The benefits of art collectives with Ivete Martinez

Anne Halliwell, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
·4 min read

Dec. 7—Ivete De Castro Martinez earned two master's degrees at Oxford and Stanford, and worked at Mayo Clinic long before she launched her career as an artist.

The seeds were there — Martinez had always enjoyed museums and works by "the old masters."

"Usually I have strong emotional responses to ... art pieces in human history," she said. "When I see art it doesn't matter if it's in the Cave of Altamira in Spain, or the Sistine Chapel in Rome, I always end up in tears. Maybe it's because I'm oversensitive, or maybe it's because of my deeper understanding of art."

However, she had no idea she could draw — much less paint — until she began exploring the arts as therapy 17 years ago.

Now Martinez is a prominent member of local art collectives SEMVA and Gallery 24, with a hand in the development of the relatively recent Med City Art Festival.

What appeals to you most about the medium of oil paintings?

Although I explore other media like pastel, tempera, acrylics, pouring art, and collage, my heart belongs to oil painting. Oil has a quality that no other media has; the richness of the pigments, the variety of color-mixing possibilities, the thickness of paint, the slow drying, the sensation of your first brushstroke on canvas. These are all the elements that enchanted me.

How did you get involved with Gallery 24 and SEMVA?

The first gallery I was involved was SEMVA, about 11 or 12 years ago. SEMVA was the door to the art world for me at that time. I got involved with Gallery 24 about three or four years ago. SEMVA is pro-profit and G-24 non-profit, but both corporations work in the same manner. We are all responsible for basic activities at the gallery. My personal engagement with the galleries varies according to the leadership they have. I am and been on the board of both SEMVA and G-24.

In the last three years, I've been developing Med City Art Festival, a nonprofit organization. It is an inclusive and diverse event which partners with Gallery 24. We run several projects like the Berkman project, the Collage exhibition, the Art from the Unrepresentative, and others. Most of these projects are in partnership with other organizations as well.

What are the benefits of artists' collectives?

Being an artist is a solitary enterprise. It is you, in your studio, working on your piece of art. Collective corporations like a gallery will take an artist into a space of interactions with other artists and the community. It's a solution for those who tend to procrastinate or lose motivation.

Working with other artists can promote creativity, discipline, and higher self-esteem. Artists have a space to connect on a deeper level with colleagues around them.

It's important to point out that working as part of a collective art group allows us to succeed more easily (by) participating in multiple projects simultaneously through shared efforts.

What are a few good things about Rochester's art scene? What would you change about it, given the chance?

In terms of raw materials, we have everything: diversity in cultures, races, creativity, cosmopolitan views, financial power, government incentives, etc. But we're still operating in isolated systems. It's very difficult to make long-term partnerships in this environment. But I do believe that Rochester's art scene is changing for the better. People are more conscious of art ecosystems. The idea of an art ecosystem where everything somehow connects with everything else is a powerful one.

Through art festival, we try to create, in a small way, this ecosystem. ... We try to reach all forms of art: music, poetry, painting, 2D, 3D, dance, theater, and everything in between. As well as (secure) business support (and) government incentives. All parts of Med City Art Festival depend on the individual artist and the community. I have great hopes for the future of the art scene in Rochester.

Asked & Answered is a weekly question-and-answer column featuring people of southeastern Minnesota. Is there somebody you'd like to see featured? Send suggestions to news@postbulletin.com.