Today we’d like to introduce you to José Manuel Cruz.
Hi José Manuel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Well, I will have to go back to my elementary school, Burnet Street School in Newark, NJ (aka BrickCity). The art teacher, Bernard took me under his wings once he noticed the talent I had with art. Starting in the third grade, once my academic work was completed I was able to sit in with the eighth grade classes and I started doing pen and ink still-life drawings and abstract drawings. One of my drawings was accepted into a student exhibition at the Newark Museum of Art. From that point on I knew that I wanted to be an artist/educator. He was able to nurture my talent and taught me how to paint with watercolors and other mediums. He was preparing me to attend Arts High School in Newark. I keep in touch with Bernard, with a phone call once a week or a surprise visit when I go visit my parents and siblings in NJ. He is also our oldest daughter Godfather. Arts High School was the first school for visual and performing arts in the country. Arts high school graduates include, Sarah Vaughn, Melba Moore, Wayne Shorter, Savion Glover, Tisha Campbell, Frankie Negron, and Michael B Jordan. I took the entrance exam and scored a high score on my portfolio and completed my four years of two periods of art every day for my four years. I had great mentors there such as the late artist Eleta Caldwell, Mr. K and Mr. Carden. I learned everything from drawing and painting to photography and of course high academics, Then off to college. I decided to stay local and attend Jersey City State College, now known as New Jersey City University. I met my mentor Ben Jones there and In my second year I was able to do my art internship at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NJ’s graphics department under the leadership of the late, artist, art director and mentor, Russell Murray. It took me 10 years to earn my degree due to no more financial aid. I was a permanent substitute teacher for ten years to pay for college. After graduating in 1996 I was able to secure a job teaching art at two alternative high schools. I was married in 1998 to Dawn Lyerly and with have two beautiful daughters, Ariana and Alana. Both educators. My wife and daughters are my biggest supporters. After that one year of teaching at the two alternative high schools I started working for a company where I was able to get latinos, job training and job retention to get them off of public assistance and become more independent. I then taught in NJ for seven years and was also the senior case manager of the adolescent department at a behavioral health center. Through all of this full time work I am still doing my art, taught myself how to airbrush, did airbrushing on t-shirts to make extra money and started exhibiting art galleries. I am now going on my twenty first year of teaching in NC. Ten years in Wake County and eleven years in Durham County at James E Shepard IB Middle School for a total of thirty seven years in education. I sit on the Board at the Durham Arts Council, artist at NineEighteenNine Art Gallery in Charlotte and in 2016 I had my art piece “Racial Profiling” acquired by the Smithsonian’s Annacostia Community Museum in DC.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I guess in this life that we are all blessed with things don’t always go as smooth as we would like to. So as my art journey continues to evolve I have run into obstacles that can sometimes come from being an Afro Latino Artist who is very versatile with my art style. It’s all a combination of my cultures that are embedded in my blood and my creations. As and artist who seeks to do his art full time and transition out of public school teaching the struggles come with being able to juggle both professions to the point where one can’t over power the other. I used both professions to lean on and support each other. Like the cliche goes sometimes. “I can’t quit my day job”. Applying for artist calls, transporting your work, and paying for storage are things that take a lot of time from your schedule and finding valuable family time. You have to stay on top of what’s going on in the art world around you and abroad, and now more than ever what goes on social media platforms. With God’s blessings, and the continue love and support I receive from my family, I have been able to manage to stay on top of things and sometimes right on the edge of that line that can lead to a downward spiral. So I will continue on my journey. In the words of Rober Frost, ” I have miles to go before I sleep”.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Well the truth to my art is that Love and enjoy doing a little of everything. It can be a drawing using pencil, pen or marker, Watercolor, Acrylic, or Oil Painting on canvas or on any vase or 3D object that I find interesting to work on. I specialize on making the surface I am working on creative and interesting for the viewer to embrace. I am know for my color palette and the details in my work. The culture. I call my self a ColoRican. Not only referring to my cultural background of being Colombian and Puerto Rican. My work can be spontaneous at times. Sometimes I create a piece that is one of one, other times I create a series of pieces that can go from three pieces to sixteen or twenty pieces in a series. I enjoy all the challenges that come my way and I make sure not to become complacent in any medium and I allow my style to flourish on the surfaces. I also love photography and hope to one day have an exhibition that showcases my photography. The camera opens up so many avenues into the art world and the worlds narratives. Capturing moments and movements that tell a story and then being able to take that image to another level of creation that allows you to build up on that story through the use of computer programs or make up a totally different story from that same image.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
What helps me do my best in life is my family, my friends, my surroundings, my students, House Music, and all artists in general. I get inspired by it all. The good things and the bad. A balance of knowing that things happen for a reason and with God in my life I will be well no matter what obstacles appear in my life’s journey. As far as apps go, I love using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Lightroom.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cruzwearstudios.weebly.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cruzwearstudios1/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-manuel-cruz-52463323/
