ALVA CALYMAYOR 
b. Mexico City

Alva is a multi-faceted artist from Mexico City who works in New York. CalyMayor’s works respond to immediate social and political changes in the (broad sense of) community. She creates with multiple mediums and various ideas, but her work is connected by the profound and deep seated research she does on the subject matter. CalyMayor’s physical work always has a hidden component to it, whether it is on the back or underneath the work, for the viewer to discover.

Her work has been exhibited in:  Astral America (curated my Keren Moscovitch, SVA, NY), Chaos/Control (curated by Melinda Wang, Doing Living, NY), Harvest the Night (curated by Leah Dixon, Beverley's, NY), Collective Show Mexico (Casa Maauad, México, D.F.), Spring Break Art Show (NY), at MWOW (curated by Grayson Cox, Knockdown Center, NY). 

Alva was one of five artists selected for ("Air," Ace Hotel Residency, NY), curated by the BHQFU. She was a Mentor in NYFA's Program Mentorship for Immigrants Program (2014), formed part of the 27th Bronx Artist's in the Marketplace during 2006-2007, and received a Grant from the Stephen Sprouse Scholarship Fund for pushing the boundaries within the printmaking field. Alva has been recognized in several publications for exploring and showcasing art in a non-commercial format, for her collaborations with fellow artists through Eyelevel BQE, project that she co-funded in 2008: Interview Magazine (2013), "Alternative Histories," New York art spaces from 1960-2010, MIT Press (2012), Artists in the Marketplace second Biennial; "The Other Marketplace," Lia Zaalof (2013).

EXHIBITIONS (SELECTED)

SOLO & TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS

2016 Alva and Philip Ashley: Who Harvest the Night, Beverly’s, New York, NY. Curated by Leah Dixon

2013 Pile-Age, Antenna Gallery, 548 West 22nd Street, New York, NY

2011 Alva and Natalia Porter: Edifice, Point of Contact Gallery. Syracuse, NY. Curated by Pedro Cuperman

2008 Pillars, curated by Blanka Amezkua. Bronx Blue Bedroom Project.

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2019 Independent Art Book Fair. Melinda Wang Projects

2018 BEVERLY’S at The Material Art Fair, Mexico City, Mx.

2017 Chaos/ Control, Curated by Melinda Wang. Doing-Living, 218 West 57th Street, NY.

2017 Ed. Varie Presents: Uno Caña Residency, Mexico City, Mx.

2017 Astral America, Keren Moscovitch. SVA Gallery, NY.

2017 Open Syntax #1: Exit Strategy, Curated by Danielo Garcia. Alpha Artspace, NY.

2017 Home is Where the Heart is, Curated by Andrew Cornell Robinson, Kustera Projects, Brooklyn, NY.

2016 The Border Crossed Me, curated by Esperanza Cortés, Bronx Art Space, NY.

2016 Costermongering, Curated by Julia Muggenburg & Paul Branca. Belmacz. London, UK.

2015 Archimedes Bathtub, Curated by Julian A. Jimarez Howard. Lorimoto Gallery, NY

2015 Out of Place, Curated by curated by Etty Yaniv and Fanny Allié. 172 North 1st St, Brooklyn, NY.

2015 2015:1947, Curated by MW Projects. Equity Gallery, 245 Broome Street, NYC

2014 Residual Impression, Curated by Osman Can Yerebakan. The Clemente. NY.

2014 MWOW, Curated by Grayson Cox. Knockdown Center, Brooklyn, NY.

2014 UNTITLED ART FAIR, Sensei Exchange, Miami.

GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS

2015 BRUCE HIGH QUALITY FOUNDATION (BHQFU) ACE AIR Residency, New York, NY
2014 NYFA MENTORSHIP PROGRAM (MENTOR)
2014 Georgia Fee, Artist Writer Residency
2007 ARTISTS IN THE MARKETPLACE 27 The Bronx Museum of the Arts Seminar, Exhibition Honoree. Bronx, NY
2006 STEPHEN SPROUSE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND, National Academy, School of Fine Arts. New York, NY.

LECTURES & TALKS

2017 Haunted: Panel Discussion with Reut Asimini, Alva CalyMayor and Alison Kudlow

2016 The Border Crossed Me, Artist Talk with Esperanza Cortés

2016 Independent Curators International. ICI Curatorial Hub. An exhibition in 3 acts: Foreshock, Liminal, Replica. Aline Shkurovich, in conversation with Natalia Porter and Alva CalyMayor.

PRESS & PUBLICATIONS

Hock Vanessa, “A Ridgewood Artist Is Selling Social Justice In A Box,” Bushwick Daily, March 8, 2021.

Di Liscia, Valentina. “Artists Contribute to a Coloring Book Benefiting the Black Painters Academy,” Hyperallergic, February 10, 2021.

Cho, Sarah.“Alva CalyMayor, Multimedia artist interested in more than what meets the eye,” Artists Equity, 2016

Kerr, Dylan. “I Know What You Did Last Spring/ Break: Fair FoundersAmbre Kelly and Andrew Gori’s 9 Most Memorable Booths,” ArtSpace. February 26, 2016.

Garcia-Vazquez, Marina. “All Your Bag Lunches Belong to ‘The Names Below’ Book,” Creators Project, September 30, 2015.

Nieves Marysol. “Taking Aim!, The Business of Being an Artist Today,” Fordham University Press, 2011.

CURATORIAL PROJECTS (SELECTED)

THE BOY WILL BOUNCE, Myles Starr. SPRING/BREAK Art Show, 02/01-03/01/2016. NY, NY.

Mutatis Mutandis: SIGN SIMBOL ICON, ADAM GREEN ∆ CISCO JIMENEZ ∆ AURORA PELLIZZI. Co-curated by Erin Sickler & Alva, 01/23 - 02/13/2016. Mexico City, Mexico.

BOILS, Will Rahilly Solo Exhibition, SPRING/BREAK Art Show. 03/04 – 03/08/2015.NY, NY.

COLLECTIVE SHOW MEXICO 2014, Spearheaded by Alva and Patrick Meagher in collaboration with Casa Maauad. Mexico City, Mexico.

WURMHAUS, Monica Martinez, Eyelevel BQE. 09/18 - 10/15/ 2010. Brooklyn, NY 2010

Escape From, Natalia Porter. Eyelevel BQE 05/15 - 06/20/2010. Brooklyn, NY

D’ISPLACE, Julien Gardair. Eyelevel BQE 10/17 - 11/08/2009, Brooklyn, NY

PROJECTS

FOUNDER AND CO-DIRECTOR
Eyelevel BQE
(Artist-run exhibition space)
2007-2016

SHORT LIST CURATOR
BRIC Contemporary Artist Registry
July, 2015

ART FACILITATOR
“Tropicalia,”
Bronx Museum of the Arts
Summer 2006

EDUCATION

Printmaking Major
National Academy, School of Fine Arts,
2005-2007

Graphic Design and Visual Arts (BFA)
Universidad Iberoamericana
2002-2005

AFFILIATIONS

BOARD MEMBER
(WGA) Williamsburg Gallery Association
2010-2011