ABOUT

Rosa Naday Garmendia is a multidisciplinary artist and museum educator whose work brings together printmaking, social practice, and community engagement. Through letterpress, relief printing, installation, and participatory projects, she explores social issues while creating opportunities for people to gather, make, reflect, and share their experiences.

Born in Havana, Cuba, and based between Havana and Miami, Garmendia draws from the cultural, political, and environmental realities of both cities and the wider Caribbean. Fluent in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole, she approaches art as a way to connect people and make creative experiences more accessible.

Her experience as an artist, museum educator, and community organizer shapes how she works. History, social issues, science, and everyday lived experience often become starting points for projects that move beyond traditional gallery spaces and into libraries, schools, community centers, streets, and other public spaces.

Garmendia has exhibited and participated in residencies and cultural exchanges throughout the Caribbean. Her work has been presented at Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam and Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales (CDAV) in Havana, Galería Universal in Santiago de Cuba, The CAG(E) in Jamaica, L’Artocarpe in Guadeloupe, and Readytex Art Gallery in Suriname. She has participated in the 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th Havana Biennials.

In the United States, her work has been presented at institutions including the Corcoran School of Art and Design, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts & Culture, Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA), Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami, African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, and Vermont Studio Center.

Since 2012, Garmendia has participated in cultural exchanges throughout the Caribbean with Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator (DVCAI) and currently serves on its board.

Her awards and grants include The Ellies Creator Award, Miami Individual Artist (MIA) Award, Artist Access Grant, Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant, Wavemaker Grant, South Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowship, and DVCAI Catalyst Award.

Her residencies include Kala Art Institute, In Cahoots, Punto Naranja, Oolite Arts Home + Away at MASS MoCA, Casa de la Cerámica, Equal Justice Thematic International Residency, and Vermont Studio Center.