a nun during high school. After Ortiz touched an item for sale in the school cafeteria, the nun told her that her hands were "unclean." Offended, Ortiz chose to base her first large-scale piece on this experience. "I just wanted to do something that wouldn't get me suspended," she says. She began teaching art while attending Moore, and soon realized her presence as a young Latina artist could motivate young minorities and bring a new perspective to the Philadelphia art scene.

Recent exhibitions and projects: Ortiz was the September 2003 featured artist at La Colectiva gallery. She also participated in a group exhibit of emerging artists at El Viejo San Juan gallery and helped design and paint two murals in Lancaster, Pa., illustrating women's contributions to society.

Day job: Freelance artist and consultant.

What's next: Creating two murals for the Reinvestment Fund to be displayed at Seventh and Chestnut streets. She'll be featured in an August 2004 exhibit for Las Gallas, a collective of Latina artists, and an October 2004 exhibit at the Painted Bride sponsored by Women Holler. She's also managing a mural and mosaic project for Edison High School.