About me
“My mission is to write about art engagingly and lead cultural projects that spread the transformational potential of art.”
“Mi misión es escribir sobre arte de forma accesible y liderar proyectos culturales que expandan la capacidad transformadora del arte.”
Constanza Ontiveros Valdés- Art History, Ph.D.
Constanza is an expert in cultural topics ranging from contemporary painting and Western art to the Mexican art scene and collecting. Her writing includes exhibition texts, artist bios and long-form essays for international galleries and artists across Australia, Europe, the US, and Latin America. Her articles have also been published in prestigious outlets like The Art Newspaper. In addition to specialized texts, Constanza believes in the transformational potential of art and has written about the intersection of art and wellness while spearheading initiatives such as the first city-wide Slow Art Day in Mexico City in April 2025 and developing a methodology for slow looking.
With over 15 years of experience, Constanza has worked with leading museums and international art projects. For instance, she served as Curatorial Associate at the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, CA) and was the Curatorial Projects Coordinator at Platform 5280, Biennial of the Americas 2011 (Denver, CO). Previously, she was part of the education and research team at Jumex Museum in Mexico City. Holding an MA and Ph.D. in Art History, she has published her research on Mexican Colonial art in peer-reviewed journals and books.
Constanza es experta en temas culturales que abarcan desde la pintura contemporánea y el arte occidental hasta la escena artística mexicana y el coleccionismo. Su trabajo incluye textos de exhibición, biografías de artistas y ensayos extensos para galerías y artistas internacionales en Australia, Europa, Estados Unidos y América Latina. Sus artículos también se han publicado en medios de prestigio como The Art Newspaper. Además de textos especializados, Constanza cree en el potencial transformador del arte y ha escrito sobre la intersección entre arte y bienestar, impulsando iniciativas como el primer Slow Art Day a nivel ciudad en la Ciudad de México en abril de 2025 y el desarrollo de una metodología de observación pausada (slow looking).
Con más de 15 años de experiencia, Constanza ha colaborado con museos de referencia y proyectos artísticos internacionales. Por ejemplo, se desempeñó como Curatorial Associate en el Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, CA) y como Curatorial Projects Coordinator en Platform 5280, Biennial of the Americas 2011 (Denver, CO). Anteriormente, formó parte del equipo de educación e investigación del Museo Jumex, en la Ciudad de México. Con una maestría y un doctorado en Historia del Arte, ha publicado su investigación sobre arte colonial mexicano en revistas y libros arbitrados.
CV
Constanza Ontiveros Valdés
Education
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2019-2015
Ph.D in Art History, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
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2012-2010
MA in Art History, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
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2007-2002
B.A. in Art History, Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana
Selected job experience
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2026-2020
Freelance art writer contributing to international media, including The Art Newspaper, Ocula, The Observer, Architectural Digest, and First American Magazine, as well as writing exhibition texts and catalogs for art galleries and artists.
Examples of clients:
- Baldwin Contemporary Art Gallery, UK
- Fijewski Art Gallery, Poland
- Draw Paint Academy, Sydney, Australia
- Beatriz Esguerra Art Gallery, Bogota, Colombia
- TM51 Gallery, Oslo, Norway
- ArtCollection.io, Los Angeles, California, US
- The Art Syndicate Gallery, Sydney, Australia
- OEN, UK
- Thalby, Cultural Travel Guides, Netherlands
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2019
Curatorial Research Associate, Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, CA, US
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2019-2015
Ph.D. Full-time student with a publicly funded scholarship
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2015-2013
Cultural and curatorial advisor for independent art curator Abaseh Mirvali
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2013-2011
Curatorial Projects Coordinator, Biennial of the Americas, Denver, CO, USA
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2010-2009
Coordination of a National Cultural Project Aimed for Children, Museo Nacional de Arte, Mexico City, Mexico
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2009-2007
Education and Research Departments, Jumex Museum, Mexico City, Mex.