Alumni Spotlight: Nicolás González
Art alum Nicolás González (B.F.A., '16) discusses how the networking and community-building he experienced at Meadows has carried over in his professional art career.
Nicolás González (B.F.A. ’16) is this week’s featured alum in our new Alumni Spotlight series for the This Week at Meadows e-newsletter. Each week, a different Meadows alum will be highlighted for their accomplishments post-graduation.
Though a significant portion of Nicolás González’s time at Meadows was spent in the art studios, one of the biggest lessons he learned was that making connections and building a community was just as important as the artistic skills he was honing.
“My experience at Meadow’s placed me in a network of people who genuinely appreciate the arts,” explains González. “This network and exposure allowed me to bring my passion and artistic vision to the community.”
Between the artistic inspiration and networking opportunities he experienced at Meadows, González found himself prepared to launch a gallery of his own. In 2017, González founded Gallery 86 with three other artists - fellow Meadows alum Juan Castillo (B.F.A. ’13), Arturo Hernandez, and Javier Riojas - as an online virtual art gallery dedicated to bringing greater exposure to emerging artists.
The gallery, which was recently awarded the Culture of Value micro-grant through the Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, functions both as an art collective and online art space, producing online shows and collaborating on art projects. This collaboration remains an artistic cornerstone for González. It was during his time at Meadows that he learned the value of community within the art world, especially as it pertains to his mural work.
“It’s important to learn more about the community and hear their voices so I have a better understanding of how I can translate that information in a visual manner,” explains González, who majored in art and minored in art history. “This gives the community true ownership of the work and not just the artist.”
You can find his mural work at St. Cecilia Catholic School, in the Oak Cliff Government Center, at “The Walls” in Pleasant Grove and the Consulate of Mexico – Dallas. You can visit Gallery86 online at gallery86.org and at their newly acquired physical space in Pleasant Grove.
Learn more about the Division of Art here.
González’s mural at the Consulate of Mexico in Dallas titled "Sembrando el Futuro" (or "Planting the Future").