Peachy Keen
Peachy Keen
Vivian Liddell
14 - Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz—Tapping into a Legacy of Body and Effort to Level the Playing Field
1 hour 4 minutes Posted Apr 2, 2018 at 2:12 am.
0:00
1:04:38
Download MP3
Show notes
sqs-block-image-figure
intrinsic
"
>

Vivian Liddell and Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz

Peachy Keen headed down to Orlando, Florida for Spring Break and met up with local artist and educator Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz. Bronx-born to Puerto Rican parents, Raimundi-Ortiz talks us through her teenage years attending the fabled “Fame” school (LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts) and creating her Wepa Woman superheroine.

She explains how she got schooled at Skowhegan and Rutgers (hanging around with such highfalutin art-world characters as Robert Storr) where she learned to use her own body to tell her own story on her own terms as a performance artist. She breaks down how her hilarious "Ask Chuleta" character ended up on YouTube and we talk at length about teaching with what she calls "cultural spackle" to fill in the gaps that may be missing in students' education.

Ever wonder what to say when your Uber driver finds out you’re an artist and asks “What’s the big deal with Mondrian?” Raimundi-Ortiz knows how to walk the lines and switch the codes and she’s got your answer.

sqs-block-image-figure
intrinsic
"
>

Studio view of work in progress from the Reinas (Queens) Series

sqs-block-image-figure
intrinsic
"
>

Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz performance: The Pietà Project.

sqs-block-image-figure
intrinsic
"
>

Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz as "Ask Chuleta"

Related Links:

Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz, Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, National Portrait Gallery IDENTITY: Wanda Raimundi-OrtizSkittLeZMusicTV, Townie Tourist

Contemporary artists referenced in this episode: Abigail DeVille, Tara Donovan, Gabriel Orozco, Wangechi Mutu, Frank Stella, Sol LeWitt, Fred Wilson, Whitfield Lovell, Rackstraw Downes, Coco Fusco, Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Nikki S. Lee, LaToya Ruby Frazier

Want to support Peachy KeenLeaving a review on iTunes is a great way to help our podcast get heard by more folks—it’s free and anonymous! Want to take your support to the next level? As a Patreon subscriber to the podcast you can help Peachy Keen to continue to document and uplift the voices of Southern women in the arts for as little as $1/month. Recurring donations from subscribers like you are essential in ensuring that the podcast continues. Want a good cobbler recipe? Some Peachy Keen swag? An on air shout out to YOU on our next episode? Check out our Patreon page now for subscriber tiers and their rewards:

Become a Patron!

Follow @peachykeenpodcast on Instagram for announcements, news & of course, more pics. 👇

image-slide-anchor
content-fill
"
>
Just Dropped! Episode 32 - JESSICA R. SMITH&mdash;OVERSHOT <div class=
Peachy Keen met up with artist Jessica R. Smith ( @domesticelement ) at her home studio in Savannah, GA (pre-shelter-in-place!), where she is a professor of fibers at the Savannah College of" data-load="false" data-image-id="5ea8984e2d366351401e27a3" data-type="image" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/554badf2e4b019d54907d13d/1588107343401-2ENKDLE46EK1W8NQW4VN/image-asset.jpeg?format=1000w" />
image-slide-anchor
content-fill
"
>
Got my highlighter out doing some episode prep! Looking forward to talking to Jessica R. Smith for Episode 32. <div class=
Smith is a SCAD professor of fibers and co-author with Susan Falls of &ldquo;Overshot.&rdquo; Weaving friends, y&rsquo;all are definitely " data-load="false" data-image-id="5e4414f5de27567b2d8b9c40" data-type="image" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/554badf2e4b019d54907d13d/1581520120370-Z2UJ5XGG5H5FRVLURXJ9/image-asset.jpeg?format=1000w" />
image-slide-anchor
content-fill
"
>
Time to check your subscriptions: <div class=
All episodes of Peachy Keen Podcast are now available on Spotify! 🎉
You can also subscribe on Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes), Stitcher, and Google Play...And of course, on the Peachy Keen website page in our bio" data-load="false" data-image-id="5e3c5beabc351356f9219b16" data-type="image" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/554badf2e4b019d54907d13d/1581013995499-T94N1M28CQMOL3U0QT8V/image-asset.jpeg?format=1000w" />
image-slide-anchor
content-fill
"
>
New Episode, just dropped!<div class=31 - SONYA YONG JAMES&mdash;PHANTOM THREADS /&nbsp;FEBRUARY 5, 2020
Peachy Keen met up with artist Sonya Yong James ( @sonyayongjames ) on the occasion of her massive installation &ldquo;Phantom Threads&rdquo; as part of " data-load="false" data-image-id="5e3ae34a92ee822b7b638e98" data-type="image" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/554badf2e4b019d54907d13d/1580917579122-SHSP5O2166W8C03VOXG1/image-asset.jpeg?format=1000w" />
image-slide-anchor
content-fill
"
>
Met up with Sonya Yong James (@sonyayongjames ) at TAC&rsquo;s PROJECT exhibition( @temporaryartcenter ) today to discuss her life and work for Episode 31 🎤🎧🍑🤓 This is a small detail of her large scale installation currently on view there. Thanks
image-slide-anchor
content-fill
"
>
30 - COLLEEN MERRILL&mdash;MIRRORING AND SELF-AFFIRMATION THROUGH ART /DECEMBER 15, 2019<div class=Peachy Keen met up with artist Colleen Merrill (@colleentoutantmerrill ) on day three of SECAC 2019 and got into the nitty gritty of the psychology behind her c" data-load="false" data-image-id="5df63acaff17c93979a5f2a8" data-type="image" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/554badf2e4b019d54907d13d/1576417996330-SWRV9251PCGJ31DWNHVY/image-asset.jpeg?format=1000w" />
image-slide-anchor
content-fill
"
>
29 - NAOMI FALK&mdash;THINKING IN MOTION AND EMBRACING THE UNCOMFORTABLE <div class=Episode 29 with Naomi Falk ( @invisiblesculpture ) is now live! Have a listen and then go check out her work in the South Carolina Biennial at the 701 Center for Contemporary A" data-load="false" data-image-id="5dcc0ea6845f0c5a1d6614b3" data-type="image" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/554badf2e4b019d54907d13d/1573654184705-WYIC1SUXOXSPDBUROOFS/image-asset.jpeg?format=1000w" />
image-slide-anchor
content-fill
"
>
Another great #secac2019 podcast chat with Colleen Merrill ( @colleentoutantmerrill ) following her presentation &ldquo;Mirroring: Affirming the Self as Parent, Artist, &amp; Academic&rdquo; Thanks To Colleen and to @katie_hargrave_  and @christinare
image-slide-anchor
content-fill
"
>
Crazy busy day at #secac2019 today&mdash; sat in to hear Naomi Falk ( @invisiblesculpture ) present as part of the &ldquo;Limits on Content: How far can students go in the studio art classroom?&rdquo; session (which was super thought provoking) and t
← See all 34 episodes of Peachy Keen