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.

Artist Statement concerning, Searching for Bonnie Birch 

Mr. Lopez' new video work created for War As a Way of Life focuses on former soldier George Torres' plight as a result of the United State’s interest and “unobtrusive presence” in the Congo during the mid 1960’s in a military campaign that was secretly classified as “Operation Bonnie Birch”. Following a five year civil unrest, Joseph-Desire Mobutu, overthrew Kasavubu in 1965 with the support of the Central Intelligence Agency backed coup d’etat. For the next few years the US maintained a military operation there to secure natural resources, diamonds and ore, and aid Mobutu in thwarting off the Communists. Fast forward to the mid ‘80’s and Mr. Torres who served on this campaign was told by the US government that such factions never occurred, or if they did, he was never there, or he was misclassified. Conflict is often characterized by deceit, lies, and corruption of individuals by the state. The strange underground world of covert operations is a tactic the United States has historically employed to advance its agenda of national interest and security. George Torres is Mr. Lopez uncle.

Ronald Lopez, is an artist and curator who explores themes along the lines of social justice and internal human conflict. It is most evident in his series entitled Flesh vs. Spirit, mixed media (collage, pencil, acrylic and sign enamel) on cut medium density fiberboard shaped into human skulls, represents the fleshly desires of men that, if left unattended, could lead to a state of mental catharsis. In 2003, Mr. Lopez’s War and Hate skull was selected to be in a group show called “What’s Missing?”, presented by Karsi Sanat (Against Art Gallery) in Istanbul, Turkey as a response to Dan Cameron’s 8th Istanbul Biennial. Two years later, in 2005, Mr. Lopez’s conceptual and social art project entitled “Does Religion Kill?” was held as a parallel project with the 9th Istanbul Biennial.