Andrea Arroyo merges historical artifacts with contemporary art in “Women Unbound” her exhibit at the Morris-Jumel Mansion Museum, Manhattan's Oldest House.
Inspired by the inhabitants, cultural history, art and artifacts of Manhattan’s Oldest House, Arroyo created original works integrated with the historical objects and furniture in the Morris-Jumel Mansion Museum collection. These works create a conversation between the past and the present, and allow for connections to be created between the female experience of Mary Morris or Eliza Jumel and the contemporary viewer.
Arroyo has been exploring notions of identity, gender, class and social prejudice throughout her career. In her project “Women Unbound” she investigates how women navigated life within the boundaries of late 1700s and early 1800s society. For the artist, the stories of the women who inhabited the mansion mirror the struggles of women in contemporary society, who have to defy social norms and prejudice in order to achieve their personal goals.
The pieces are executed in a variety of media, including paintings, artist’s books, sculptures, mixed media and installations.

Abou the artist: Andrea Arroyo’s work is exhibited, published and collected extensively around the world. President Clinton selected her as the Clinton Global Citizen Award Artist. Additional honors include: 21 Leaders for the 21st Century Award, Groundbreaking Latina in the Arts Award, Official Artist of the Latin Grammys, Outstanding Latina of the Year, Woman of the Week, Women in the World Foundation, New York City Council Citation Award for Achievement in Art, New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowships, Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance Awards, Puffin Foundation Award, Harlem Arts Alliance Award and the Manhattan Community Arts Fund of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Grant.
Her works are featured in numerous public collections, including The Library of Congress, The National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, The New York Public Library, The University of Richmond Museum, The National Museum of Mexican Art, and in private collections in the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, Europe, and Japan.
Public commissions include permanent murals and glass art for a New York public school, a New York subway station and landmark building in NYC.
Arroyo’s work has been published extensively (The New Yorker, The New York Times,) and continues to be featured by national and international media (CNN, NBC, NY1, Univision, CW11, The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Women’s eNews, Women in the World, the Associated Press and EFE, among others.) For more information about the artist please visit www.andreaarroyo.com