MONICA AMPARO CHAVARRIA PIEDRAHITA was born in Medellín, Colombia. When she was two years old, she used to paint the walls of her house. Her mom gave her a special spot in the house. She graduated from Antioquia University with a Master's Degree in Management and Cultural Promotion; a Bachelor's Degree1 in Arts Education; and a Bachelor in Master of Arts (Medellin-Colombia). She has developed cultural and artistic projects for the community in her hometown of Medellín and in New Jersey for more than 16 years as an art teacher. The events included art exhibitions, music, photography, design, theater, workshops with recycling, dance, and Art history. Monica’s artistic sensibility goes beyond her professional experience; she is committed to education, research and public awareness to the importance of the arts in all aspects of human life.

ARTISTIC STYLE: The color in her work is well known; she shows a love for life and nature that comes from Colombia’s rich culture. She is a figurative artist, but with a great expressionist-surrealist influence. In this exhibition, some of her paintings show a festival of trees in which human feelings are reflected through their branches that touch and caress each other. The imagination and the philosophy of love are reflected in the faces and bodies, creating a fantasy space, a dramatic, spiritual dance of love between soul mates. “Soul Mate Trees” are represented through how essential it is to love each other. Also, you will see other paintings where the artist has developed themes that express the presence of Colombia’s indigenous culture. For example, masks, flowers, popular houses, and landscapes from the artist’s imagination and childhood fill her canvases. Her paintings represent a carnival of color, which invites the public to see beyond and reflect on something we should never forget: “Latin Color”, “Color Latino”, her roots.

AWARDS AND ART EXHIBITIONS. She has participated for over 25 years in several exhibitions and cultural events, and she has been awarded for her artistic contribution to the community. She has participated in solos and group exhibitions, especially in Colombia and the United States. Monica was recognized as one of the best painters at Highland Park’s art show of September 2013 and received several awards from the County Bergen Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs in October 2012 and 2013. Please visit her website to find out more about her art and her participation in art shows. Currently, she is the Director and Curator of Club Colombia USA in Hackensack.

President of Hackensack Art Club and member of Fort Lee Art Club, participating almost every month in different art shows around New York and New Jersey.

She is also a volunteer as a curator of different art shows in Bergen County.

Some of the most important murals are located in Paterson, Fort Lee, and Hackensack.

Visit her website to find out more about her and her new art shows. www.monicachavarriaart.com

 Monica's is the artist of the year 2019-2020. Union City. Bergen County. She has also been recognized as one of the best artists in 
Bergen County, Curator and Community leader.

Monica Chavarria is graduated from Antioquia University with a Master's Degree in Management and Cultural Promotion; a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Art Education and a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts, Antioquia University (Medellin-Colombia).
She has been an art teacher for more than 27 years.

She is the President of Hackensack Art Club, NJ

*Curator Consulate of Colombia, Newark. NJ

*She  was Curator of Hackensack Brewing

*Member of Fort Lee Artist Guild

*Member of Creative Hackensack

​*Member of  New Jersey Artists,  Union NJ.

*Art Educators of New Jersey

*Art Teacher Lincoln Avenue  School, Orange. NJ
*Community Leader at Northern NJ Community Foundation,
*At Hackensack Environmental Justice Alliance

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“Art feeds the spirit and creative thinking and allows us to construct a better life”