Athena Solan Apodaca
Curriculum Vitae
Athena Solan Apodaca
Born in Maryland
Lives & works in Tucson, AZ
EDUCATION
MFA STUDIO ART – INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES YEARS ATTENDED (2025-predicted 2028)
University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
Museum Studies Certificate Program YEARS ATTENDED (2026-predicted 2028)
University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
BFA STUDIO ART – PAINTING AND DRAWING YEARS ATTENDED (2012-2014)
University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
Summa Cum Laude with Honors
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2025-Current Graduate Teaching Position – University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
2015-2016 Studio Art Teacher, Alice Vaile Middle School, Tucson, AZ
2011-2016 Adjunct Faculty – Youth Enrichment Programs, Frederick, MD
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2026 Curator, Shifting Potential, MFA Graduate Student Exhibition, Steinfeld Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2026-Current Graduate Gallery Manager, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
2026-Current Curator and Organizer, Light Signals, Lionel Rombach Gallery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
2026-Current Gallery Operations and Exhibition Production Intern at Steinfeld Gallery & Studios
2024-2026 Volunteer Steinfeld Gallery & Studios, Tucson, AZ
2019-2020 Curator and Organizer for Artist Residency – The Cube Colony Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2020 Juror for CASA’s Juried Art Exhibition, Shelter, Tucson, AZ
GRANTS AND AWARDS
2026 Art History Research Prize, Honorarium, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
2026 Arizona Artist Guild, Arizona MFA Graduate Scholarship, Phoenix, AZ
2025 Artist Opportunity Grant, Arizona Commission on the Arts, Phoenix, AZ
2013 Creative Achievement Award, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
2013 BFA Honors Studio Fellowship, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
2013 Visual Artist of the Year, RAW Artists, Hotel Congress Tucson, AZ
2013 AA Spain Scholarship, University of Arizona, Tucson,AZ
2013 Induction to Tau Sigma National Honors Society, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
EXHIBITIONS
2026 Light Signals, Lionel Rombach Gallery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
2026 Umbral/Threshold, Invitational Exhibition, Pima Community College, Tucson, AZ
2026 Generally Fabricated, Solo Exhibition, Steinfeld Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2026 Nice to Meet You, MFA Invitational Exhibition, Lionel Rombach Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2025 Small Works, Juried Exhibition, Untitled Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2025 Big Works - Juried Exhibition, Tucson, AZ
2025 Photography - Juried Exhibition, A Moment in Time, Tucson, AZ
2024 Small Works, Juried Exhibition, Untitled Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2024 Arts Foundation of Tucson Fall Studio Tour, Solo Exhibition, Re-Imprinting: Overcoming Cognitive Dissonance, Steinfeld Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2024 In Color, Juried Exhibition, Steinfeld Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2024 Re-Imprinting: Psychoarcheology, Solo Exhibition, Steinfeld Gallery, Tucson AZ
2024 Stillness, Juried Exhibition, Steinfeld Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2024 Performance Art & Exhibition, Steinfeld Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2021-2023 Private Studio Showings, Tucson, AZ
2020 Five by Five - ARTEZONA Gallery's Inaugural Show
2019-2020 First Saturday Gallery Walk– The Cube Colony, Tucson, AZ
2019 Primary Materials: Winnowing 34th & 36th, Juried Application process for Solo Exhibition, Joel D. Valdez Library, Tucson, AZ
2019 Saturday Gallery Walk – The Cube Colony, Tucson, AZ
2018 Arts Foundation of Tucson Fall Studio Tour – 8th Avenue Loft Project, Tucson, AZ
2017 Excavations on Hirta – Juried application process for Solo Exhibition, Joel D. Valdez Library, Tucson, AZ