Mago Orona Gndara

Mexican-American Chicana artist known for her murals which can be seen throughout El Paso, Texas and in bordering Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. In the state of Chihuahua, Orona Gándara was considered an "art queen." Her nickname, "Mago," means "magician" in Spanish. She was a graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and then went on to teach art at Bowie High School. In 1949, she saved $1,000 to go and study at the Art Institute of Chicago. She attended the Chouinard Art Institute. Orona Gándara also studied with Urbici Soler. When she was twenty-one, she got married and had five children. Orona Gándara returned to El Paso in late 1971 after living in California for around twenty years. She began teaching classes at the El Paso Museum of Art and opened her own art studio. Orona Gándara also began teaching at the El Paso Community College (EPCC). A mural project she did for EPCC became part of her masters degree from Antioch University. Orona Gándara died in her El Paso home of natural causes on 18 February 2018, aged 89. Link to Wikipedia biography Read less