Blanca Santander
10313 9th Ave NW
Seattle, WA 9817
(206) 618-139
blancasantander@gmail.com – Personal
blanca@blancasantander.com – Business
WEBSITE
EDUCATION
Pontifical Catholic University of Peru -Master of fine arts – Painting & Engraving – Lima, Peru 1987
Kodak Professional School of Photography – Professional Photography – Lima, Peru 1990
Professional & Continuing Education – University of Washington 2013
EXPERIENCE
City of Seattle: Public Artist Roster for 2024 -2026
City of Seattle Community Engagement Artist Roster 2023
Creative Advantage Teaching Artist Roster 2022
STart-Sound Transit Artist Pool 2018
City of Seattle Public Artist Roster 2017 to 2021
4Culture Muralist Roster 2017
City of Seattle Public Artist Boot Camp Graduated 2015
City of Seattle Ethnic Artist Roster 2014 – 2017
Artist in Residence 2004 to present
Freelance Artist, Illustrator, & Photographer 1987 to present
UNICEF, FAO, COTESU, and, other non- profits. Freelance Design and Illustration – Educational Materials – 1986 to 1996 – Lima, Peru
Theatre Designer – Scenery & costume design – 1986 to 1995 – Lima, Peru
GROUP EXHIBITS
- Like Mother – FOGUE Gallery – June 2025
- COUNTENANCE -Contemporary Portraiture Exhibit – North Seattle College Art Gallery – January to March 2025
- Like Mother – Kirkland Art Center – March – April 2025
- ACES Artist of Color Exhibit – Organized by Shunpike & 4CULTURE – 2024
- CoCA Members Exhibit Juried Show 2024
- Seattle Center – Day of the Dead Exhibit– Oct to Nov 2023
- Like Mother – Green River College’s Hellen Smith Gallery – Sept to Nov 2023
- Annual Kent Juried Summer art exhibition June- August – 2023
- ACES- Artist of Color Exhibit – Organized by Shunpike & 4Culture – 2023
- COCA Gallery – Marathon & Auction – September 2021.
- King Street Station – Brighter Future: To be heard. To be seen Nov 2019-Jan 2020
- COCA Gallery- Motherland 2019 Juried Exhibit- March-April 2019
- Theater Shmeater Gallery – May-June, 2018.
- Mount Baker Neighborhood Center for the Arts – April 2018
- City Hall Lobby Gallery & Anne Focke Gallery – Sept -Oct 2017.
- Cornish Playhouse Gallery – 2017
- ACES- Artist of Color Exhibit – Organize by 4Culture & Artist Up – 2017
- Columbia Center for the Arts – Hood River, OR – September 2017
- Spaceworks Gallery – Immigration: Hopes Realized, Dreams Derailed – June 30 to August 17, 2017
- Mount Baker Neighborhood Center of the Arts – To Honor The CHILDREN – July-August 2017
- Ethnic Heritage Gallery at Seattle Municipal Tower – Processing: Artists Face Administration Change – April- July 2017
- Ethnic Heritage Gallery at Seattle Municipal Tower – Processing: Artists Face Administration change – April-July 2017
- Washington State Convention Center – Avenidas y Generaciones – Jan-March 2017 – Curator of the Exhibit
- Concordia University -February – March 2017
- Society of Arts – January 28 to February 2017
- Museum of Culture and Environment at WSU Liberty Denied: Immigration, Detention, Deportation Sep-Nov 2016
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation group show 10-10-2016
- Portland5 Siren Nation 10th Anniversary art show Oct-Dec 2016
- Washington State and Convention Center – SCBWI Western Washington’s Super Duper Summer Show – Juried Exhibit – July to September 2016
- Seattle Central College – Daughters of Immigration – March to April, 2016 – Curator of the Exhibit
- Centro Latino SER – Tacoma, WA – 2015, 2016, 2017
- Moses Lake Museum – Selfie – A Community Conversation of Identity – Juried Exhibit 2015
- Portland’5 LAX IdeAL – group show – May 2014, 2015, 2016 September 2017
- University of Washington School of Social Work – Viva Art Exhibit – January 6 – April 16, 2014
- Washington State and Convention Center – SCBWI Illustrator Exhibit – October 10,
- 2013 – January 8, 2014
- Washington State and Convention Center – “Visions and Environments” – July – October 2013 – Curator of the Exhibit
- Seattle Municipal Tower – Ethnic Heritage Art Gallery – Portraits – Seattle, WA – July – October 2012 – Curator of the Exhibit
- Centennial Center Gallery at City Hall, Kent, WA – July 2011
- Latino art group show – Seattle City Hall sponsored by City of Seattle Employees – Seattle, Washington – August – October 2009
- Best of the Northwest at the Seattle Center – Seattle, Washington. April 2009
- Public Art celebrating Day of the Dead – TAPETES at Seattle Art Museum – SAM. Seattle, Washington 2008
- C-Art Gallery. Show titled “Small Works”. Seattle, Washington 2008
- 6th Annual Juried Local Art Exhibition presented by The Gallery at Tacoma Community College – Tacoma, Washington 2008
- Jacobs Gallery – Eugene, Oregon 2008
- Edmonds Center for the Arts. Edmonds, Washington 2008
- Washington State and Convention Center. Exhibit titled “Latino Art in the Northwest”. Downtown Seattle 2008
- Tacoma Community College – The Gallery. Tacoma, Washington 2008
- “World Art Fest Exhibit” presented at the Center House Harrison ST Gallery – Seattle Center Washington 2005
- Glover Gallery. Kirkland, Washington 2004 – 2005
- Kinsey Gallery – Seattle University. Exhibit titled “Reminiscence/Remembranza”. Seattle, Washington 2004
SOLO EXHIBITS
- Testimonios, Digital Exhibit, YouTube – 2020
- Hood River, Oregon – Columbia Center of the Arts – July to August 2019
- Mayor’s Gallery, Seattle Municipal Tower – February to May 2016
- Seattle Central College – October-November 2014
- Centennial Center Gallery at City Hall, Kent, WA. November 2012
- Columbia Tower, December 2011 – February 2012
- Peruvian Embassy at Washington DC 2012
- Mercer Island Community Center – August 2010
- La Onda Gallery. Portland, Oregon – March 2010
- NHLI. Albuquerque, New Mexico – November 2009
- C-Art Gallery. Seattle, Washington – May 2009
- Blanca Santander exhibited at La Llorona Gallery – Chicago, Illinois 2005
- Blanca Santander presented at Ballard Works. Seattle, Washington 2005
- Blanca Santander exhibited at La Llorona Gallery – Chicago, Illinois 2005
AWARDS & DISTINCTIONS
- “Meeting at the Balance” – Freeway Park Association Grant Winner 2025
- Artist Trust Grants for Artist Projects 2024
- Artist Trust & SOLA AWARD Winner 2023
- Kent Summer Art Exhibit Purchase Award – City of Kent Art Portable Collection – 2023
- National Women’s Caucus of Arts – Art Publication Awarded for “Testimonios” – 2021
- Seattle Office of Arts & Culture Public Art Portable Works Collection – 2020
- Speaker and Presenter for Hispanic Heritage Event at Cleveland State University – 2020
- City of Seattle Parks and Recreation COVID-19 Community Healing Grant – “Kids Can Make It Project” – 2020
- Featured calendar artist, selected by King County’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee & 4Culture – 2018
- Start-Sound Transit Artist Pool 2018
- 4Culture Muralist Roster 2017
- SCBWI Scholarship Winner 2017
- Office of Arts & Culture – Put Art in The Parks Grant – “Park in the Heart” – 2016 – 2019
- Office of Arts & Culture – Put Art in The Parks Grant – “Park Your Thoughts” – 2016 & 2019
- 4CULTURE Grant Award – Daughters of Immigration Exhibit – 2015-2016
- 1st Place Award – Centro Latino SER – Tacoma, WA – 2015
- Moses Lake Museum – Photography Award – 2015
- City of Seattle Roster of Ethnic Artists-2014
- Women of Courage Award – Northwest Women of Color Empowered – Sponsored by Northwest Asian Weekly – 2012
- BARNES & NOBLE – Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month 2011, with “Floral Offerings” painting on merchandise in their 800 stores nationwide – September 2011
- First place – Award Winner at Juried Exhibit in City Hall Centennial Gallery in Kent, Washington – August 2011
- BARNES & NOBLE – Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by featuring “Mother Earth and the New World” painting on merchandise in their 800 stores nationwide – September -2010
- Nordstrom Latina Summit Featured Artist – 2009 – 2019
- ONANGELS MAGAZINE – Honorable 2nd Mention – November 2009
- First place awarded for the “2009 Mujer Awards Poster Artwork contest” NATIONAL HISPANA LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE – July 2009
- BARNES & NOBLE – Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month 2009, with “Mother Earth and the Moon” painting on merchandise in their 800 stores nationwide – September 2009
- 2007 – Honors for Excellence, Contribution and Achievements in the Advancements of Fine Arts and Education, Centro Cultural Hispano Americano and the Spanish & Portuguese Studies of the University Of Washington, (Seattle, WA)
- 2006 – Sea Mar Community Health Centers – Public Collection
- 1991 – Honorable Mention at the Images of Peru – Photographic Competition sponsored by Union Latina
- 1990 – Second place award in the Kodak Professional School
- 1987 – First place in national contest to illustrate textbooks for rural school children, sponsored by FAO Holland
- 1989 – First place awarded by the Peruvian Central Reserve Bank – Engraving Competition. Selected to create New Peruvian Currency
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE & COMMISSIONS
- PhinneyWood Utility Box Project – 2025
- City of Everett Art Commission – 2 Utility Boxes 2024
- Hope Corps Seattle Parks and Recreation Mural Project -2023-2024
- SeaTac Airport Mural – Commissioned by the Bezos Family Foundation – 2023
- FLOW – Public Art Project – Office of Art & Culture 2023
- City of Kirkland Art Commission – Utility Box Art Project – 2023
- City of Kent Art Commission – Utility Box Art Project – 2023
- Mount Vernon Arts Commission – City of Mount Vernon Skagit Commission Banner – 2022
- Seattle Uptown Utility Box Art Project – 2022
- Des Moines Utility Box Art Project – 2022
- Odessa Brown Children’s Hospital – 15 Commissioned Murals – 2021 to 2022
- University Prep – Artist in Residence – 2008, 2009, 2021
- Seattle Amistad School – 2013 to present
- City Arts Washington Hall Workshop – 2018
- Whitman Middle School – Artist in Residence – 2015
- St. Vincent de Paul Mural Summer Program – 2014
- Official Photographer for De Cajon Project 2009 to 2014
- Hazel Valley Elementary – Para los Niños – Summer 2014
- Broadview Thompson School – Artist in Residence – January to April, 2014
- The Little School – Artist in Residence – 2006-2007
- Seattle University – Department of Modern Languages – 2004 & 2005