María Ortega Gálvez

María Ortega Gálvez (Madrid 1967) is a contemporary Spanish artist specialized in painting, engraving, photography and textiles, in whose field she has developed her artistic and managerial work in recent years. She is director of the international association World Textile Art, WTA and director of the VIII International Biennial of Contemporary Textile Art WTA Sustainable City 2019, Madrid
==Biography==
She studied Design and Styling at the School of Design in Madrid in 1986-89. When she finished her studies, she worked as a designer and stylist in Madrid with the Basque fashion designer Ángela Arregui until 1991.
From 1999-2001, Ortego studies fiber art, sculpture and engraving at Blake Art College. In 2002-2004, she specialized in engraving and printing in the Madrid workshop of the Spanish-Colombian artist, Consuelo Vinchira.
She took a course in tapestry and silk painting at the Centro Cultural "Nicolás Salmerón", Madrid in 2004-2006. In 2009, Ortega took the raku ceramic course, in the Escuela de Cerámica de la Moncloa, Madrid. Due to her interest in photography, Ortega took the Professional Course of Photography and Digital Laboratory EFTI, Madrid.
She did herMaster's Degree in Cultural Management at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid in 2013.
Ortega's interest in the textiles started in 1992, when she created a design and haute couture workshop called Medium, which ran until 1999. She collaborated as a style coordinator in Pasarela Cibeles with the Basque designer Ángela Arregui from 1995 to 1999. During this time, she also worked as a stylist designer and image consultant for both national and international artists.
From 1996 to1998, she collaborated as a stylist, Stylist and image consulting projects such as Héroes del Silencio, Mano Negra, La Frontera, Los Ronaldos, Gabinete Galigari and U2.
María Ortega is the Spainish representative of the International Textile Art Organization: WTA since 2006, as well as an artist member. From 2008 to 2014, She worked as a curator and cultural manager. In recognition for her work in the field of textile art, she was appointed Director General for Europe of the International Organization World Textile Art (WTA) from 2013 to 2017. 
Ortega has been pursuing her cultural administration in parallel with her artistic work, having been selected to participate in the 6th Riga International Textile and Fiber Art Triennial "Tradition and Innovation" in Riga (Latvia), as the only Spanish artist.Her work was selected by an international jury to participate among 88 artists from 26 countries: the Baltic and Nordic countries, Poland, France, Germany, Austria, United Kingdom, Israel, USA, Russia, Japan, etc.
María Ortega was also selected to participate in the Art of Today Textile Biennial in Bratislava (Slovakia), among the proposals of 400 artists from 49 countries in the 5 continents, and was the only Spanish representative.
She participated in textile art conferences such as the 10th anniversary of "Women in Textile Art", Miami USA. IV Biennial of Textile Art Man+Woman = Creation WTA, Costa Rica. "FIBRAS 08 and 09" Contemporary Textile Art, Spain. Vth International Biennial of Textile Art WTA, Argentina. 1º Encuentro de la Red Textilia, Costa Rica
She was the winner of the 2nd prize at the V International Biennial of Textile Art, Palais Glace, WTA, Buenos Aires, Argentina 2009.
With her influence as WTA's European Director, the biennial moved to europe for the first time . The Biennial of Textile Art 2019 was held in Madrid in different venues under the heading "Sustainable City". The venues where the Biennial is held are Centro de Arte Complutense (C arteC) UCM, Real Jardín Botánico Alfonso XIII UCM, Museo del Traje, Museo de América, and Centro Cultural Galileo where invited artists were exhibited.
== Selected exhibitions ==
* 2015. 5th Riga International Textile & Fiber Art Triennial, Riga, Letonia.
* 2016. 18th international exhibition of textile miniatures Face to Face. Bratislava.
* 2016. 9th International Fiber Art Exhibition "From Lausanne to Beijing", China. 
* 2016, 2017 & 2018 Asia-Europe III, German Textile museum Frefeld in Germany, Central Museum of Textile in Lodz, Janina Monkute-Marks Museum in Lithuania.
* 2017. Exhibition Double width, weaving with art, Cultural Center of Spain in Montevideo. VII International Biennial of Contemporary Textile Art WTA Uruguay.
* 2017. Artist Book Exhibition, "Dialogues between both shores of the Atlantic" Archimboldo Gallery, Argentina.
* 2018. Exhibition "Faces of Oblivion" VIII Centenary of the University of Salamanca Plaza Mayor, Casa de las Conchas and Hospedería Fonseca.
* 2018. 6th Riga International Textile & Fiber Art Triennial, Riga, Letonia.
* 2018. 10th International Fiber Art Exhibition "From Lausanne to Beijing", China.
* 2018. Chaozhou International Embroidery Art Biennial Collection; Embroidery & Contemporary Life, China. 
* 2018/2019. Trienal Textile Art Of Today, Bratislava.
== Exhibitions as a curator ==
* 2008. Exhibition FIBRAS 08, Contemporary Textile Art. Costume Museum. CIPE. Madrid. September 12th-November 2nd. 
* 2009. Exhibition FIBRAS 09, Contemporary Textile Art. Spaces for Art Caja Madrid: in Ciudad Real, 09.01.09-08.02.09; in Aranjuez, 12.02.09-5.03.09; in Zaragoza,26.03.09-24.05.09 
* 2009. Exhibition FIBERSPAIN, Spanish Contemporary Textile Art. Visual Gallery FIBERSCENE, California, San Francisco. 2011. Thread to Thread Exhibition, Spanish Contemporary Textile Art. Parada 54 Gallery, Mexico City. 
* 2011. Exhibition "The Nature Spirit" Japanese Contemporary Textile Art, Japanese Hispanic Cultural Center, Salamanca from September 14th to October 28th.
* 2011/2012. Exhibition "The Nature Spirit" Japanese Contemporary Textile Art, c arte c (Centro de arte Complutense) from November 18th, 2011 to January 15th, 2012, Madrid.
* 2014. Exhibition FIBER FUTURES: Pioneers of Japanese Textile Art, c arte c (Centro de arte Complutense) from April 3rd to May 18th, 2014, Madrid.
* 2015. Exhibition "Japanese Contemporary Art, Miniatures" XV Cultural Week of Japan
* 2016. Exhibition Punto quebrado, las huellas del exodo, Casa de Vacas Cultural Center, Madrid and Jorge Rando Museum, Málaga.
* 2017. Exhibition Double width, weaving with art, Cultural Center of Spain in Montevideo. VII International Biennial of Contemporary Textile Art WTA Uruguay.
* 2017. Artist Book Exhibition, "Dialogues between both shores of the Atlantic" Archimboldo Gallery, Argentina.
* 2018. Exhibition Faces of Oblivion VIII Centenary of the University of Salamanca. Plaza Mayor, Casa de las Conchas and Hospedería Fonseca.
== Awards and Distinctions ==
*2003. Finalist in the Contemporary Engraving Award. Employment and Women's Department, Community of Madrid. 
*2006. Finalist IV Biennial of Textile Art WTA, Costa Rica. 2007. Finalist Print Award "José Hernández". City Hall of Pinto, Madrid. 
*2007. Finalist VIII San Lorenzo de El Escorial Printmaking Award. Culture House, Madrid. 
*2008. Finalist XXXVI International Printmaking Award "Carmen Arazona", Santa Cruz de la Palma. 
*2008. Finalist XVI ESTAMPA, Madrid. 2009. Finalist XVI National Print Awards. Museum of Spanish Contemporary Engraving, Marbella. 
*2009. Second Prize V International Biennial of Textile Art WTA, Buenos Aires, Argentina. 
*2009. Finalist XIX Contemporary Art Exhibition, MINIARTEXTIL cosmos, San Franchesco Church, Como, Italy. 
*2009. Finalist XIX Contemporary Engraving Award, Conserjería de Empleo y Mujer, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Community of Madrid. 
*2013. Finalist 2 Madrid Artist Book Fair, Masquelibros. 
*2013. Finalist Art al Vent X, Gata de los Gorgos.
== Articles, reviews and interviews ==
*2008. Interview with María Ortega, "Madrid should be a reference for Textile Art", (Metropolis magazine, World. September 12, 2008)
*2009. Yosi Anaya, "FIBERS 08/09 Contemporary Textile Art" in Textile Forum (ETN. European Textile Network, december, 2008).
*2009 Yosi Anaya, "FIBERS 08/09 Contemporary Textile Art" in Tramemos Magazine (CAAT, Buenos Aires), March, 2009.
*2009 "Iberoamerica V International WTA Biennial" at Textile Forum (ETN. European Textil Network), june, 2009 .
*2009 "FIBERS 08 and 09 Contemporary Textile Art", in the Textilia Network Bulletin at <www.redtextilia.org>
*2009. "Interview with María Ortega" as winner of the Second Prize of the V International Biennial of Textile Art (Buenos Aires, Argentina), in the Bulletin of the Red Textilia in
*2010. "Birds and Metamorphosis" Arts and Letters, Heraldo de Aragón (March 18th 2010, Zaragoza).
*2011. Madrid Association of Art Critics "The Nature Spirt" Japanese Contemporary Textile Art, Carmen Pallarés.
*2011. Interview report, 24 hours Salamanca "The Nature Spirt" Japanese Contemporary Textile Art, Salamanca/Madrid.
*2011. Interview report, Miradas 2, "The Nature Spirit" Japanese Contemporary Textile Art, Salamanca/Madrid
*2012. Article Carmen Pallares, artist María Ortega, Ballesol magazine
* 2012. Interview "Project of Conservation and Restoration of Contemporary Textile Art" Clara Bondia, Reina Sofia Museum.
* 2014. Brochure and card, FIBER FUTURES: Pioneers of Japanese Textile Art, Madrid.
* 2015 Triptych "Japanese Contemporary Art, Miniatures" 15th Cultural Week of Japan.
* 2016. Contemporary Textile Art Report Reporter 21 Canal Orbe.
* 2018. Article "The Boom of Textile Art" ELLE Decoration Magazine
==References==
== External links ==
* Maria Ortega Gálvez - Vimeo
* Maria Ortega Galvez. Artist, Curator, Cultural manager
* María José Ortega Gálvez Pablo de Olavide University | UPO
* María Ortega Gálvez on linkedin
* Maria Luisa Ortega Galvez - Google Scholar
Category:1967 births
Category:21st-century Spanish women
Category:20th-century Spanish women
Category:21st-century women
Category:20th-century women
Category:Spanish contemporary artists
Category:Feminist artists
Category:Women textile artists
Category:Textile artists
Category:Master's degrees
Category:Alumni of the University of London
Category:Alumni of the Royal College of Art