Miami , FL, United States
Luisa Mesa was born in Havana, Cuba, and earned her BFA (Magna Cum Laude) at FIU, in Miami, where she lives and works.
Mesa has exhibited her work in numerous venues and is included in several important collections, such as Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines’ Oasis of the Seas, Foley and Lardner, LLC and Pinnacle Housing Group, among others.
From June 2007 until May 2011 Mesa was an Artist-in-Residence at Art Center South Florida. Prior to her residency at Art Center, Mesa was an Artist-in-Residence at The Bakehouse Art Complex in Wynwood, Florida.
Mesa recently won Art District Magazine’s “open call” which resulted in a four-page write-up of her work, in the October/November issue. Mesa’s piece “In The Garden” was selected as one of the Showcase Winners in Art Slant’s 5th 2012 Showcase Competition and “Aquatic” was selected as one of the Showcase Winners in Art Slant’s 5th 2011 Showcase Competition. In September 2010, Mesa received an Honorable Mention, in “The Power of Self” International Competition, organized by Artists Wanted in New York. In 2009 Mesa was awarded First Prize at the Highlands Museum of the Arts in Sebring, Florida, by Juror Ken Rollins. Dr. Carol Damian awarded Mesa “Best In Show” in “Celebration 21” at The Bakehouse Art Complex, in Miami, Florida, in 2007.
Luisa Mesa’s work was recently juried into the “3rd Annual Juried Exhibition” at The Florida Museum for Women Artists, in Deland, Florida, opening in November 2012, and to “Homage: Past Influences”, at Target Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia, opening in October 2012. She also participated in “Summer Photo Show 2012”, at The Lunch Box Gallery in Wynwood, Florida.
On June 2, 2012, Mesa participated in “Inside/Outside”, a group show of Cuban artists, at Octavia Gallery in New Orleans, Louisiana. In May of 2012, Mesa’s work was selected by Samantha Rippner - Curator for printmaking and drawing, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art – for the 10th Annual Juried Show at Ceres Gallery, in Chelsea, NYC. Mesa’s work was exhibited in Small Wonderz Art Salon: Pulse Art Fair/ Art Basel 2011. In October 2011, Mesa participated in Small Wonderz Art Salon: Art Center South Florida, in the Wynwood Art Fair. Her most recent solo exhibitions include “A Summer Show – A Solo Exhibition by Luisa Mesa” at CGAF Gallery in Coconut Grove, Florida, “Introspections” at Highlands MOTA, in Sebring, Florida, in 2010. In 2009 Mesa had a solo exhibition, “Meditations, Connections, Fragmentation” at Duane Reed Gallery in St. Louis, Missouri. Mesa’s group shows in 2010 were “Verge Art Fair”/Art Basel, Artformz, The Catalina Hotel & Beach Club, Miami Beach, Florida. “Aqua Art Fair”/Art Basel, Cancio Contemporary, Miami Beach, Florida and “Arts For A Better World”/ Art Basel, Soho Studios, Wynwood, Florida, among others.
