100 Works of Art by Jesús Toro Martínez on Exhibit in Pomona

Urban Renewal, 2016, Mixed Media on Canvas, 96"x 41"

The Latino Art Museum opens an exhibition featuring the work of renowned artist Jesús Toro Martínez this week. The show, Jesús Toro Martínez: NOT TRADITIONAL, a collection of 100 paintings and drawings will be on view through July 30th.  The exhibit presents Martínez’s newest works on canvas, wood and paper.  An artist reception will be held today from 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. as part of the monthly Pomona Art Walk.  

“I’m thrilled to have my work exhibited in such a prestigious  and rapidly growing institution. It’s an honor to have been invited to have a one-man show by the world-class staff at the Latino Art Museum in Pomona,” said Martinez.

“I love to paint visual expressions that change the viewer’s opinion by using unconventional organic materials.  It’s rewarding to see individuals appreciate my art and their interest in technique and purpose.  I am grateful to have been included as part of the museum’s schedule.”

“We continue to be impressed and inspired by Toro’s work,” says museum Director Graciela Nardi.  “His use of color and materials is dynamic and fun.  His work is fundamentally based upon his experiences growing up on the Texas border where cultures, politics, religions and economies are often challenges to the kind of collaborations that benefit the community.” 

“Toro is not a traditional painter.  His easel is a flat table or the ground.  His brushes are from the hardware department.  His materials come from the recycle bin or even the trash.  He makes his own colors.  He uses materials not traditionally connected with fine art to create the finest of art.” Nardi continues.

“As a kid, we just didn’t have extra money for art supplies.  I had to be resourceful.  I learned early to ask friends and family members if I could use something they didn’t want any more.  I still do that,” Martínez confides.

“Jesús Toro Martínez recreates his own world through the exploration of the natural light of his outside studio, unconventional materials, processes, techniques, and concepts. He creates his pigments by mixing organic elements to respond to life within a universe that evolves and expands,” writes former university art professor and critic Beatriz Mejía-Krumbein in the vivid, compact catalogue published by the Latino Art Museum in conjunction with the exhibition.

A Texan by birth, Jesús Toro Martínez regularly paints on location or at his outdoor studio.  His paintings are created primarily in oil with a variety of additional organic materials including aluminum, tar, rose petals and gold. 

Among the permanent public art collections where his art is now included are: The University of Texas at San Antonio; the Border Regional MHMR Center in Laredo, Texas; and the National Academy of Art in Helsinki, Finland.  His art is also in numerous private art collections across the country.

The Latino Art Museum is a non-profit organization created to promote the works of talented Latin American contemporary artists living in the United States and instill a sense of appreciation for Latino art in the minds and hearts of children and adults.

Located at 281 S. Thomas St., Suite 105, Pomona, CA 91766, the Latin American Museum can be reached by emailing latinoartmuseum0@gmail.com or at http://www.lamoa.net. LAM can be reached via telephone by calling 909.484.2618 (toll free) or 909.620.6009