Josue Salazar is a contemporary artist based in Western Massachusetts. Originally from the borderland of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, he immigrated to the U.S. at a young age. Growing up in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California deeply influenced his art and is still seen in his current work.
Considered a contemporary landscape artist, Josue draws inspiration from the vastness of nature to evoke a sense of the sublime in his viewers. His art captures the essence of life unfolding, infusing everyday moments with profound meaning. Always exploring new perspectives, he seeks to transcend the ordinary by weaving elements of the natural world into the metaphysical realm. He seeks to keep a record of life through his work and has so much to say with the traditional mediums.
Currently his work is based on personal research of identity and landscape investigating border communities. Through a mixed media approach of drawing, printmaking, and artist books, his work examines the cultural, emotional, and geographic realities of the U.S. Mexico borderlands, focusing on Nogales, Sonora. He aims to give a more nuanced look of the border communities with their complexities and diversities and challenge the ways in which the borderlands have been politicized and misunderstood.
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Education:
2026 Masters of Fine Arts (Candidate), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA
2022 Bachelors in Studio Arts Methods Magna Cum Laude, California State University Sacramento, Sacramento, CA
Exhibitions:
2025-2026 "Home as Counterpoint", Barn Door Gallery, Northampton, MA Dec 12 - Jan 5
2025 "Fronterex", Wall @ SAB, UMass Amherst, MA, March 27 - September 26
2025 "Collapsing Worlds", Student Union Art Gallery, UMass Amherst, MA, March 24 - April 11
2024 "Variations in Monochrome: Limiting the Palette", A.P.E. Gallery, Northampton, MA, Nov 8 - Dec 1
2024 "Grafting" Herter Art Gallery, UMass Amherst, MA, Oct 17- Oct29
2024 "Cambios" Open Studio, Ey!Studio, Carabanchel, Madrid, Spain, July 24
2023 "Record of Existence" Herter Art Gallery, UMass Amherst, MA, Nov 2 - Nov 22
2023 "Art Auction Exhibit" Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA, May 10 - June 04
2022 "From Above With Love" (solo show) R.W & Joyce Witt Gallery, CA, CSUS, Sep 20 - Sep 23
2022 "Annual Student Awards Show" Else Gallery CSUS, CA, April 12 - April 21
2022 "Student Purchase Awards" University Union Gallery, Sacramento CA, curated by Rebecca Voorhees, March 28- April 21
2019 "Cinko" Three Weavers Brewing Company, Inglewood, CA, curated by Jose Sanchez
2012 “Fractured Memories” (solo show) The House of Brews, San Fernando CA Nov 1 - Dec 22
2012 "Best of the Best Los Angeles Mission College", Galleria Gitana, San Fernando, CA
Awards and Residencies:
2025 HFA (Humanities and Fine Arts) Summer Research Award , UMass Amherst
2025 Graduate School Block Grant, Umass Amherst
2025 Wall @ SAB grant, UMass Amherst
2024 Ey!StudioAir Residency, Madrid, Spain (Website)
2024 Graduate School Block Grant, UMass Amherst
2022 University Art Products Award, CSUS
2022 Student Purchase Award, University Union, CSUS
2022 1st Place 2022 Student Purchase Award Best of Show Award, University Union, CSUS 2022
Public Collections:
University Union's permanent art collection, CSUS
Bibliography:
2024 Arteinformado, Artista en Residencia Josue Salazar Link
2023 The Voyage Utah, Meet Josue, April 26, 2023 (Interview with the artist) Link
2015 Barbara Kerwin, Drawing From the Inside Out, ATS Art Textbook Society; 1st edition, August 19, 2015 (3 drawings included as illustrations)
Professional Experience:
2023-Present Instructor of Record, Studio Arts, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
2022 The Crocker Art Museum, Art Stories Audio Guide Episode 22 (Researched, wrote, and recorded an audio guide in a group setting) Sacramento, CA
2021-2023 Art Teacher, Whispering Pines Christian School, Plymouth, CA
