Andrea Gómez (artist) facts for kids

Andrea Gómez y Mendoza (born November 19, 1926 – died November 2012) was a talented Mexican artist. She was known for her graphic art and for painting large murals. Andrea Gómez was also a member of the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana, a group of important Mexican artists.

About Andrea Gómez's Life

Andrea Gómez had an interesting family background. Her grandmother, Juana Belén Gutiérrez Chávez, was a brave writer. She ran a newspaper in the early 1900s. Her newspaper spoke out about unfair working conditions for miners. The government eventually closed it down.

Andrea's mother was Laura Mendoza, and her father was Rosendo Gómez Lorenzo. Andrea was born in Mexico City. But her family soon moved to Morelia, Michoacán. This is where she began her art studies. She went to the Universidad de San Nicolás.

In 1940, Andrea returned to Mexico City. She continued her art education there. She studied at the Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas for two years. After that, she learned about lithography. This is a special way of printing images. She studied it at the Escuela de Artes del Libro. Her teacher was a famous artist named José Chávez Morado.

Andrea Gómez loved to travel and learn. She visited many countries around the world. These included Italy, France, and the Czech Republic. She also went to Armenia, Cuba, and the Soviet Union. In Moscow, she studied fresco painting. Fresco is a way of painting on wet plaster.

Andrea lived in Temixco, Morelos until she passed away. She kept creating art her whole life. She especially enjoyed painting portraits. She also studied Flemish painting, a style from the Netherlands.

Andrea Gómez's Art Career

While studying art, Andrea met another artist, Mariana Yampolsky. Mariana invited Andrea to join the Taller de Gráfica Popular. This was a famous workshop for graphic artists.

Andrea worked as an illustrator for many projects. She helped the National Indigenous Institute. This work allowed her to travel to different parts of Mexico. She also worked with the Secretariat of Public Education. She helped create free textbooks for students. Her art also appeared in cultural magazines. These included El Nacional and México en la Cultura.

Besides graphic art, Andrea painted many large murals. Murals are big paintings on walls. Some of her famous murals include:

• Maternidad y El agua at the Hospital Civil in Ixmiquilpan, Hidalgo.
• México Indígena at the Instituto Nacional Indigenista in Chiapas.
• Latinoamérica in Havana, Cuba.
• El Maíz, a portable mural. This mural was made for the Museo Nacional de Culturas Populares in Mexico City.

Andrea also helped start art centers. She founded the Casa de cultura del Pueblo. She also started the Taller de Dibujo Infantil Arco Iris. This was a drawing workshop for children in Temixco, Morelos.

In 1956, Andrea Gómez won a big award. Her graphic artwork La niña de basura won Mexico's National Engraving Prize. Another of her artworks, Madre contra la guerra from 1956, also gained international fame. In 2011, the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana held a special show. It displayed many of her artworks.

See Also

In Spanish: Andrea Gómez (artista) para niños