17 years of Cultivating Social Change…From an Artist, Not From Politicians.

Can art really fight prejudice and stereotyping? Learn how at a new exhibition looking at 17 years of Verdadism paintings with social commentaries.
Exhibition Opening Reception: August 8th, from 3:00-7:00PM
Exhibition Dates: August 8, 2009 to September 30, 2009
Location: Verdadism Art Gallery, 220 South Berlin Road, Lindenwold, NJ 08021]

Admission is FREE, but reservations are required. Wine and Spanish hors d’oeuvres will be served, with live music by improvisational jazz bassist/percussionist, Jodie Janetta, and blues singer/poet, Lori Benton-Janetta. For reservations, please RSVP before August 4th by calling 856-346-3131.

Coming of Age: Hope Drawings from Original Verdadism Paintings by Soraida. Saturday, Feb 7th 1:00PM to 6:00PM at Verdadism Art Gallery, Lindenwold, NJ 08021 Soraida, New York-born artist known since 1992 for art on peace, tolerance and social change, opens February 2009 with exhibition of hope drawings at the Verdadism Gallery. Based on the Original 1996 Verdadism painting. (The Weeping Puerto Rican Cuatro Player) Exhibition dates are from Saturday, February 7, 2009 to Saturday, February 28, 2009. Opening reception is Saturday, February 7th, from 1-6PM with wine and hors d'oeuvres served. Regular gallery hours are 10-5PM EST and by appointment only. To learn more about Soraida's Verdadism art, please visit www.soraida.com or call 856-346-3131.

Drawing For Peace And Tolerance 10/8/08	Soraida Unveils Drawings for Peace and Tolerance Soraida, known since 1992 for Verdadism paintings advocating tolerance and social change, unveils series of original peace drawings at the Verdadism Gallery. Dec 03, 2008 –Dec 31, 2008 Since 1992, internationally known artist and social advocate Soraida Martinez has been creating abstract paintings juxtaposed with written social commentaries that encourage tolerance and social change. Soraida’s didactic art addresses racism, sexism, stereotypes, ethnocentrism and many of the issues that affect both contemporary America, as well as universal humanity. Soraida’s latest series of line art drawings are aimed at fostering peace in a time of economic and global turmoil. These over 60 unique original drawings are based on Soraida’s 1994 original Verdadism Painting, Feeling Inner Peace, which is accompanied by this social commentary:		“Painting my Verdadism allows me to feel at peace. I feel that in orderto make change, one must talk about what may not be comfortableto some people. One must not be self-denying. One must challenge what is not right in this world and try to make change." To experience the tranquility and positive energy/message of the Verdadism Peace Drawings, and support the artist in her 17 years of encouraging and advocating social change  contact the Verdadism gallery at 856-346-3131.
Series of original peace drawings at the Verdadism Gallery 2008

Opening Reception: Wednesday, October 3rd, 2007 from 2PM to 3PM, Frank Guaracini, Jr. Fine & Performing Arts Center, Cumberland County College, Exhibition runs from September 15-October 24, 2007. Soraida, Artist Teaching Tolerance Since 1992 Through Her Verdadism Art with Social Commentaries For over 15 years now, artist and activist, Soraida Martinez, has been raising awareness of racism, sexism, stereotyping and other social issues that until recently have been considered too taboo to be discussed in mainstream American society. According to Soraida, “when I first exhibited my paintings with social commentaries in the early 1990’s, many people thought that there wasn’t a tolerance problem in America anymore. But, it was behind closed doors…a big glass ceiling was placed there. Here we are in 2007, 15 years later, and intolerance is all we hear about on the news every day. I saw it coming in the 80's because we, as a society, stopped talking about social issues in the 80's and 90's. My Verdadism art is about my personal life experience. As a Puerto Rican woman and owner of an art and design studio started in 1986, I saw and experienced this inequality in mainstream America. In 1992 when most people were not speaking about racism, sexism and stereotyping, I knew we were going to face hard times in addressing our differences and promoting tolerance.” For more information call Sarah Shapiro, Professor of Fine Art, at 856-691-8600 ext. 314. Soraida speaking about her Verdadism art at the opening reception on the importance of tolerance in America, especially in today's colleges and universities

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Elkton Station Gallery, from September 2-29th, 2007. Gallery hours are 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Monday through Thursday, and 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Friday.

Raising awareness of racism, sexism, stereotyping and socially conscious issues since 1992, Soraida Martinez brings her Verdadism Art Exhibition with written social commentaries to Cecil Community College, Elkton, Maryland. Fine art prints of several of Soraida's Verdadism paintings (incuding Between Two Islands, Feeling Inner Peace, PMS Blues and When Money Gets Ugly) will be on display at the Elkton Station Gallery, from September 2-29th, 2007. Gallery hours are 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Monday through Thursday, and 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Friday. For directions and more information, call Janaea Rose Lyn, Assistant Professor of Dance & Performing Arts, at 410-287-6060 ext. 207.

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The 2007 National Conference on Latinos and AIDS, Verdadism show featuring the painting © 2007, Latinas and the Unspoken Taboo Killer, AIDS.... July 30-31, 2007, Miami Beach Resort & Spa, Miami, Florida.

Conference Audience, Goal, and Objectives The goal of this activity is to update the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of health providers who care for patients with HIV/AIDS. This activity is also designed for healthcare media, federal and state legislators, AIDS service organization officers, social workers, pharmacists, nurses, peer counselors, church leadership and corrections healthcare personnel. The objectives are to familiarize participants with the epidemiology of HIV in the United States, current guidelines and cutting edge clinical modalities for the management of HIV, current research encompassing drug abuse and its connection to the HIV epidemic, social and psychiatric concerns of the HIV-infected patient, policy initiatives, trends and political issues which impact all HIV-infected patients. Special Speaker this year is actor Rosie Perez
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JP Morgan Chase Exhibition

Tuesday, October 3, 2006, from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Three Christina Center Wilmington, Delaware:

Six Verdadism works-of-art on exhibition: Piano Man: The Survival of Hope, Hearing The Whisper of My Soul, Feeling Inner Peace, What Prejudice Looks Like, The Terror of Demasking Oneself, The Battle of The Rice and Beans.Also, Art of Verdadism book, "Soraida's Verdadism: The Voice of a Puerto Rican Woman on Canvas; Unique, Controversial Images and Style" will be available for sale.

Exhibition exclusively for Chase employees only.

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Meet Soraida and see her Verdadism art style at the 3rd Annual Arts and Cultural Networking Celebration in Harlem Honoring Diversity in the Arts Community. Verdadism art prints, as well as the Verdadism art book, will be available for sale. A FREE open edition lithographic print of "Rage: It's My Body," a Verdadism painting addressing abortion and Women's reproductive rights, will be given to every person who stops by Soraida's Verdadism Exhibition. Soraida welcomes any socially conscious individual or organization to speak to her about commissioning Verdadism artwork.

Date: Saturday, August 19th, New York City at East 106th Street from Lexington to 2nd Avenues (Cultural Corridor) and White Park.

Time: 12:00PM to 6:30PM

Sponsored by the Manhattan Community Board Eleven's Cultural Affairs Committee.

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Artist and Social Activist, Soraida, presents actor, Erik Estrada, with limited edition lithograph of "Piano Man: The Survival of Hope," a Verdadism painting on hope. Both Soraida and Erik come from Harlem, NYC.

Meet Soraida and see her art at the National Forum on HIV/AIDS for Health Professionals Who Provide Care for Latinos July 24-25, 2006 - Miami, FL Miami Beach Resort & Spa (Formerly the Wyndham Miami Beach Resort)

Conference Audience, Goal, and Objectives The goal of this activity is to update the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of health providers who care for patients with HIV/AIDS. This activity is also designed for healthcare media, federal and state legislators, AIDS service organization officers, social workers, pharmacists, nurses, peer counselors, church leadership and corrections healthcare personnel. The objectives are to familiarize participants with the epidemiology of HIV in the United States, current guidelines and cutting edge clinical modalities for the management of HIV, current research encompassing drug abuse and its connection to the HIV epidemic, social and psychiatric concerns of the HIV-infected patient, policy initiatives, trends and political issues which impact all HIV-infected patients

Distinguished Artist, Soraida Martinez, Chosen by Curator of Hardy Family 5th Annual Art Show to Exhibit Original Verdadism Paintings With Works of Other International Artists: Fernando Botero, Burton Morris, Howard Behrens, Bobbie Carlyle, Claudia Olds Goldie, Ranna, and Gene Trindl

Soraida will be among 8 renowned artists and sculptors who have been invited to exhibit their works-of-art at the 5th Annual Hardy Family Art Exhibition. The artwork will be on display for approximately 6 months and a portion of all sales benefit the Arts of Western Pennsylvania, including organizations like The State Theater. Since 1992, Soraida has been known for creating Verdadism, a socially conscious art style wherein all paintings are accompanied by a written social commentary. The Verdadism painting genre is a form of Hard Edge Abstract Expressionism and consists of two distinct, yet integral parts: the visual component and the written commentary. Soraida created the word Verdadism by combining the Spanish word for truth (Verdad) and the English suffix for theory (ism). Some of the issues addressed through the art of Verdadism include racism, sexism, stereotyping, sibling relationships, personal soul searching and universal human conditions. Soraida is also the author of a book on Verdadism, Soraida's Verdadism: The Intellectual Voice of A Puerto Rican Woman on Canvas; Unique, Controversial Images and Style. The Verdadism artwork chosen for this exhibition includes "The Terror of Demasking Oneself," a painting about the fear of revealing one's truth self. Plus, these Verdadism paintings: "Not Knowing Which Way to Go," "Be

tween Two Islands," "Piano Man: The Survival of Hope," "Self-Effacing Woman," "I Found It Hard to Be An Individual," "Feeling The Espanola, Africana and Taina in Me," "When Money Gets Ugly," "Turning 40," "Guitar Player: A Symbol of Hope," and "La Vida Es Dura Para Una Mujer Como Yo." This exhibition runs from May 1, 2004 until October 31, 2004 at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa, Farmington, Pennsylvania. An opening reception, with a silent auction and dinner dance will be held on Saturday, May 1st from 6-9PM. For reservations to the private reception and auction, call 1-800-422-2736. For information on Soraida and the art of Verdadism, visit www.soraida.com.

Meet Artist, Soraida at the New York City Small Press Book Fair (20 West 44th Street) on Saturday, March 27th, from 10-6PM and Sunday, March 28th,2004 from 11-5PM."Soraida's Verdadism: The Intellectual Voice of a Puerto Rican Woman on Canvas; Unique, Controversial Images and Style," Soraida is known for creating Verdadism, a socially conscious, contemporary artstyle where every painting has a written social commentary. Some of the issues addressed by Soraida include racism, sexism, ethnocentrism, stereotyping, abortion, sibling relationships, personal tribulations and social inequalities. Since 1992, Soraida has been promoting tolerance and social change through her Verdadism art and philosophy. Besides her Verdadism Art Book and a poetry book by Victor Edgar Rivera, on display will be fine art prints of Soraida's Verdadism Artwork. Artist, Soraida is on the 3rd floor (room 302); admission to the Book Fair is FREE.

Please call for more information 856-346-3131