The exhibition “Habitats and Mutable Places” features new work by El Dorado artist Maria Botti Villegas. SAAC will host an artist reception on Thursday, March 6, 2025, from 6 – 7:30 PM to celebrate Maria Botti Villegas and her new exhibit “Habitats and Mutable Places.” The exhibition will be open to the public starting Monday, February 24 and will run through Wednesday, April 16 in the Lobby Gallery.
In this collection, Botti Villegas presents an array of paintings, collages, and mixed media works that reflect the profound intersection of environmental consciousness and human existence. Infused with a deep care for the environment, her art invites viewers to engage with the planet’s ever-changing landscapes and contemplate their transformative effects on both nature and humanity.
“My work is deeply rooted in the exploration of the human condition and the intricate relationship we share with our environment,” shares Villegas. “Light serves as an awakener of shapes and forms, and the contrast between light and dark reflects our narrative—who we are and where we are headed. The mystery of life reveals itself through this interplay.”
The exhibition is a visual representation of Botti Villegas’s personal journey, reflecting on her childhood experiences and urban upbringing, while also celebrating nature’s resilience and cyclical beauty. This is evident in her pieces, including the depiction of the Murphy Building, the reference to a boat in “Crepuscular Waters,” and in “Grounding of a Prairie House,” where layers of color create a path of textured memories.
Join us as we delve into the profound beauty and urgency of Maria Botti Villegas’s vision, and don’t miss this chance to connect with nature through her transformative art. We look forward to welcoming you to an exhibition that promises to inspire, reflect, and challenge.
The SAAC galleries, located at 110 East Fifth Street in El Dorado, are free and open to the public Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm.
HABITATS AND MUTABLE PLACES
Artist Statement
I am interested in the environment and the human condition.
Light, the awakener of shapes and forms, is a key element in my work. The contrast between light and dark serves as a powerful metaphor, emphasizing the narrative of who we are and where we are headed.
In my childhood, darkness was an incredibly fearful phenomenon. As an adult, I realize that darkness may not be perceived as mysterious and evocative without lightness. I look for a representation of the elusive mystery of life surrounding us all.
This line of work also explores a natural space for reflection as I seek to manifest my world individually and collectively in a complex time of substantial change and few answers. I feel the power of the air, water, and soil. I witness seasonal changes: buds that
thrive in spring and hot summers, surviving through cold winters in the year cycle of my backyard’s rebirth. Nature is in constant change.
Creation is unstoppable; nature grows, and so does my imagination of the future of new species being born on fertile soil under cleaner waters and purer air. For this exhibit, I felt compelled to show images about my urban upbringing, such as the recreation of the Murphy building or the allusion to a boat in Crepuscular Waters, or as in Grounding of a Prairie House, where layers of color leave a trail of textured memories.
Working on paper allows me to use any water media. By creating intricate surface textures with acrylics and mixed media, I am enabling the emergence of images waiting to be discovered.
As an adult woman who has left her native countrymen and women to start anew, I have realized that my best place is where I am now.
Maria Marta Botti Villegas
email – mariaboviart @gmail.com
www – mariabottivillegas.com
Instagram – mmvartist
Facebook – Maria Botti Villegas
MARIA BOTTI VILLEGAS
Maria, a professional muralist, illustrator, and multidisciplinary artist, was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She holds a five-year degree from the Pueyrredón School of Fine Arts in her native country. After college, she began as a pen-and-ink illustrator and educator in Argentina, honing her skills as a visual artist and performer. Her training in modern ballet with Graham technique and voice and her participation in a 40-member choir enriched her artistic expression. This diverse background prepared her for the transition to exhibiting her work in New York alongside other artists from Buenos Aires.
In 1992, as she fell in love with El Dorado, Arkansas, Maria became an Artist-in-Education (AIE artist) with the Arkansas Arts Council, working with thousands of students throughout the years. As a professional artist in the United States, Maria has participated in numerous exhibits and competitions across Arkansas, Louisiana, and other states, winning several awards. Her vibrant public murals, number 30, have not only enhanced the beauty of these areas but also sparked conversations and inspired the communities they beautify. In 2001, Maria was awarded a scholarship from the Arkansas Committee ofThe National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. Additionally, she is the recipient of the 2023 Artist-in-Education Governor’s Arts Awards. Her work is currently featured in the 2025 Arkansas Arts Council Small Works on Paper touring show.
Maria has been a teaching artist at the South Arkansas Arts Center Arts Academy and the school system for almost thirty years.
Maria became a citizen of the United States in 2004.
Maria’s work is represented in the permanent collection of the following entities in Arkansas:
Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources, Smackover.
Fort Smith Civic Center, Fort Smith
Historic Arkansas Museum, Little Rock
South Arkansas Arts Center, El Dorado
University of Arkansas Community College, Hope