Maritza Dávila has been a fixture in the Memphis arts scene for more than three decades. Born in Puerto Rico, Dávila moved to the United States to study print- making at the Pratt Institute from where she holds a Master of Fine Arts. She moved to Memphis in 1981 and almost immediately began teaching at Mem- phis College of Art, where she remained for more than thirty-five years, serving as the head of printmaking for much of that time. Her passion for printmaking is paralleled by her passion for teaching; working with students is embedded in her growth as an artist. Now a Professor Emerita, she continues to be a strong advocate for her students. She is also the owner and director of Atabeira Press, a fine arts studio where she creates and leads workshops.

Dávila’s dedication to printmaking is rooted in her love of process. She sees each important step that goes into creating one of her works as part of a voyage. The title of the exhibition, Journey, is evocative of ideas that are important to Dávila and are themes in her practice: the notion of travel, both spiritual and physical, the concepts of becoming, of growing into, of development and maturity. Her identities as an artist, wife, teacher, mother, and grandmother, all factor into her creations. The work in Journey reflects Dávila’s versatility as a printmaker, bring- ing together a wide range of her printed works, including artist’s books, collo- graphs, silk aquatint, and screen print, sometimes all together in one piece.