ABOUT THE
CURATOR
Ronald
Lopez, 35, is an artist and curator with a devotion to emerging art,
social justice, and alternative explorations. He specializes in creative
access and traverses through social networks.
Lopez
has produced provocative art for more than a decade and has helped to
implement city art programs in Los Angeles and Istanbul, Turkey. While
in Istanbul, Lopez founded and developed the Aden Art Center (March
2002), a national, non-profit creative center for young and emerging
artists. The Center featured an international program that included an
artist-in-residence program and an exchange component for festivals.
In
2006, Lopez introduced audiences to the U.S. version of "Does
Religion Kill?", a thought provoking group exhibition featuring
video, installation, drawing and an interactive dialogue mural.
"Does Religion Kill?" first premiered during Turkey's 9th
International Istanbul Biennial in September 2005 as a parallel project.
Lopez
has also participated in public art forums, including speaking
engagements at the Arts Initiative Symposium in Yokohama, Japan
organized by Arts Autonomy Network, Alliance for Artists Communities'
annual conference at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania and at the Res Artis' annual conference at Museo Tamayo
Arte Contemporaneo in Mexico City.
Some of
Lopez's other notable roles and accomplishments include: 1996 California
Arts Council / CORO Arts Leadership Fellow, Director of Operations at
the Progressive Arts Academy in Compton, California, Analyst to The
Regional Arts Council in the City of Los Angeles, Reviewer to The Getty
Museum's Development Plan in 1996, Gallery Manager to Couturier Gallery,
and artist-in-residence at various art centers throughout Los Angeles.
Lopez
is a native Angeleno and has returned to his roots after several years
in the Middle East. He presently serves as the Program Coordinator at
18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica, California.
