Patssi Valdez was born in Los Angeles and "educated" by the Los Angeles blowouts of 1968, when Chicano students demanded relevancy in the curriculum, and the Chicano moratorium of 1970. Exposed as well to the work of Asco, a performance art collective (1974-1987), and the Otis Parsons School of Art and Design (1981-1985), Valdez' eclectic work in performance art, photo collage, photography, and design incorporated counterculture values. In 1985 she received her bachelor’s degree in fine arts and full-page coverage in Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine. In 1988 she pursued painting as a medium. At Pico House in Los Angeles she held her first solo and successful exhibition. Beyond her work as a visual artist, Valdez established a career in theater and films as an art director and set designer. Included in the Smithsonian collections, Valdez's work is found in the Laguna Art Museum, Tucson Museum of Art, and the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum in Chicago and the Mexican Museum in San Francisco. Recognized for her many achievements, Valdez has received numerous awards, among them the National Endowment for the Arts U.S./Mexico Artist-in-Residence (1994).

LINKS
Smithsonian Archives of American Art Patssi Valdez.com The Chicano Collection Flintridge Foundation San Diego Latino Film Festival Images