May 23, 2025
This interview with Maritza Davilla was recorded on June 27, 2022.
Maritza Dávila is owner and director of Atabeira Press and Professor Emeritus of the Memphis College of Art where she taught printmaking and drawing from 1982 to 2018 and at the University of Memphis as an adjunct professor.
She is currently teaching with Creative Aging of Memphis providing art workshops for the senior community as well as workshops for the Dixon Gallery and Gardens in various areas including bookbinding and printmaking. Dávila has exhibited around the world and has works in collections in the United States, Europe, the Caribbean and Asia. Those include the National Library in Madrid, Spain; the National Library of Paris, France; Taller ACE of Buenos Aires, Argentina; Museum of Art and History at the University of Puerto Rico; the Memphis International Airport Art Collection; and the National Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Dávila was involved in the Mobility Project mural in Memphis in 2023, and has collaborated with American poet Kay Lindsey and visual artist Indrani Nayar Gall from India on various art projects. She was also a visiting artist at the University of Bilbao, Spain in 2011 and the School of Fine Arts of the Institute of Culture of Puerto Rico among others. Residencies include Taller ACE in Buenos Aires, Argentina (2011 and 2018) and Illinois State University’s Normal Editions (2016). In furtherance of her art and research, Dávila has travelled to Spain, France, Poland, Italy, the United Kingdom, South America, Mexico and Japan. Among the awards given for her work and to pursue artistic projects are the Emmett O’Ryan Award for Artistic Excellence finalist (2017 and 2023); the UrbanArt Commission “Bridging the Distance” video project purchase award in collaboration with Jon W. Sparks (2020); Accelerator Award from Arts Memphis (2018); Fogelman Faculty enrichment award (2016-2018); and the Panton Award (2014-2018). Other awards include the Juror’s Special Mention in the Pressed and Pulled Exhibit, Georgia (1997); Prix de Dessin et Gravure, Salon International du Val d’Or a laSalle Des Fetes d’Orval, France (1996); Screen Printing Association International Mentor Award (1993). A long-time participant in community activities, Dávila has been involved as a committee member with Works of Hearts benefiting the Memphis Child Advocacy Center; was a board member of Latino Memphis 2002-2009; and served as a member of the Fine Arts Committee of Centro Cultural Latino in Memphis 2010-2013. She also was a mentor during several Southern Graphics International Conferences in New Orleans; Portland, Oregon; St Louis; Las Vegas; and the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
