Meet Renée Ortiz | Artist, Gallery Owner, and Professor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Renée Ortiz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Renée, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Late-ish in life I went back to art school (SCAD) to at last earn my MFA in painting. I began my MFA thesis work with the concept of invisible women. My point of departure was Henri Lefebvre’s Critique of Everyday, in which he noted that choosing to study the everyday sets it apart, so it is no longer everyday. Applying this theory to my work, I began painting myself as well as other invisible women. By noticing them, hearing their stories, and responding in paint, my hope was to remove their invisibility. At the conclusion of the degree, the next logical step would be to open a gallery, in order to give space to women and other marginalized artists to show their own work, have their voices heard and and work and selves seen. I wanted opportunities for conversations in a place where people could feel welcomed, noticed, visually and intellectually stimulated, nurtured and valued.

My kid, Mal Ortiz, and I opened She/They Gallery in Santa Ana with the thought of becoming a non profit space to serve local artists. We do not charge artists to be there, or take any profit if they happen to sell. The gallery is not your typical business in this way. We instead think of it as a next step to museum type shows. Sometimes installation art and conceptual work is not about how a piece matches your couch. The monetary gallery model doesn’t fit with this vision and purpose.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As I navigate this increasingly messy world, painting helps. I’m happy to have a personal practice that can support the mission of the gallery; it’s a joint effort to combat invisibility. I have been super excited by my new body of work. I shared a sampling in an exhibition, HUSH. I am continuing to paint invisible women and their stories, but this time, using the language of flowers to say the things I dare not.

Here is the show statement:

(poetic wall statement)
think
we force homogeneity of thought
our views come second
our views become obsolete

hush
we were told as children to hush, to fight our better instincts and stay silent.

we taught ourselves that silence = safety

we were scolded and pathologized for strength of thought

and we live now, fully grown, neither seen nor heard.

yearn
to say the things that beg to be released

to be heard; disparate amongst the other noises

to be known.

—-

synesthesia

a concomitant sensation
especially : a subjective sensation or image of a sense (as of color) other than the one (as of sound) being stimulated

These colors scream and their flowers whisper, neither are heard by the ignorant.

The language of flowers has been around for centuries. Their secret meanings have helped millions of women to say what they dare not.

In this new collection, Renée Ortiz borrows familiar silhouettes and stories from historic works of art and literature, pairing them with flowers that speak and colors that muffle.

These ideas coalesce in a new depiction of the time wrought narratives of women who have been silenced.

(summarized)
In my work, I explore the insidious nature of enforced homogeneity, where individuality is stifled, and diverse perspectives are rendered obsolete. From childhood, we are conditioned to embrace silence, prioritizing safety over authenticity, leading to a muted existence where our thoughts are hidden. I express this yearning for voice—the need to articulate emotions that demand release amidst the cacophony of societal expectations.
Through the lens of synesthesia, I quiet the vibrant colors and layer story specific flowers, each holding deep, unspoken meanings. By reimagining iconic silhouettes from art and literature, I honor the narratives of silenced women. In this new collection, I craft a visual dialogue that advocates for the recognition and celebration of our unique stories, intertwining beauty, color, and the long-overdue acknowledgment of voices unheard.

How did I get here?- Yikes- long and meandering path… I started out at Otis, really wanting to be an artist, but afraid of what all that entailed and warned by my parents of the lack of stability. (They were right.) I left art school after a bit and got a teaching degree at LMU instead. After this I went to DC to work on the bicentennial of the Constitution, designing an exhibit for classrooms across the country. The best part of that job was my trips to the art supply store. This had to be a clue! So fast forward through marriage, raising kids, getting them launched and finally back to my art. I guess I did it intermittently throughout. I eventually started a practice of completing and posting a painting a day- even small, so as not to harbor any resentment when I had so many other responsibilities. Today I will be painting no. 4,593 of daily paintings without a miss.. This practice gives me permission to play and experiment. It sometimes informs my (serious) work, and often is just a wind down at the end of my day.

During the pandemic when it seemed all of my friends were catching up on netflix and novels and baking bread, I was back to school online finishing my MFA at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). At the same time, I was teaching art online both elementary and college. Long hours, but so worth it. Two of my kids were sheltering in with me and we were forced to move in the height of it all- but we survived. Thinking back, I know that this experience strengthened my resolve as an artist and is now a touchstone when I need assurance that I’m still on the right path.

“Art is long, life is short” but it sometimes feels this goes the other way instead. Peoples priorities are upside-down. The majority of people do not regard art as important. Schools regularly push it aside in favor of measurable test scores. But it’s a language, and we’re loosing it. It’s how many of us communicate, breathe, function, cope. Art has the potential to touch, move and open minds- but not if the majority aren’t given the opportunity to experience it and join the conversations.

So today I get to wear hats. I am an adjunct college professor working with older students at Saddleback College. (Most art professors are adjunct- no benefits- multiple jobs. This is what I mean about priorities.) I also am a resident artist for Segerstrom Center for the Arts, bringing art into classrooms from Kindergarten on up, for several weeks at a time. This month I am with some at risk teens in an alternative public school. I also teach private classes in my studio. I do all of this to both eat and to keep my gallery going. I am still searching for a way to fund this endeavor. It’s important, but a bit pricey for a ‘hobby’. I know that grants are out there, but at the end of the day when I would rather be painting, it is a lot of hoops to jump through. Finally, with all of these hats, (and yeah, the mom one never goes away *grin) I am always in fear that it’s the ‘artist hat’ that gets put to the side the most. I want to paint what I want to paint, and those are not usually ones that people match their couches with, and priorities- that horrible word- affect me too. Eating. Paying rent… But I am reminded that artists are resilient. I have canvases and paint and a lot more to say. I carry stories from women who feel invisible. I help artists whose work has never hung for a public audience. I’m on the right path.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh wow! Great question! I might have two itineraries, as I live and work in Orange County, but also love going to LA. Both have their audiences and different flavors. Maybe I combine them. If you live in Orange County, you often hate the idea of the traffic to go all the way into the city. If you live in LA you sometimes are misinformed that Orange County is only good for Disneyland and beaches and otherwise rather vapid. Okay, that said- let’s go!

Day 1 We will start off in Orange County. Most of my friends love art, so I will take them to a few fun spots- OCMA first for some contemporary art. We can grab lunch at Moulin (fabulous Parisian baguette sandwiches!) and then venture on to The Irvine Museum for a bit of historic California Plein Air. You really aren’t on art overload as these are smallish museums- and free! After this, on to my absolute favorite place to paint- or just sit: the Newport Back Bay, Upper Newport Ecological Preserve. I go down to water level and watch the way the setting sun dances across the waterways creating winding pink and orange pathways. So many birds. Incredibly peaceful. Souls restored.

Day 2 Rested and ready for a day in LA! We will head to the Getty. It’s easily a whole day spent. Depending how adventurous and/or tired, maybe include the Getty Villa as well. But, yes, traffic. It needs to be timed right. We could catch a Malibu sunset and dinner at Moonshadows.

Day 3 If my friend was up for some walking about, heading around LA to tour the murals and outdoor art and architecture is a fun day. If we really want the non-LA experience we can take the train! There is a mobile app of all of the spots. What I love about street art is that people who might never go into a museum get to experience it.

Day 4 Back to home base, less traffic. We can hit my favorite art supply store- Art Supply Warehouse in Westminster and then pop into my gallery and play in the studio in Santa Ana, walk over to Grand Central Art Center- because there is always something amazing to see and experience. We will check out the fountain pens at M. Lovewell and then back over to Lola Gaspar for the best chile relleno ever.

Day 5 I know- too much art, right? But how can we not go to The Broad? And when we do, we might also walk over to the Last Bookstore- So amazing! Last time I found a beautiful copy of Works on Paper for $9!! I love Grand Central Market, La Tostaderia in particular for their ceviche.

Day 6 Let’s stay close to home. First- the best donuts on the planet- Oliboli! They have a sour dough starter and are made to order! After, we can pick up some healthy produce at Tustin Farmer’s Market and get coffee at White Sparrow. Arvida book store is just across the street! Give in to the magnetic pull! They often have super-cool poetry readings and other events. There is a little pottery studio, Mud Hen, if we want to get something creative going, and then we can finish up the day with dinner at Chaak Kitchen.

Day 7 Beach day. Absolutely. It’s the last day together, we will kick back on my favorite little Corona del Mar beach, the one on the South side with the tidepools. We would first grab breakfast burritos at Rose bakery, maybe bring a book or some paints or both and stay through sunset. People gather and applaud- seriously. And since we were too full for lunch, then we will be really hungry for pizza- the best in CA -Gina’s, CDM. After this, maybe a stroll around the neighborhood and back home to pack,

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
John Spiak of Grand Central Art Center (https://www.grandcentralartcenter.com/) has been very instrumental in mentoring me in this endeavor. He does an amazing job of bringing the arts community together in Santa Ana, and has a similar mission, but on a much larger scale. As an extension of CSUF, he brings artists from all over the world for residencies, providing opportunities for study and exhibition. He has a heart for the neighborhood and the artists like few I’ve encountered, giving his whole self to his work, always searching for ways and opportunities to connect people.

Additionally, Mal Ortiz has helped me so much as we define what the role of this gallery space can be. When I started, Mal was working in New York, and I was on track to make this space primarily for women. Currently the men to women ratio showing in museums and galleries is 85% to 15%. My goal was to flip this statistic in my own little corner. But what about the transgender, non binary and other queer folk? Through many conversations, Mal helped me to see that a space for womyn- was more inclusive. Marginalized communities such as their’s also needed to be included and welcomed. Mal is a champion of helping others feel welcomed, seen, and valued.

Website: https://www.reneeortizstudios.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reneeortizstudios/

Other: Gallery website: https://www.shethey.gallery/
Gallery IG: https://www.instagram.com/she.they.gallery_/