Current Art Exhibition
Virginia Castro, Abstract Painter
The Salida SteamPlant will host a solo show by local artist Virginia Castro in the Paquette Gallery December 2 through December 30, 2016.
Virginia will welcome the public at a reception in the Paquette Gallery on Saturday, December 10 from 5-7 pm, which will feature live music from harpist Pamela Hughes. Join us for complimentary beer, wine, and hors d’oeuvres!
Artist Statement
Motivated by truth and the idea that beauty follows truth, Virginia allows the art to flow through her without intending an outcome. The abstract images that result are deeply rooted in both Nature and Culture, inviting the viewer to draw their own conclusions about time and place.
After pursuing political and business interests, Virginia is fulfilling her artistic aspirations. She has traveled extensively. The colors and textures of exotic locales including Guatemala, Mexico, Thailand, and Nepal stirred longings to express herself creatively. Visits to museums in the US and Europe fed her hunger for knowledge, while time spent in Nature fed her soul.
Starting with the primary colors, she mixes her own colors, even black. Virginia prefers to work primarily on wet, raw, unsealed cotton canvas. Even though the medium is acrylic, this stain method of painting sometimes creates batik or watercolor effects. Instead of brushes, she uses a variety of implements, including chopsticks, pieces of yarn and even her bare hands.
“I believe Nature is the greatest artist of all. It is from this Master I derive my ultimate inspiration.” – Virginia Castro
Living in the mountains of Colorado provides her with an abundance of opportunities to be inspired by the world around her. She has called Salida home since the fall of 2009. Durango, Boulder, Grand Junction, and La Veta Pass have all been home, too. She grew up in Walsenburg, the hometown of her father, and the area inhabited by generations of her ancestors.
She received her degree in Business Administration from the University of Colorado in Boulder. While attending business school, she often received surprised comments about the fact that she was majoring in business. Her creativity and inevitable artistic pursuits were apparently evident to those around her. Summer art camp and honors art classes in her youth had laid the foundation for her future artistic endeavors.
While in Durango, she served on the City Council and was the Mayor. During that time, she was instrumental in preserving hundreds of acres of open space, expanding the recycling program, completing key sections of the Animas River Trail and securing funding for a new library. She recalls that period as a rich and full time in her life.