Born in Madrid, Spain in 1973, Gema Alava has studied at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid, the Chelsea College of Art & Design in London and the San Francisco Art Institute. Ms. Alava   has earned prizes such as the Mapfre Foundation Penagos National Drawing Prize and several fellowships including the La Caixa Foundation fellowship. Gema Alava moved to New York in 2002. Alava was awarded positions at both the AIM Program at the Bronx Museum of the Arts of New York, and the Emerge Program from Aliira-Center for Contemporary Art in New Jersey which led to her first solo show in NYC, at Lance Fung Gallery.

Her work has been exhibited at the Rana Museum in Norway, the Queens Museum of the Arts in New York and, thanks to the generous collaboration of Cai Guo-Quiang, her latest art project took place on the ramp of the Solomon S. Guggenheim Museum, February 21^st, 2008.

Education
2000  MFA, San Francisco Art Institute, New Genre.
1999  MFA, The Academy of Art College,  Painting & Printmaking (with honors.)
1997  Círculo de Bellas Artes, Graduate Certificate, Aesthetics, History & Theory of Contemporary Art.
1996  BFA, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Painting (top 10 graduates.)
1995  BFA, Chelsea College of Art and Design, The London Institute. BFA Semester – Exchange Student

Selected Solo Exhibitions
2008
Messineo Art Projects and Wyman Contemporary, “Tell Me the Truth,” New York, NY.
Lucy Gooding Gallery, The Bolles School, “Tell Me a Story,” Jacksonville, FL.

2006
King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center of New York University, “Hay Ropa Tendida (Clothing,)”, New York, NY.

2002
Lance Fung Gallery, “Land of No One,” New York, NY.

2000
Diego Rivera Gallery, San Francisco Art Institute, “The Siren’s Silence,” San Francisco, CA.

1999
Diego Rivera Gallery, San Francisco Art Institute, “List of Things to Forget,” San Francisco, CA.

1998
Mill & Short Gallery, “Fragments,” San Francisco, CA.

Selected Group Exhibitions
2007
Jersey City Museum, “The Feminine Mystique,” NJ. Curated by Rocio Aranda Alvarado (September 20 - February 2008)
Sacco Gallery, Opening,  Miami, Florida. (Upcoming: September 6 - November 10)
Aferro Gallery, “Desideratum,” Newark, NJ. Curated by Evonne M. Davis (Upcoming: September 1 - September 30)
Victory Hall- Contemporary Arts Center, “99 cent,” New Jersey City, NJ, Curated by Rocio Aranda Alvarado (April 13 - May 13)

2006
City Without Walls- Cwow, “Drawing Stage,” Newark, NJ. Curated by E. Carmen Ramos.

2005
Children’s Museum of the Arts, Art Auction Donation, New York, NY. Invited by curator Kimberly Marrero.

2004
Peekskill Project, “Ferry Tales,” Peekskill, NY. Invited by curator Lance Fung.
The Rotunda Gallery, “A Slow Read,” Brooklyn, NY. Curated by Katarina Wong.

2003
The Queens Museum of Art, “Proyectos Especiales,” NY. Curated by Hitomi Iwasaky.
Aljira-A Center for Contemporary Art, “Emerge 2002,” NJ. Curated by Calvin Reid.

2002
The Bronx Museum of the Arts, “AIM 2002,” New York, NY. Curated by Lydia Yee.
Exit Art Gallery, “Reactions,” New York, NY.

2001
The Alternator Gallery, “Dress-up,” Kelowna, Canada.
Feria Internacional de Arte ARCO 01, Galeria Carmen de la Calle, Madrid, Spain.
AAC Gallery, “Spiralprosjektet,” San Francisco, CA, USA and Stavanger, Norway.

1999
McBean Gallery, San Francisco Art Institute, “Annual Artist Book Contest,” San Francisco.
Charles H. Scott Gallery, “Nature and Technology,” Vancouver, Canada.
Rana Museum, “Spiralprosjektet,” Norway.

1998
Sala de Exposiciones Circulo de Bellas Artes, Madrid, Spain.

1996
Museo Gregorio Prieto, “Premio Nacional de Dibujo Gregorio Prieto,” Valdepenas, Spain.
Galería Eloy Gonzalo, “Premio Nacional de Dibujo Gregorio Prieto,” Madrid, Spain.
Sala de Exposiciones Mapfre, “XIV Premio Penagos de Dibujo,” Madrid, Spain.
Facultad de Bellas Artes, “Proyectos,” UCM, Madrid, Spain.
Facultad de Bellas Artes, “Premio de Pintura,” UCM, Madrid, Spain.

1995
Chelsea College of Art and Design, “Final Works,” London, England.
Galería el Gayo Arte, Madrid, Spain.
Sala de Exposiciones Maphre, “XIII Premio Penagos de Dibujo,” Madrid, Spain.

Grants/Fellowships/Awards
2008
The General Consulate of Spain in New York, Visual Artist Fellowship for “Tell me the Truth.”

2007
Fundacion General de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid,  Full Fellowship “Cursos de Verano, El Escorial,” Madrid, Spain. (Residency.)

2006
The General Consulate of Spain in New York, Visual Artist Fellowship for “Ropa Tendida (Clothing.)”

2003
The General Consulate of Spain in New York, Visual Artist Fellowship for “Patrones de Fe.”

2002
The General Consulate of Spain in New York, Visual Artist Fellowship for “Land of No One.”

2001
The Bronx Museum of the Arts, AIM-- Artist in The Marketplace Program, New York.
Aljira-A Center for Contemporary Art, Emerge 2002 Program, New Jersey.

2000
San Francisco Art Institute, Finalist MFA 2000 Graduation Award.

1999-2000
San Francisco Art Institute, International Student Fellowship for Graduate Studies.

1997-1999
Fundación LA CAIXA, Fellowship for Graduate Studies in the USA, Spain.

1997
Fundacion General de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid,  Full Fellowship “Cursos de Verano, El Escorial,” Madrid, Spain. (Residency)

1995-1996
Ministry of Education and Sciences of Spain, UCM Contemporary Art History Fellow, Spain.

1995
Fundacion General de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Full Fellowship “Cursos de Verano, El Escorial,” Madrid, Spain. (Residency.)
Univesidad Complutense, ERASMUS Fellowship between European Universities, Spain.
MAPFRE Foundation. Second Prize. International Penagos Drawing Competition, Spain.

1994
Universidad Complutense, Beca-Colaboración Fellowship, Madrid, Spain.
Colegio Oficial de Ingenieros Tecnicos de Madrid First Alternate and Honorable Mention, National Painting  Competition, Spain.

Commissions
2006 “Hay Ropa Tendida (Clothing)” by The King Juan Carlos I Center of New York University, New York, NY.
2003 “Patrones de Fe” by The Queens Museum of Art, New York.

Selected Bibliography
Armada, Alfonso. “Nueva York, El Deso y la Quimera.” Editorial Espasa, (Pages 195, 196, 199). Spain, 2007.
Aranda-Alvarado, Rocio. “The Femenine Mystique.” Jersey City Museum, (catalog), September 2007.
Haber, John. “Desperate Artists.” Haber Arts, Edited by John Haber, New York, October 22, 2007.
Laporte, Eduardo. “Ropa Tendida.” El Naufrago Digital, Geografias, Edited by Eduardo La Porte, Madrid, August 24, 2007.
“Las rutas del Arte.” Iberarte, Edited by redaccion Iberarte, Madrid,  August 21, 2007.
Laporte, Eduardo. “Alfileres, Trozos de Cartas y Papel de Vater,” Edited by Universidad Complutense, Cursos de Verano El Escorial, July 2007.
Merino, Juan Fernando, "En Busca del Hilo Conductor." El Diario/LA PRENSA, Arte y Cultura, New York, April, 22, 2007.
Ramos, E. Carmen. "Drawing Stage." Cwow-City Without Walls (catalog) 2006.
Bischoff, Dan. "Make Room for Drawings."  The Star-Ledger, New Jersey, September 22, 2006.
"Ciclo Sobre la Guerra Civil Española en el King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center." De Norte a Sur, New York and New Jersey, No. 303, November 2006.
Armada, Alfonso. "Un MoMA Enaltecido."  Diario ABC, Madrid/New York, November 20, 2004.
Armada, Alfonso. "Escuela de Equilibristas." Diario ABC, Madrid/New York, 19 August, 2003.
Bischoff, Dan. "Aljira's New Gallery Emerges." The Sunday Star-Ledger, New Jersey, June, 1, 2003.
Piquer, Isabel. "El Museo Neoyorquino de Queens Recuerda el Sueno de Venus de Dali." EL PAIS, Cultura June 23, 2003.
Sider, Sandra. "Gema Alava Crisostomo:Funambulista." FiberArts Magazine, NY, Jan-Febr. 2003 .
Reid, Calvin. "Dancing in the Dark." Aljira- A Center for Contemporary Art, New Jersey (catalog) 2003.
Armada, Alfonso. "Caligrafia de la Fragilidad." Diario ABC, Madrid/New York, February 16, 2002.
Cotter, Holland. "Artist in the Marketplace." The New York Times, September 6, 2002.
Gelambi, M. Rosa. "Artistas en Vanguardia." Newsletter N.32, La Caixa, Barcelona, March, 2002.
Merino, Juan Fernando. "En Tierra de Nadie." El Diario La Prensa, New York, January 13, 2002.
Sevilla, Nacho. "La Artista Espanola Gema Alava Crisostomo expone su obra en una galeria del Soho Neoyorquino." Europa Press, New York, February 25, 2002.
Yee, Lydia. "Aim 22," The Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York (catalog) 2002.
El Punto de las Artes, Madrid, p.20. May 1996.
The Canon, Jim Short Editions, San Francisco, Feb. 1998, p.12 (illustration) 1998.
Diario ABC, ABC de las Artes, Madrid, October 23, 1995.
El Punto de las Artes, Madrid, p.22 and 28. October 20-26, 1995.
XIV Premio Penagos de Dibujo, Fundacion Maphre, Madrid (catalog) 1996.
XIII Premio Penagos de Dibujo, Fundacion Maphre, Madrid (catalog) 1995.
XII Premio Penagos de Dibujo, Fundacion Maphre, Madrid (catalog) 1994.
Estaciones de Ferrocarril, Fundacion Amigos de Madrid (catalog) 1994.
Catalogo de Artistas Jovenes, Comunidad de Madrid (catalog)  p.123, 1993.

Artist's Talks/Presentations
Guest Visiting Artist 2008, Bolles School, Department of Fine&Performing Arts, Jacksonville, Florida.
The Morgan Library and Museum, New York, NY, November, 2007.
Universidad Complutense, Cursos de El Escorial, “La Memoria y el Arte Contemporaneo,” Madrid, 2007.
The Leadership Program, New York, NY, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007.
New Jersey Museum, “Slide Night,” NJ, 2006.
The Queens Museum of Art, “Patrones de Fe,” NY, 2003.
Whitney at Altria, New York, “Artist’s Books,” NY, 2002.
The San Francisco Art Institute, “The Silence of the Sirens,” SF, 2000.
The San Francisco Art Institute, “Land of No One,” SF, 1999.
Circulo de Bellas Artes, “Sentimiento,” Madrid, Spain, 1994.

Television
“Dialogo de Costa a Costa,” Roundtable: “The Importance of Art in Education,” HITM, Hispanic Information Telecommunications Network, Inc, March, 12, 2007. 12PM-1PM.
“Contact Arte,” HITM, Hispanic Information Telecommunications Network, Inc, 2006 and 2007. (5 Educational televised Programs.)
“Por Arte de Mujer: Gema Alava Crisostomo,” HITM, Hispanic Information Telecommunications Network, Inc (On going 2007-2008.)

Teaching Experience
LLecturer/Educator - MoMA, NY. 2004 – Present.
Educator - Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY. 2004 – Present.
Art Instructor/Educator - Whitney Museum of American Art, NY. 2003 – Present.
Lecturer/Educator - Guggenheim Museum, NY. 2002 – Present.
Lecturer/Art Instructor/Educator - The Morgan Library and Museum, NY. 2001 – Present.
Art Instructor - Museum of the City of New York - Learning Department - NY, 2002 – 2004.
Art Instructor - The Queens Museum or Art - New York - Summer 2003.
Art Instructor Young Artists Program (Drawing, Art History) - San Francisco Art Institute - Summer 2000.
Graduate Teaching Assistant (Art History, Studio Art, Art critique) - San Francisco Art Institute - 1999-2000.