CHAC

Born on April 11, 1951 in Trinidad, Colorado, Meggan Rodriguez DeAnza graduated from South High School in Pueblo, Colorado and received a BS degree in graphic arts and an AAS in Civil Engineering from the University of Southern Colorado. She received a MA in printmaking from Adams State College. Meggan is an artist and an art teacher. She also has two daughters: Julie and Jennifer.

Meggan learned how to make santos by viewing images in museums and then attempting to make them herself. As an influential art teacher, she's taught about santos at the Denver Art Museum, the Museo de las Americas, the Public Education Coalition, Artes del Pueblo, the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council, the Chile Harvest Festival, and the Aurora Historical Society.

"My art is the main core of myself. Each work, each story signify that of my culture, both Spanish and American, my  upbringing and my environment, both rural and urban. My work is influenced by my emotions felt. I am lucky because I am just a vehicle, a vein, which interprets the feelings of world around me.
 
Consciously and subconsciously my subject content are filled with many faceless images, crosses, skulls, saints, virgins or definite line designs. Often times, there is a link of death to life imagery that appears. Perhaps, it is the favored works of other artists, past and present, the attendance of celebrations or general recording of life passages that appear throughout my subject.

My Mother 'n Child series grows without end from drawing , to watercolors, to acrylic from small to large mural scale. Advanced technology allows me many choices of a variety of media. I challenge the folk type, Spanish traditional works trying to develop new contemporary forms in design or construction. Each work dictates a certain mood, that of calmness, sensitivity, anger, etc."

Her favorite image, "Our Lady of Sorrows," is the patron of the most churches in all of northern New Mexico. She identifies with her most because of the patron's relationship to the plight of women.

DeAnza is one of 194 artists profiled in the book titled “Contemporary Chicana and Chicano Art-Artists, Works, Culture, and Education Volumes 1&2.” The volumes consist of artwork that features such themes as community life and important elements in the social, religious, family and kinship structure or makeup of Chicanismo. Contact CHAC for additional information.