The Love and Money Show by Maricela Sanchez

Maricela Sanchez has infused her professional pursuits with her artistic talents for over 35 years. She has trained both as a fine artist and worked alongside craftsmen and engineers to develop functional art-infused products. A graduate of Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, Maricela lives and works in Corpus Christi and San Antonio with her husband and their beloved pets.

Maricela’s paintings, prints and sculptures center on organic, ambiguous forms that evoke a uniquely human sense of nostalgia and a curious balance of sass and sophistication. She has also experimented with installation pieces since 2009. From 2012 to 2020, Maricela shifted gears to combine her previous artistic experiences with her love of animals and pets to launch her entrepreneurial endeavor—Bespoke Crates & Gates. Her work is owned by public, private and museum collections. 

Statement by the Artist about “The Love and Money Show”:

“What an unimaginable year 2020: a pandemic; riots; loneliness; loss of employment; death and despair.  So much pain hidden under a mask. Our lives changed forever.  I became a prisoner in my home, afraid to go out, afraid to breathe and touch surfaces.  Unforeseen home repairs forced me to leave my home. My inspiration for my Benjamin Franklin pieces came from the sadness I felt after our tile layer complained months after he completed his work... the contractor had not paid him. I was heartbroken for weeks. Thus, entered the $100 bill. 

Also, images across the television screen and newspapers were startling… from the global supply chain to sick factory workers, with basic needs unmet.  Lives became exposed: stories of 18-wheeler drivers and frontline workers; hundreds of dead bodies stored in refrigerated trucks; thousands of people in car lines waiting to get free food from distribution centers, etc.  Sales declined in certain industries, while others experienced huge revenue shifts. Stimulus checks, more stimulus checks and more stimulus checks.  Then our new reality… the worth of money… diminishing. 

During 2020 I lived vicariously through my art, creating new work in an unprecedented capacity.  I desired going in time. Finally, in 2021 I was vaccinated and released… I was stimulated printing money.

I have a love for life… and I value love and money.”