Deborah Keller-Rihn
Artist, Educator, Curator, Community Arts Organizer
Blue Star Arts Complex-Upstairs Studios
1420 S. Alamo, #110
San Antonio, TX 78210
210.800.5441
deborahkellerrihn.com
kellerrihnstudio@yahoo.com
kellerrihndeborah@gmail.com
EDUCATION
Integral Yoga and Psychology, Sri Aurobindo Centre of Advanced Research, Pondicherry, India, 2017-2023,
On-going study of Hindu philosophy
Creative Capital Artist Training, 2008
School of the Art Institute of Chicago Summer Teacher Institute, 2003
Master’s Degree in Art, Texas A & M University, Kingsville, 2001, Symbolic Transformation and the Creation of a Personal Mythology.
Summer Art Institute for Teachers, Texas Tech University, Junction, 1998
All-level Art Teaching Certificate, 1996
Teaching Certificate in Secondary Art Education, University of Texas in Austin, 1986 Teaching Certificate in Reading and Communications, University of Texas in Austin, 1985 BA in Humanities, University of Texas in San Antonio, magna cum laude with honors, 1981
WORK EXPERIENCE
2020-2023 Director, Blue Star Arts Collective, Curated Monthly Shows, Coordinated cultural events such as the Full Moon Poetry Party and the Ganesha Gathering with Kaveri Natya Yoga and Blue Star Kids Summer Art Camp.
2023 Pendulum Photography Project at the Blue Star Arts Collective made possible by an Individual Artist grant from the City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts and Cultural Affairs.
2022-23 Coordinated the Lighten Up Festival at the Woodlawn Lake Casting Pond and Park: Art, Music, Poetry, Dance, Yoga, Meditation. Enlightenment Festival-March 25, 2023, part of On and Off Fred Studio Tour.
2020 Curated Feminism is Environmentalism, Studio 209, Blue Star Arts Complex, March 5 & 6, Laurel Gibson, Gloria Sanchez Hart, Jane Madrigal, Pamela Ortiz Swart, Kathleen Baker Pittman, Deborah Keller-Rihn, Doerte Weber and Maureen Doebbler.
2020 Curated Invitation to the Journey at Studio 209, Blue Star Arts Complex, Feb. 6,7, Group Show inspired by the poetry of Baudelaire and Neruda.
2019 Dia de los Muertos along the Old Spanish Trail, Main organizer for Centro Cultural Aztlan’s community altar project pairing artists and businesses along Fredericksburg Road and N. Flores.
2018-2019 Visual Arts Teacher, Southwest Legacy High School.
2017 Curated monthly shows at Studio 209, Formerly Keller-Rihn Studio, Blue Star Arts Complex. Oblivious to the Obvious, Lenard Brown, Celebration of Life and Death (Dia de los Muertos) with Ramon Vasquez y Sanchez, Raul Servin, Petra del Sol, and Lynn Maverick Denzer, Two Person Show for David Anthony Garcia and Maria Alvarado, Northwest Vista College Student Shows, Holy Tree by Shiva Khadivian, Surd Exhibition with Lauri Garcia Jones and Justin Schneider and One Man’s Trash by Raymond Lindsey.
2017 Curated the exhibition, Mujeres de Aztlan y El Segundo de Febrero, Centro Cultural Aztlan. 2016 Organized Lighten Up Festival, funded through the StART program of the Department of Culture and Creative Development. 800 people in attendance at the Woodlawn Lake Casting Pond.
2016 Curated Convergences-African Art Show by Nijerian artist, Tunde Odunlade and Kenyan artist, Naomi Wanjiku at Northwest Vista College.
2015 Director Mandala Healing Arts Project. Funded by the San Antonio Department of Culture and Creative Development’s StART program. Culminating Event March 8, 2015. Healing Arts Videos, Music, Mandalas, Art Exhibit.
2015- 2017 Blue Star Kids Summer Art and Fitness Camp.
2014 Retrospective of India Inspired Work, 2001-2014 at Multi-Cultural Conference, Diwali Celebration of Art, Bharathnatyam Dance, Kolams and Food at San Antonio College.
2007-2017 Adjunct Art and Humanities Professor, Northwest Vista College.
1998-Present Director, Keller-Rihn Studio and Gallery (Studio 209) Monthly Exhibits for Emerging and Established Artists, Upstairs Studios at the Blue Star Arts Complex.
2007-2009 Arts Program Manager, Centro Cultural Aztlan.
2005-2007 Program Director, Bihl Haus Arts. Founding Board Member of Bihl Haus Arts. 2005 Project Director for the Community Exhibitions for Retratos: 2,000 Years of Latin American Portraits, San Antonio Museum of Art.
2006 Organizer of Artistic/Cultural Exchange with Tibetan Artist, Rabkar Wangchuk.
2006 Project Director El Gran Dia de los Artistas in San Antonio’s Deco District and Bexar Land Trust (Now, Greenspace Alliance) Picture Your World Photography Project Coordinator.
2003-2005 Assistant Curator of Education, San Antonio Museum of Art.
1997-2003 Fine Arts Facilitator and Teacher, Edgewood Independent School District, San Antonio, Texas.
1989-1995 Art Teacher, Krueger Middle School, Northeast I.S.D., San Antonio, Texas. 1985-1989 English and Reading Teacher, Austin I.S.D.
1982-1983 Marketing Coordinator, Ginny’s Copying Service, Austin, Texas.
EXHIBITION RECORD
2023 Glimpses of Eternity: The Pendulum Photography Project, Blue Star Arts Collective in March and Dock Space in September. Funded by an Individual Artist Grant from the San Antonio Department of Arts and Cultural Affairs.
Torito’s, Layered photograph juried into the San Antonio Art League Museum’s 93rd Annual Juried Art Exhibit.
Homage to Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Altar Show for Celebration Circle, San Antonio Art League Museum.
2020 Invitation to the Journey, Installation inspired by Baudelaire and Neruda, watercolors inspired by Indian love stories and Hindu deities, Studio 209, Blue Star, Feb. 6 & 7.
Feminism is Environmentalism, Studio 209, Studio 209, Blue Star.
Altar Show, Celebration Circle, The Brick at Blue Star, Shiva from Thiruvannamalai.
2019 Dia de los Muertos Show, Centro de Artes Museum, Curated by Dr. Ruben Cordova.
Satchitananda, Layered Photographs, Studio 209 @ Blue Star Arts Complex, Studio 209.
2018 San Antonio Art League Annual Juried Show, Betty and Baby Krishna, $200 member prize.
Nosotros, Women’s Show at Centro Cultural Aztlan, Images from India.
Common Currents, Instituto Cultural de Mexico, 1986: An Exercise in Memory, Photo-collage on handmade paper, in honor of San Antonio’s Tricentennial.
2017 Traces of Perception, Glimpses of a Life Divine, hand colored photographs of India on handmade paper from the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Gallery 20/20, part of Fotoseptiembre.
Altar Show, Celebration Circle, Peace, Bijou Theater.
Small Works for a Large Cause, Saysi.
2016 Artists who Teach, Lit-Up Buddha Boxes, Honorable Mention, Blue Star Arts Complex.
2015 Dia de los Muertos Show, Centro Cultural Aztlan, Altar for Betty.
Altar Show for Celebration Circle, Bijou Theatre.
Small Things for a Large Cause, Saysi Fundraiser. Small handcolored encaustic from Indian trip.
“10,” Ten year anniversary show for Bihl Haus Arts, handcolored encaustic.
A Stop in Time, Photography exhibition at Northwest Vista College, co-curated with Melanie Rush Davis including my own work, Parvati’s Temple, I & II, hand colored photo encaustics.
Mandala Healing Arts Project, Healing art Classes and Illuminated floating mandala photographs and film, Keller-Rihn Studio, Blue Star Arts Complex, funded by StART program of the San Antonio Department of Culture and Creative Development. Culminating event, March 8, 2015.
2014 Mixing it Up, photographs in exhibit co-curated with Melanie Rush-Davis, Northwest Vista College.
Works by Three, photographs hand colored with encaustic, St. Mary’s University.
Rainbow Corpse, photographs in group installation, Southwest School of Art.
2013 Namaste, Installation of photographs and kolams inspired by trip to India, Highwire Gallery, San Antonio, Texas.
Soldadera, Segundo de Febrero Show, Centro Cultural Aztlan. Group show, hand-painted photographs on canvas. Also did the postcard and PR for the show.
EastWest, International Art Show,Turkish House, San Antonio, Texas. Portraits of Indian people. Luminaria, Public Art Installation of Ganesha Mandala made of colored glow in the dark pigments.
Layers of Light, Group show at Northwest Vista College. Organized the exhibit with Melanie Rush Davis. Exhibited photographs of kolams framed between plexiglass and hung in the windows.
2012 Personal Journey, Group Show at Northwest Vista College. Organized show of local photographers as well as students, faculty and staff of the college. Exhibited 3 photographs from India set within altar boxes.
The Many Faces of India, One Person Show of Photographs from India, Health Science Center of San Antonio, Texas.
2011 Luminous Luminaries, Installation of illuminated floating altars honoring San Antonio artists, dancers, poets and playwrights for Luminaria, San Antonio's annual Celebration of the Arts and Light.
Wabi-Sabi: Beauty of the Ordinary, Organized photography exhibit and exhibited work for Fotoseptiembre, 2011 at Northwest Vista College.
The View from Here, Group Show at Bismarck Gallery, photographs.
Created stage design for Proyecto Moviemiento with Seme Jatib at the Instituto Cultural de Mexico.
2010 Turning the Light Around, Art film produced for Luminaria.
Mujeres de Aztlan, group show at Centro Cultural Aztlan.
Go-Go Girlz to Guerrilla Girls, Feminist Art Show at Northwest Vista College.
Founded the First Noche de Recuerdos, Illuminated Floating Altar Event at the Woodlawn Lake Casting Pond with Ramon Vasquez y Sanchez and Erik Bosse of Proyecto Locos.
Dia de Los Muertos, Created Altar at Centro Cultural Aztlan.
2009 Ellas, group show, Centro Cultural Aztlan, hand painted photograph on canvas. I also curated
this show.
Waiting for the Equinox, Film for Luminaria with Erik Bosse.
The Myth of Tara & Hidden in Middens, One-person show at the Julia Laura Yates Semmes Library--Collaboration with Blue Star Contemporary Art Center, painted photographs on canvas.
Mandala Dancing at Luminaria with Dr. Sreedhara, A.R.
Mandala Dancing at Blue Star’s Family Day with Mombasasa Code.
Mandala Dancing at Jump-Start with Dr. Sreedhara, A.R. June, Works -In- Progress.
Foto Ink, Stonemetal Press, FotoSeptiembre Show, Hand Colored Photo-Etchings.
Revelations in the Landscape: Hidden in Middens and La Fleur du Mal, University of Texas at San Antonio’s Downtown Gallery, Photographs. Most of the work was purchased by UTSA.
The 21 Aspects of Tara, San Antonio International Airport, One-person show of painted photographs, curated by Diana Roberts.
Stonemetal Press at the Taller Rueca Grafico, Mazatlan, Mexico, curated group show, photo- etchings.
2006 The 21 Aspects of Tara & Images of Universal Love, Bihl Haus Arts, Two-person show with Tibetan artist, Rabkar Wangchuk, photographs on canvas.
2005 Ground Luminosity, Stonemetal Press, Two-person show of photo-etchings with Marcia Brown.
Word and Image, ArteReyes Contemporary Art, painted photographs with poetry. 2004 More than Abstinence, Joan Grona Gallery, digital photo-poems.
Artists who Teach, San Antonio Public Library, digital photo-poems, First Place. Dharmakaya: Toward the Absolute Body, ArteReyes, painted photos on canvas. 2003 Once Upon a Mirror, Keller-Rihn Studio, digital photo-poems.
Dia de los Muertos, Centro Cultural Aztlan, digital photo-poem within altar. Secret of the Golden Flower, Keller-Rihn Studio, installation: Photographs and mandalas inspired by the classic Taoist Text by the same name.
2002 Shrine, Keller-Rihn Studio, installation and mural.
2001 Explorations in the Landscape, Magical Realism Studio, photo installation. Green Tara, Magical Realism Studio, photo installation.
La Femme, Centro Cultural Aztlan, invitational group show, photographs.
Spirituality and Creativity, Southwest School of Art and Craft, photograph, curated by
Kathy Armstrong.
2000 Composure, Art Inc. Gallery, invitational group show, giclee prints.
Women who Labor, Martinez Street Women’s Center, experimental photographs.
1999 ART2KPASA: A Millenial Survey of San Antonio Artists, San Antonio Airport, Hand colored photographs, collaboration with Ramin Samandari, curated by Michael Mehl.
1998 Nedla’s Garden, Centro Cultural Aztlan, photograph within installation.
La Virgen de Guadalupe Exhibit, Centro Cultural Aztlan, painting.
Les Femmes: Now into Tomorrow, Centro Cultural Aztlan, painted photographs.
1997 (the) (kam er a) (red I) (art test), Centro Cultural Aztlan, photography invitational
New Things are in the Air, Centro Cultural Aztlan, 3-person show, paintings with Andy Villareal and Margaret Wallace
1996 La Virgen de Guadalupe, Centro Cultural Aztlan, invitational group show, painting.
Dia de los Muertos, Centro Cultural Aztlan, group invitational, photographic installation.
Recent Work, La Misionita de los Artes, 2-person show with Susan Oaks, painted photographs.
1995 Dia de los Muertos, Centro Cultural Aztlan, ofrenda with photographs, mirrors, and light.
1993 15th Annual Dia de los Muertos, Centro Cultural Aztlan, ofrenda.
Between Realities, Centro Cultural Aztlan, mixed-media collage.
1992 Circles and Cycles, Los Patios Art Gallery, photographs, juried group show.
The Spiritual in Art, Rebarn Artspace, Incarnate Word College, juried group show, photographs. Inner Personae, Carver Cultural Center, photo/sculpture
Postcards from Paradise, Los Patios Gallery, painted photographs.
1991 Allusions, Centro Cultural Aztlan, 4-person show by award, painted photographs.
1989 Works on Paper, Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, group show, photograph,
Grand-prize winner.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Glasstire, Glimpses of Eternity, Dock Space, Curated by Bill Fitzgibbons, September 15, 2023.
The Day of the Dead in Art, Curated by Ruben C. Cordova, PhD, Exhibition Catalog, Centro de Artes, 2019, pp. 63-64.
Yogi in Gingee, Cover Photo of La Luna Poetry Magazine, 2016.
Acequia, Kolam Dreaming in South India: An Observation, Photographs and story about trip to
India featured in San Antonio College literary magazine, 2015, pp. 31-46 plus the cover image.
International Women’s Day: Healing Arts Project, San Antonio Express News, p. D2, March 3, 2015.
The Exquisite Rainbow Corpse Catalog, The Gentileschi Aegis Gallery Association, pp. 28, 29, 114, 2014.
Fotoseptiembre Picks: Five Shows Not to Miss during SA’s Month-Long Photography Festival, Current Magazine, Sep. 2-9, 2014, pp. 24 and 25.
Kuan Yin, Cover photograph of La Luna Poetry Magazine, 2014.
Jottings, Researchers, Festival Organizers from Abroad Head to Mylapore Fest, Mylapore Times, Dec. 31-Jan. 6, 2012, pp. 7, 8.
Luminaria Featured Artist, San Antonio Express News, 2011.
Artists of All Kinds Grace Festival, San Antonio Express News, October 1, 2006. Deco District Revival, San Antonio Express News, September 29, 2006.
On the Move: Centro Cultural Aztlan Bringing Arts to Deco District, San Antonio Express News, September 27, 2006.
Ex-monk Sharing Beauty of Art, San Antonio Express News, February 22, 2006.
Review: Tibetan Artist Paints with Painstaking Care, San Antonio Express News, March 30, 2006.
Former Monk Sharing Beauty of Art Projects, San Antonio Express News, March 1, 2006.
Tibetan Shares his Spiritual Art, San Antonio Express News, Feb. 24, 2006.
Raising San Antonio: The Story of Bihl Haus Arts, Voices of Art Magazine, volume 14.1, 2006.
On the Scene at the San Antonio Museum of Arts Cinecultural, San Antonio Express News, April, 2004.
Super Heroes Exhibit Draws Diversity, San Antonio Express News, May, 2003.
More than Abstinence, Voices of Art Magazine, Spring Issue, 2003.
Secret of the Golden Flower, San Antonio Current, September 19-25, 2002.
Center preserves traditions of Dia de los Muertos, San Antonio Express News, October 30, 2002. Gallery Stroll, September 16, 2001, San Antonio Express News, Dan Goddard.
Symbolic Transformation: The Creation of a Personal Mythology, paper presented for Master’s Degree, Texas A & M, Kingsville. Available on website: deborahkellerrihn.com, 2001.
Lessons in Gadgetry, September 28, 2000, San Antonio Current. Offering Inspiration: Local Artists reach out to Younger Generation, San Antonio Express News, Jan. 27, 1999.
Apocalypse Soon: Local Artists Visualize Y2K Anxiety, November 25, 1999,
San Antonio Current. Photography Fest Challenges View of Reality, August 22, 1999. San Antonio
Express News.
Handcoloring Photographs: How to Create Color Images from Black and White Photographs, 1994, James A. McKinnis, pp. 94-95.
Women’s Issues featured in Art Exhibit, March 26, 1992, San Antonio Express News.
Exhibit Journeys to Inner Personae, March 15, 1992, San Antonio Light. Multi-Cultural Exhibit
Opens with Unique Images, Series, August 18, 1991, San Antonio Light.
Works on Paper, Juried Exhibition Presents Art with a Woman’s Touch, March 15, 1989,
San Antonio Light.