Artist Biography

Maribel Danta always knew she wanted to be an artist. Luckily enough, as a New York native, she grew up a train ride away from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Modern Museum of Art, the Frick Museum, and all the countless important museums and galleries the city has to offer.

     Maribels’ art education began in the museums and continued through New York University where she graduated from in 1989 with a degree in Studio Arts. She was then invited to be an apprentice for Artist John Kacere who had been her professor in NYU. She worked with him until 1991, and continued to take classes at The Art Students League in New York City, New York.

     To earn a living Maribel took a job at New York Telephone. She married her  boyfriend, Carlos Rodriguez in 1993, and  though she had a few shows in 1995, most notably a show for Latino Artists in Fort Totten , Bayside, NY, and a show at One Police Plaza in NYC,  her focus soon became starting a family.

     Now a mother of three boys, William age 6, Gabriel age 4 and Carlos age 3, she has found herself viewing her art and the need to create her art with a completely different perspective. Gabriel was diagnosed with Autism . The journey towards teaching Gabriel to verbalize his thoughts proved to be a life changing one. The expectations we have as parents are redefined as we begin to appreciate the very things we take for granted: fluid word, abstract thought. We take the concept of connection for granted. Real connection takes time, trust, patience, acceptance, understanding, and love and eventually through that connection we can come into and emerge from different places all the stronger. In teaching her son to talk, Maribel, who is shy, in turn, learned from her son how to speak up and speak out. Through the continuous challenges of motherhood, raising three boys, and one in particular with very unique circumstances, Maribel has found herself emersed  in anything she can to raise awareness for Autism, and to raise her children with an awareness for life, and its changing perspectives. In her more recent pieces, one can see the connection she shares with her subjects have deepened, have grown. Where once she waited for the inspiration to work, now she is inspired by the people she loves, the lives they lead and the world around them. Her art is her connection to living, and it’s her thoughts and her expression. Ultimately, it’s her gift to her sons, the gift of taking great pride in what moves you, in doing what you love, and find yourself in. In taking chances, in making mistakes, in learning, in having courage, in letting go, and in growing up, always with a sense of humor, and a sense of  responsibility  to ourselves and others.  

 Maribel is currently working from her home  studio in Center Moriches.

maribel danta              email  : maribel@artbymaribel.com  or    email : maribeldanta@msn.com         phone..631-909-1030