Gloria Chapa has realized many of her life goals by utilizing resources at her disposal in unexpected ways.  Texan, Catholic, Mexican, matriarchal and mathematical are a few of the influences that define her character.

      Originally Ms. Chapa was destined to be an engineer due to her mathematical abilities and a strong parental affinity for the sciences. Early on, she had a fascination with making and drawing, but she was dissuaded from taking any sort of fine arts classes as a child. Her engineering career allowed her to exercise some of her creative abilities, but after 10 years the difficult decision was made to pursue degrees in art.  Not surprisingly, one of her first art professors commented that she was like an insatiable sponge.

      After graduate school, there were several university positions that Ms. Chapa held (Virginia Commonwealth University,University of Richmond, University of Mary Washington). One of the most rewarding of these teaching positions was in Bogota,Colombia at a District University in the city center. Third world art student views/ideas were beyond anything encountered in US schools. There was also a short period of graduate studies in Moscow that reinforced this aspect of art outside the US.

      Gloria Chapa has a wanderlust that she has been able to indulge. Her creative center has benefited from the many varied environments that she has allowed herself to experience. Recently, she has made an effort to remain inWashington, in order to reflect, examine, organize and utilize the events of her life in her work. The last couple of years have been extremely productive. Her amalgam of mathematics, domesticity and cultural variety  results in art work that is contemplative, revelatory, unexpected and yet very accessible.

 

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