H
aving an offsite, dedicated workspace is some-
thing most artists desire, but can ill afford. It’s not
uncommon to visit artists in kitchens, spare bed-
rooms, garages and even backyards. Furthermore,
if artists want to make a sale, they next need to find a place to
show their art. Gilroy artist Ignacio (Nacho) Moya does
it all from his own Moya Art Studio and Gallery in
downtown Gilroy.
Moya explains that it didn’t start out that way. He talks of
the art ambitions that followed him from his childhood in
Santa Catarina, a small town in Guanajuato, Mexico, where
he recalls doodling in class and drawing pictures to “impress
girls in the classroom.”
The youngest of eight children, Moya moved to Gilroy in
2000 and began working in construction and maintenance
jobs. Not losing sight of his dream of being a full-time
artist, three years later he began taking art classes at Gavilan
College in his spare time. He recalls selling his art on a street
corner next to a strawberry vendor. “I’d sell a painting and
run home to announce that things were looking up,” he
recalls with a smile.
When his wife Alma gave birth to his son Steven in 2009,
he began working at Gilroy’s Premium Outlets. Focusing on
putting money aside for the future, he still made time for
drawing and painting, at times in the middle of the night.
That’s how it was until 2017, when he took a chance on an
available retail space at his current location.
“I found an owner who believed in my dream,” he says
of his landlord, Gary Walton, a local developer and current
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
president of the Gilroy Downtown Business Association.
Entering Moya’s gallery on 7516 Eigleberry Street
you are treated to colorful paintings that dazzle the eye.
Working primarily in acrylics, his varying subjects include
portraitures of celebrities and sports icons, redux versions
of famed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo’s distinguishing self-
portraits, and even familiar poses of Marilyn Monroe. On
easels are large recently commissioned works—one of a
classic peace symbol and another of a splattered, weathered
-looking British flag, emblematic of the storied history of
the Crown. He sometimes applies his paint in measured
treatments, while other times with thick applications
freely strewn across the canvas. Many of his originals are
available in reproductive prints and on merchandise, such
as cups and t-shirts.
Moya says he hosts public and private paint parties and
community events when not creating new art. He stresses
the importance of staying active in the community and
maintaining relationships—a key element of his business
philosophy. Last year, the Poppy Jasper International Film
Festival (PJIFF) commissioned a painting from Moya that
is now the art featured in its 2019 event poster.
“We had such a great experience working with Nacho
that we want to do it again this year with another artist,”
PJIFF director Mattie Scariot said.
Nacho Moya says he is thankful for what he has been
fortunate to accomplish in this “land of opportunity,” and
that he is “living the American dream.” He has a lot to look
forward to, and so do we.
april/may 2019
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