From Mexico with love for the healing power of art

In Mexico, Rodrigo Santamaria loved art and helping people with special needs. In Wisconsin, he found a spot next to the water where he can combine both of his passions in life.

Santamaria teaches art to children with disabilities and he is the new director of Gallery 224 in Port Washington.

Santamaria’s interest in art came as a child growing up in Queretaro, Mexico, what he called a “very artsy city” of 2.3 million people about a two-hour drive north of Mexico City.

Santamaria loved comic books growing up and began drawing.

“I was never really good in writing, so I found a way to express myself and tell a story,” he said.

His sister has cerebral palsy, and his mother worked for nonprofit organizations that focused on people with special needs.

“Since then, I’ve always had this inspiration to work with them and teach art,” he said.

Santamaria attended the state university in his city and earned a degree in fine arts. That’s where he got a chance to work with children with special needs and learned about art therapy.

Santamaria isn’t sure where his zeal for art came from, but it wasn’t his parents. His mother is an accountant who owned pharmacies in addition to her nonprofit work, and his father was a doctor.

“I don’t know where that came from,” he said of his inspiration for art. “I just grabbed a pencil and started drawing.”

His mother still has one of Santamaria’s early works from when he was about 4, an illustrated letter to Santa.

Before coming to Wisconsin, Santamaria held an eclectic list of jobs, including owning a pharmacy franchise and running a car wash and a marketing business.

An opportunity to move north came through family. His half brothers had been living in Wisconsin for 20 years and put him in contact with a family seeking a caregiver for a relative who had Alzheimer’s disease.

“That was never my plan,” he said of coming to America.

But the opportunity was too good to pass up. Santamaria made the move.

He had learned English in school and was very much aware of American culture. Santamaria had visited the U.S. during summer vacations and Christmas. His father loved the Beatles and American TV shows like “Friends” were popular in Mexico.

One of the biggest adjustments?

“The weather, definitely,” Santamaria said with a laugh. “But I think I adapt quick. I don’t mind the cold.”

The eating schedule took more time. In Mexico, the day’s main meal is served around 2 or 3 p.m. A light dinner is eaten around 9 p.m.

Santamaria did not grow up near water, but in Port Washington, he said, “I love it. I really like this town and being next to the water.”

The community was a big help in his transition. “I felt really welcome,” he said.

Santamaria began cooking and bartending part time for Moonlight Tavern and Tello’s in Port Washington, and he picked up more than just a job. One of Tello’s servers, Bianca, became his wife. They have been married for more than five years.

Santamaria also got involved with Balance in Grafton and Prime Horizon in Port, two organizations that serve adults with special needs. He teaches art to clients from both places.

Santamaria has done paint-and-sip events for adults, but he especially enjoys working with children.

“Sometimes art comes easier for kids,” he said. “They worry less about the outcome.”

For children with special needs, art helps them “express emotions, release stress and build self-esteem,” he said.

Santamaria’s skill in art also led him to Gallery 224. He took over as director three months ago. While he never met the gallery’s late founder Jane Suddendorf, her dedication to art inspires Santamaria.

“To keep her legacy, that’s my goal,” he said.

The gallery’s leadership has been supportive. “It has been great. I’m really thankful we have an amazing board,” Santamaria said.

The gallery on Saturday held a closing reception for one of the ARTservancy residents. The five-year-old program that has a different artist create a piece of art for an area nature preserves is one of the gallery’s highlights.

Santamaria said he wants to expand another element of the gallery. It has a studio in the basement of The Daily Baking Co. that allows for print making and even has a dark room.

“We’re hoping to bring the community to our studio,” he said.

Santamaria is able to overlap his roles to give those with disabilities exposure to professional art through workshops.

“Everything works out with my schedule, and I’m given the opportunity to bring students from Balance and Prime Horizon to Gallery 224,” he said.

Santamaria joined Paint on Port, a three-year effort to put murals across the city, and over summer led the project to fill the long wall along Grand Avenue next to Yamaha of Port Washington. He and his students spent about 10 hours a week for two months to finish the mural. Santamaria designed it himself.

“I love it. It’s a representation of what Wisconsin means,” he said.

His wife teaches Spanish at Cedarburg High School, and Santamaria sometimes stops in to provide lessons on Mexican art and culture.

Santamaria still draws and paints commissioned pieces on the side, such as customized portraits of people and animals. He likes doing pieces on Mexican pop art icons and wishes he had more time to devote to it.

He had been a member of the Cedarburg Art Museum’s board of directors, but that was one too many irons in the fire. Now, Santamaria balances Balance, Prime Horizon, Gallery 224 and his two restaurant jobs.

“It’s busy but I’ve had amazing support,” he said. “It has been really smooth.”

In their spare time, Santamaria and his wife like to try new restaurants and take weekend getaways across Wisconsin. They visit his family in Mexico when they can.

For more information, visit www.gallery224.org.