Sydia Reyes

 
Sydia Reyes, an American citizen, was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and lives and works in Chicago, Illinois.    She studied Art at the Instituto “Armando Reveron” School of Fine Arts, Venezuela. She also has additional studies on Management of Cultural Arts at the Polar Foundation, Caracas Venezuela; she also completed a specialization on Theater Ambiences at the Teresa Carreno Art Center, Caracas Venezuela,
 
Sydia opened her first solo exhibition in 1991 at the Cite Des Art Artist’s Studio of Paris,France. In 1995, at the “Sofia Imber” Museum of Contemporary Art Caracas Venezuela, Sydia had a solo exhibition that lasted 5 months.  In addition she has exhibited in other countries such as France, Egypt, Greece and the United States. Her work has been seen in Chicago galleries and in Miami’ Florida at Durban Segnini gallery and Hardcore Contemporary Art. 
 
Reyes has received numerous awards at the international level. In 2008 of the Chicago City Hispanic Heritage Month.In 1998, she won the the International Biennial in Cairo Egypt, UNESCO and AICA awards, and 1er prize at ”Wood Sculpture Encounter” In Lyon France. Her work was also recognized in Osaka, Japan at the International Sculpture Triennial of Osaka.
 
In her home country Venezuela, before coming to Chicago, between 1991-1997, her work received seven first place awards at different biennials.  Many of her sculptures are exhibited on urban spaces such as universities, private and public institutions, neighborhood boulevards.  In Chicagoland, her work is shown in downtown “Friends of the Chicago River”, also in Lincolnwood and Skokie Sculpture Boulevard on McCormick Ave.
 
She participated in several collective exhibits that include “Clay Biennial of America” Caracas, Venezuela; I Biennial “Mercosur” in Brazil; Symposium Wood Rosario Argentina, and 2003 Special Guest Honor Biennial Cairo Egypt.  
 
Her work was selected to be exhibited at the permanent sculpture exhibition of the  “Navy Pier” 2001 and the “SOFA” 2003-2007 of Chicago, Illinois. In 2004, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago showed her work in the exhibition called “ Implicit Plasticity” and also at the “Art Connect” exhibition of Chicago, downtown. Her pieces were also shown at: “War” Aldo Castillo Gallery Chicago; “Looking Back” at the Suburban Fine Arts Center, Highland Park, IL; Eclectic Gallery Moka Chicago IL. In Miami, Florida, her work called “Samples & Dishes” was shown at Hardcore Art Contemporary. Her piece “Ephemeral/Trends” has been exhibited since 2003 at Arteamerica of Miami. Her work was auctioned at the Exhibition Auction 2006-2007 MoLAA, in Los Angeles, CA.  The National Museum of catholic Art and History in New York City is exhibiting some of her pieces currently. 
 
Besides her artistic accomplishments, since 2000, Sydia Reyes has taught Latino kids in Chicago in a voluntary basis.  She designed a series of after-school workshops for Pilsen children who come to her studio on Saturdays to learn about sculpture and ceramic art work