Artist Spotlight: November, 2023

Nora Valdez

Valdez’s exhibit, “Passages” is installed outside, on the museum grounds, through September, 2025.

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Tell us a little about your background.

I was born in Argentina. In 1982, I graduated with the title of Professor of Fine Art from the College of Fine Arts in San Luis, Argentina. In 1984, I moved to Perugia, Italy where I further developed and exhibited my work. In 1985, I started working in marble in Zaragoza, Spain, in a studio funded by the city of Zaragoza. I have been living and working as an artist in the United States since 1986.

I have exhibited my work internationally in Europe, Asia, and in North, Central and South America, including numerous international Sculpture Symposiums. I have more than 15 permanent Public Art pieces installed around the world and in the United States. I have received many awards and have been funded nationally and internationally.

I am an advisor and instructor at The Carving Studio and Sculpture Center in West Rutland, VT, where I direct the Stone Bench Project, which has created and installed stone benches throughout Vermont. I have been a member of Boston Sculpture Gallery since 2012. My work is part of the permanent collections of the Fitchburg Art Museum, Fitchburg, MA; the Art Complex Museum, Duxbury, MA; the University of Massachusetts permanent art collection, Boston, MA; and the Changchun World Sculpture Park and Museum, China, among others.

When did you know you were an artist? 

Since I was 6 years old, when my parents sent me to an Art Academy. I have never stopped doing my art since then.

Was there a pivotal moment for you?

Yes, in 1984, when I left Argentina to go Europe to further develop my work

Where do you find inspiration?

I use sculpture and installations to create images that reflect on the nature of change, the life of the individual, and the forces that buffet our souls. For the past years my work has focused on the nature of “home” and the immigrant experience, recreating in my art the hard road of those caught within alien systems, seeking the rootedness of home. These thematic concerns are also reflected in my involvement with the community.

What is your favorite medium?

Drawing and carving in stone.

Can you describe your process?

I use drawing as the first tool to start thinking of an idea. Once I feel I have a good piece in my hands, I pass that to the block of stone. I draw directly on the stone with colored chalk, which is easy to erase if necessary. I then do direct carving. I don’t usually create models beforehand, unless required for a commission.

For many years I carved without power tools, using just chisel and hammer. Now I use a grinder and diamond wheels to help remove materials, and I use pneumatic tools to carve.

Is there anything else you’d like us to know about your work?

With the installation of my Passage exhibit on the grounds of the Art Complex Museum, I now have 9 works in Duxbury:  4 pieces in the reading garden at the Duxbury Public Library, and 5 at the Art Complex Museum. I’m very grateful to their community. I love the place!