Martin J. Cervantez enlisted in the Army Signal Corps in July 1986 as an Illustrator. His most prestigious assignment was Artist in Residence at the U.S. Army Center of Military History where he was responsible for capturing the Army's history through art. He deployed to Afghanistan in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM 2008, and 2011. During these deployments he produced artwork that visually recorded Soldiers’ experiences the Army’s achievements. Two of his oil paintings were recently featured in the National Constitution Center’s public exhibition “Art of the American Soldier” in Philadelphia. Martin is a self-taught artist who has created art since he was a child. He’s used art as his own therapy during recovery from his recent six surgeries. Martin also advocates for veteran’s art programs, and was involved at the USO Ft Belvoir, and Walter Reed Warrior Writers from Philadelphia, and Combat Paper New Jersey. Cervantez is also known for turning the Workhouse guard towers into static kaleidoscopes by using colored films on the windows of the towers, creating a dynamic piece of art that changes with time of day, and position of view. Martin is the 2017 recipient of the Prince William County Kathleen Seefeldt Award for Best Artist. His most recent project was the Berlin Airlift mural/assemblage, 2018, in Wiesbaden, Germany.
CV
Resume
Exhibits and more Residencies:
2015 - 2017 Military Veteran Artist in residence, Workhouse Arts Center,
2008 - 2012 Artist in residence, The United States Army Center of Military History
Solo Exhibits:
2017 War & Recovery, Buchannan Gallery, Hylton Performing Arts Center, GMU
2017 Space Manifestations, Mcguire Woods Gallery/GMU Art Lab 2016 Transcendental, McGuire Woods Gallery, Workhouse Arts Center (WAC)
Group Exhibits:
2019 Trash Art, Ice House Gallery, Berkeley Springs, WV
2019 Alchemic Vessels, Joan Hisaoka Gallery, Washington D.C.
2017 Black Light and Beyond, Olly Olly, Fairfax, VA
2017 Inside and Out, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Washington D.C.
2017 Where We Are Now, McGuire Woods Gallery, WAC, Lorton, VA 2016 Artomatic, Park Potomac Place, MD
2016 Merge, WAC, Lorton, VA
2016 Freedom of Expression, Ice House Gallery, Berkeley Springs, WV 2016 The Way Back! Washington Artworks, Bethesda, MD
2016 Directors Collection, WAC, Lorton, VA
2016 Off the Wall, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
2016 Combat Paper, WAC, Lorton, VA
2015 Wallmountables, DC Arts Center, Washington D.C.
2015 Merge, Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton, VA
2015 Artomatic, Hyattsville, MD
2015 Veteran Art Show, City Hall, Alexandria, VA
2015 Combat Paper, Washington Arts Center, Bethesda, MD
2015 Places We've Been, Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton, VA
2015 Combat Paper, Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton, VA
2012 Combat Paper / Warrior Writers, Corcoran Gallery, Washington D.C.
2010 Art of the American Soldier, National Constitution Center, Philadelphia, PA
Awards:
2017 Kathleen Seefeldt Award for Best Artist Public Art
Public Art
2017 Beacons of Hope Guard Towers, Workhouse Arts Center
2018 Berlin Airlift Mural, Wiesbaden, Germany
In collections of:
Amazon Web Services
U.S. Army, Center of Military History
Speaking Engagements:
2017 Combat Art, Veteran Arts, Hylton Performing Arts Center, George Mason University
2017 Combat Art, George Washington University
2017 Virginia Art Educators Association, Military to Studio
2018 Veteran Arts Programs, Leadership Prince William, Marine Corps Museum
2019 Veteran Arts Programs, Leadership Prince William, Marine Corps Museum
Curated:
2017 Co-curated Beyond the Blacklight, Olly Olly, Fairfax, VA
2017 Vainuupo Avegalio, Warrior Way Gallery
2017 Belena & Alex Marquez, Reflection | Refraction, Warrior Way Gallery
2016 Séamus Mícheál Cinnéide, Images of tranquility from a chaotic mind, Warrior Way Gallery
2016 Ang Worth, Metamormphosis, Warrior Way Gallery
2016 Breanne Biggie, Looking for Love, and Light, Warrior Way Gallery
In the news:
From Wrongs, Rights, Los Angeles Times, L1, Travel Section, November 2, 2017
Sergeant Draws Battle Lines, Washington Post 2011
