Gloria Osuna Perez

Gloria Osuna Perez (November 21, 1947 - June 25, 1999) was a Chicana artist. She had a pottery line, but is best known for her paintings. Her work is part of the permanent collection of the El Paso Museum of Art.[1]

Biography

Osuna Perez was born in Madera, California on November 21, 1947.[2] Her parents were migrant farm workers and Osuna Perez also worked in San Joaquin Valley fields picking fruit.[2] She moved to El Paso in 1985.[2] Before she returned to painting, Osuna Perez worked on a Mexican pottery line, called Pottery En Español.[3] Not long after moving to El Paso, she began painting again.[3]

Osuna Perez was the featured artist in Latina Magazine in 1996.[1] That same year, she also debuted her "Coyolxauhqui Madre Cosmia" exhibit at the El Paso Museum of Art.[1]

In 1996, Osuna Perez was told that she had six months to live after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.[4] She made her own funeral urn.[1] She created several urns, "representing continuous faith," according to the El Paso Times.[4] Creating the urns helped her stay positive in the face of the cancer diagnosis.[4] Osuna Perez died on June 25, 1999.[3] A memorial fund in her name supports art education at the El Paso Museum of Art.[5] Osuna Perez was inducted into the El Paso Women's Hall of Fame in 2001.[6] In 2008, her work was displayed at the National Museum of Mexican Art.[7]

Work

Osuna Perez often used Mexican-American people as subjects for her art.[1] She also painted the daily routines and lives of people.[8]

One of Osuna Perez's last works was three illustrations for the book, Little Gold Star/Estrellita de Oro.[9] Her daughter, Lucia Angela Perez, helped finish the illustrations for the book.[9] The Austin Chronicle called the illustrations by mother and daughter "vibrant."[10]

References
  1. Villalva, Maribel (11 July 1999). "Her Art Lives On". El Paso Times. Retrieved 17 March 2019. and "Osuna". El Paso Times. 11 July 1999. p. 7F. Retrieved 17 March 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. Salinas, Sandy (22 June 1996). "Meeting the First Lady". El Paso Times. Retrieved 17 March 2019 – via Newspapers.com. "Artist". El Paso Times. 22 June 1996. p. 3D. Retrieved 17 March 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Aguilar, Cristina (27 June 1999). "Well-Known El Paso Artist Gloria Osuna Perez Dies". El Paso Times. Retrieved 17 March 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Martinez, Melissa (10 September 1998). "Artist Creates Legacy of Hope, Faith". El Paso Times. Retrieved 17 March 2019 – via Newspapers.com. and "Artist". El Paso Times. 10 September 1998. p. 4D. Retrieved 17 March 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Gloria Osuna Perez Reception". El Paso Times. 18 February 2007. Retrieved 17 March 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Villalva, Maribel (25 February 2001). "7 To Be Inducted Into El Paso Women's Hall of Fame". El Paso Times. Retrieved 17 March 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Con Safos: Contemporary Chicano Art from the Joe A. Diaz Collection". National Museum of Mexican Art. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  8. Eklund, Lori; Medrano, Terry (July 2000). "Community and Contemporary Chicano Art: Four El Paso Artists". Art Education. 53 (4): 25–32. doi:10.2307/3193825. JSTOR 3193825.
  9. Renteria, Ramon (22 April 2000). "Mom, Daughter Illustrate Book Linked in Purpose". El Paso Times. Retrieved 17 March 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. Garza, David (28 July 2000). "Little Gold Star/Estrellita de Oro: A Cinderella Cuento". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
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