CV & BIO
Beatriz E. Ledesma is a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is a professional painter, writer, educator, and psychotherapist in solo practice based in Chicago, IL
Ledesma’s surrealist works explore the hidden landscapes of emotions and spirituality. Her paintings are rich with symbolic objects and vibrant hues, reflecting her Latin American heritage and acting as portals to the subconscious. Through this exploration of dreams and the unconscious. Ledesma invites viewers to embark on a personal journey of self-discovery, fostering a deeper connection with themselves and the world around.
Ledesma’s interest for the practical applications of psychoanalysis and art for the purpose of healing and empowerment inspired her to obtain a Ph.D (ICSW/2009) focusing on the use of artmaking in the clinical treatment of adults. She attended The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she graduated with an MAAT/MFA (1988).
Ledesma is self employed @ Ledesma Studio Ltd. where she holds her art and clinical practice.
SELECTED SOLO SHOWS:
2025 “Bird’s Song”, Cornelia Arts Building, Chicago
2019 “Tribal Language”, Oliva Gallery, Chicago
Lincoln Park Public Library, Chicago
2018 “Bridges over Obstacles”, Oliva Gallery, Chicago
2014 Rogers Park Public Library, Chicago
2011 Edna Manley College, Kingston, Jamaica
2010 Elephant Room Gallery, Chicago, IL
2008 Beacon Street Gallery, Chicago, Il
The Writers Workshop Gallery, Chicago, Il
Gallery 79, Curitiva, Brazil, South America
2007 “Artists on Display”, Fundraising Collaboration with IAC Music Group, Chicago
2006 Chicago School of Professional Psychology
BBDO ENERGY, Wrigley Building, Chicago, IL
Morton College, IL
Chicago Public Library, Chicago, IL
2002 “Willing to live in Uncertainty”, Swedenborg Library, Chicago
2001 “Retrospective”, Ledesma Studio, Ltd., Chicago
2000 “Inner Journeys”, Arlington Heights Memorial Public LIbrary
SELECTED TWO PERSON SHOWS:
2016 Ledesma-Zwierzynski, William Harris Lee Co., Chicago
2015 Ledesma-Randolph, ICANA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2013 “The Sacred Show”, Uptown Arts Center, Chicago
2012 “4 Arttists 4 Views”, FAB, Chicago
“Two Perspectives in Color: Randolph-Ledesma”, Chicago
Maya Malioutina Studio Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2008 Morris College, Chicago, Il
2007 Ossia Gallery, Chicago, Il
2006 Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Chicago, IL
SELECTED THREE PERSON SHOWS:
2017 “Broker Borders”, Oliva Gallery, Chicago
1995 “Inner and Outer Landscapes- The Vision of Three American Artists”, Broadway Gallery-Passaic
Community College, Paterson, New Jersey
1993 “Converge- Three Women Three Directions-One Process” (collaboration), Beacon St. Gallery, Chgo.
1992 “The Healing Image”, School of Clinical Psychology, Chicago
SELECTED FOUR PERSON SHOWS:
2004 Claudia Andersen Gallery, Fine Arts Building, Chicago
“Contemporary Latin American Art Exhibit”, Dinnerware Contemporary Art Gallery, AZ
2003 “40 x 40: Forty By Forty”, Apollo Theater, Chicago, IL
SELECTED GROUP SHOWS:
2025 “The Mystical, The Magical & The Macabre”, Bridgeport Art Center, Chicago
"STATEWIDE 2025", M.G. Nelson Gallery, Springfield, IL
“CHIMERA”, CSI Gallery, Chicago
“EARTH DAY”, Galleri Schaeffers Gate 5, Oslo, Norway
“ARTE LATINO NOW”, Queen University, NC
“WHAT SHE SAID…”, Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago
2024 “Lightness and Being”, SONA Gallery, Chicago
“TEN BY TEN”, Jackson Jungle Gallery, Chicago
“Argentina Meets Chicago- Todos Estamos en Transito” Consulado Argentino Chicago @ UNMA
“Momentos on Time”, Viridian Contemporary Art Gallery, NYC
“Small Work-Members Show”, Women Made Gallery, Chicago
“The Unbearable Lightness of Being”, Viridian Contemporary Art Gallery, NYC
HERSTORY, Viridian Contemporary Art Gallery, NYC
“Argentina Meets Chicago- Todos Estamos en Transito” Consulado Argentino Chicago @ UNMA
“Momentos on Time”, Viridian Contemporary Art Gallery, NYC
”The Unbearable Lightness of Being”, Viridian Contemporary Art Gallery, NYC
2023 “Giftfullness”, Viridian Artists Contemporary Art Gallery, NYC
“10 by 10”, Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago, IL
“Time. Memory. Myths”, Women Made Gallery, Chicago
The Happiness Show, Epiphany Center for the Arts
Intuit Gallery Gala, Chicago, IL
“Women-Life-Freedom”, Women Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
2022 “Vision of Hope”, Stola Contemporary Art Gallery
Evanston Art Center- Winter Show
Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago, IL
Luminous-CAVA, Berger Park-Gunder Masion, Chicago, IL
FEMINA-2022, Gallprium, Ontario, Canada
“ARTE LATINO NOW-2022”, Queen University, NC
2021 Later Impressions, Bridgeport Art Center, Chicago, IL
CAVA- Edgewater Historical Center, Chicago, IL
WOMEN in ART, Online Exhibition, Laguna Arts Gallery, CA
“ARTE LATINO NOW”, Queen University, NC
2020 HOME- virtual exhibition, Women Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
Group Show, Jones Gallery, Kansas, MO
The Samara State Institute of Culture, SERVAS ORG., Russia
2019 “Ritual & Spirituality”, The Art Center Highland Park, IL
Gallery Studio Oh, Chicago, IL
“Real People”, Old Courthouse Arts Center, Woodstock, IL
“Impact Color, Black & White”, The Art Center Highland Park, IL
Small Works Online Exhibition, Trestle Gallery, NYC
“Women’s Work”, Old Court House, Woodstock, IL
“Trauma”, Oliva Gallery, Chicago
”Art Diaries", 4ArtSpace Gallery, Chicago
2018 “ARTE LATINO NOW”, Queen University, NC
2016 “Holiday Small Works”, Limner Gallery, Hudson, NY
“Home Impressions”, Western Colorado Center for the Arts, Junction, CO
“Blueprints”, RomanSusan Gallery, Chicago
“The Creative Soul: Art & The Sentient Being”, Life Force Arts Center, Chicago
2014 “Arte Latino Now”, Queens University at Charlotte, NC
2013 ‘The Sacred Show”, Uptown Arts Center,Chicago
2011 “A Night at the Fine Arts Building”, 2nd Floor Gallery, Chicago
“The Fine Arts of Friends”, 2nd Floor Gallery, Chicago
Fluxus, Chicago Cultural Center
“Union”, Columbia College, Chicago
7th National Self Portrait Show, Zhou B Art Center & 33 Contemporary Gallery
Ads2Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Boulder, CO
“The Flower Market”, Avram Eisen Gallery, Chicago
2009 Belas Artes Art Gallery, St. Paul, MO
“From Scratch”-Traveling Exhibit, Chicago Art Source Gallery
The Sketchbook Project- National Traveling Exhibit, Art House Gallery, Atlanta
2008 “Chicago Meets Argentina”, The State Gallery
5th International Modern & Contemporary Art Biennale, Latino Art Museum, Pomona, CA
5th Women International Show, Latino Art Museum, Pomona, CA
“The TreasurePostcards’08”, 9th Street Gallery, Washington D.C.
Sewall-Belmont House & Museum
2007 College of New Rochelle, Mooney Center Exhibit Hall, NY
Women Made Gallery, Chicago
“The Music Show”, Chicago City Arts Gallery, Chicago, Il
“Urban Renewal”, SSAC, Chicago, IL
2006 Chicago Art Open, Zhou B. Center, Chicago, IL
Chicago Art Open Archival Imaging, Ai Gallery, Chicago
“Shapes, Signs and Signals”, CCT Gallery, Chicago, IL
2005 Chicago Art Open
Chicago Art Foundation Benefit, Chicago, IL
“Mandalas: Map of Conscious Order”, Caladan Gallery, Beverly, MA
“Feet Here, Mind Wandering”, Line Drive Gallery, Evanston, IL
“All Passes Only Art Endures”, FAB Gallery, Chicago, IL
“Old New Borrowed Blue”, Lipa Gallery, Chicago, IL
2004 Fine Art Artists Showcase, Fine Arts Gallery, Chicago, IL
2003 40 x 40 Forty By Forty, Apollo Theater, Chicago, IL
“Small Works-’03”, Fine Arts Building Gallery, Chicago, IL
Psy Dream Conference- Online Gallery
2002 “The Art Speaks”, Open Studio Project, Evanston, IL
2001 Horizon Fundraising, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
“Being Connected”, Swedish American Museum, Chicago
Annual Conference AATA, Albuquerque, NM
SELECTED CURATION:
2024 “Argentina Meets Chicago- Todos Estamos en Transito” Consulado Argentino Chicago @ UMA
2007 “Painting and Printmaking: The Work of Bert Menco & Beatriz Ledesma”, Chicago
“Four Women in One Space. The Work of Goldman, Hill, Ledesma & Petty”, Chicago
2006 “Three Women Artists: Cole, Glyman, Ledesma”, Chicago
2004 “Madrid & Chicago- Wokrs by Carmen Gonzales & Beatriz Ledesma”, Chicago
1995 “Art as a Form of Healing”, Uptown Public Library, Chicago
“Menarche Menses and Menopause- Women & The Way of the Blood”, WMG
1994 “Symbolic Visions”, Women Made Gallery, Chicago
1993 “Young Latin American Artists”, El Nandu Restaurant, Chicago
1992 “ARTicipate”, Beacon Street Gallery, Chicago
“Teen of All Nations/ Summer Program”, Beacon Street Gallery, Chicago
1991 “Children Expressions”, Hull House & Stockton Elementary School, Chicago
1989 “A Voice in the Matter”, CWCA Juried Exhibition @ Beacon Street Gallery, Chicago
COLLABORATIVE PERFORMANCE:
2011 “Spiritual Resonances. Jamaica”- Painting & Music, Edna Manley
College, Kingston, Jamaica
2008 Mahler Song Cycles with Oswald Iraheta, Ossia Gallery
2007 Fundraising for ICA (International Chamber Artists), Chicago
1997 “Incantation” directed by Dina Morelli, Links Hall Studio, Chicago
1993 “Toward Diane Arbus” directed by Natsu Nakashima,
Randolph Gallery
1992 a printmaker- a ceramisist- a painter- three points of view, Beacon St. Gallery
REPRESENTED BY:
Viridian Contemporary Arts Gallery/NYC
Xanadu Gallery, Scottdale/AZ
EDUCATION in the ARTS:
2020-2025 Fullbright Specialist, Fullbright Specialist Program
2008 Ceramic Sculpture, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
2001- 2002 The Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts (Helen Oh), Chicago
1997 Ceramics-Egg Tempera (Carol Dolan); The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
1990-1994 Painting: Classical Technique (Ginny Skies); The School of the Art Institute of Chicago; Etching (Audrey Niffenegger); Evanston Arts Center, Evanston, IL
1986-1988 MFA/MAAT; The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
1985-1986 Graduate Courses in Painting and Drawing; University of Illinois @ Chicago
1976-1978 Instituto de Bellas Artes (Luis Lopez- Osvaldo Rainoldi); Buenos Aires, Argentina
HONORS AND AWARDS:
2025 Award Price in 2D Category, Springfield Arts Association, IL
2023 Award of Excellence. CAVA. Epiphany Center for the Arts, Chicago
2022 Illinois Arts Council. Chicago, IL
2021 Individual Artist Support Grant, Illinois Arts Council
Fulbright Specialist
2019 Circle Foundation for the Arts- Certificate of Excellence, France
2015 IAP Professional Development Grant, DCASE
2008 Illinois Arts Assistance Grant, Illinois Arts Council, Chicago
The Debbie Grant, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
2005 Illinois Arts Assistance Grant, Illinois Art Council, Chicago
2004 Illinois Arts Assistance Grant, Illinois Art Council, Chicago
1997 Illinois Art Assistance Grant, Illinois Arts Council, Chicago
1996 Ilinois Arts Assistance Grant, Illinois Arts Council, Chicago
Honorable Mention Grant of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago Fellowship,
Vermont Studio Center
1995 The Cove Foundation Scholarship, Chicago
1994 Fairfield Savings and Loan, Chicago
1993 Community Arts Assistance Grant, Chicago Office of Fine Arts
Merit Scholarship, Evanston Arts Center
1992 Chicago Initiative Grant, Chicago Community Trust Funds
Outstanding Artistic Recognition Award, Museum of Science & Industry, Chicago
1991 Neighborhood Arts Grant, Chicago Office of Fine Arts, IL
Outstanding Artistic Recognition Award, Museum of Science & Industry, Chicago
Merit Scholarship, Evanston Arts Center, Evanston, IL
Community Arts Assistance Grant, Chicago Office of Fine Arts, IL
1990 Illinois Arts Assistance Grant, Illinois Art Council, Chicago
Community Arts Assistance Grant, Chicago Office of Fine Arts, IL
Outstanding Artistic Service Award, Boulevard Arts Center, Chicago
Neighborhood Arts Grant, Chicago Office of Fine Arts, IL
1989 Community Arts Assistance Grant, Chicago Office of Fine Arts
1987-88 Smith Scholarship, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
1986-88 Merit Scholarship, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago