Ortiz, Cruz (b.1972)
Found 1 Works by this Artist
(b.1972)
San Antonio, TX
Cruz Ortiz lives and works in San Antonio, Texas. In 1993, Ortiz co-founded San Antonio Cultural
Arts. It is a non-profit focused on fostering human and community-based arts. Community-engaged
art has led to the creation of the Community Mural Program. The Program is responsible for the
creation of over 50 public murals throughout San Antonio. They range in style and size but share
similar themes of community and hope. Additionally, Ortiz has served on the San Antonio Arts
Commission in 2007, the Arts Commision of Austin in 2008, been a board member of ARTPACE San
Antonio since 2018, and has been a part of the selection committee for Texas Medal of Arts from
2018-19.
Oritz uses painting, print, sculpture, drawing, and public activation to address issues related to his
experiences growing up in the bicultural landscape of South Texas. Ortiz states “there is constant
unrest in the studio to observe and record as much as possible. Most of the works are based on
direct observation, as it has been more difficult to trust images that are pre-existing. These
paintings are not the end game. They are recordings, sketches, draftings, live portrait sittings,
still-life paintings, pleinair landscapes, all research-based findings that are directly gathered by
[Oritz.] There is something to be said of finding truths and being a real witness to these truths.”
https://www.cruzortizart.net