Manhattan Arts International Proudly Presents Sandra Duran Wilson with this Award in Our “HerStory” 2026 Exhibition.
Sandra is an internationally recognized artist, author, lecturer, and juror. Her innovative, award-winning mixed-media art is included in many private, corporate, and educational collections worldwide and she is represented by galleries in the U.S. and Australia. Sandra‘s numerous one-person and group exhibitions span the globe.
Sandra has been a member of our Online Gallery for several years. She has participated in many of our exhibitions, has received previous awards.
It is an honor to present her with this award and share her extraordinary talent and wisdom with you in this interview.
Sandra’s numerous accolades and achievements include having her art “We Are All Connected” selected for the permanent collection and installation in the Santa Fe Convention Center. The painting is displayed in the main entry of the building alongside other notable New Mexico artists.
She is also the recipient of several Art in Public Places awards from the state of New Mexico. In 2021 she received the honor of an Artist Residence at the Chateau d’Orquevaux in France.
At the end of this interview you will find links to Sandra’s page on this website and her website which I encourage you to visit, view more of her art, learn about her many career achievements, and find out how to purchase her art.
Hope, Joy, and Wisdom, mixed media, 60″ x 36″
What do you love most about being an artist?
I love the freedom to follow my instincts and create something entirely from my imagination. Being an artist is difficult but creating feels as essential to me as breathing. I love the thrill of seeing a piece come together, whether through a long, demanding process or in a moment of effortless flow. When I create, time seems to stand still.
Please share praise you received that accurately describes your creative approach.
Here’s a snippet from an article by Mary Carroll Nelson, the late founder of the SLMM and her description of my work. “The overall direction is abstraction, but the attention is on formal aspects of making art: dividing the surface into interesting forms, playing with new materials, keeping the emphasis on the fact that the creation is not so much about something seen in nature as a work devoted to the creating of it, the process of achieving a work of art.”
SLMM is the Society of Layerists in Multi-Media
Sandra’s book “Awakening Your Creative Soul” is a 176-page treasure trove for everyone who has a desire to discover and expand their creative spirit. Whether you’re an artist who wants to stretch your artistic horizons or someone who thinks you’re incapable of expressing yourself creatively, this book will delight and transform you. The subtitle “A 52-Week Journey to Artistic Discovery” informs the reader about the magic that will unfold. You can read a review on our other website The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS..
What are you most proud of achieving in your art career?
Over the decades, I have been honored to mentor and teach many artists through in-person and online retreats. I am proud to have written six books, contributed monthly articles to Acrylic Artist and Cloth Paper Scissors, and created DVDs and online classes. My sixth book, Awakening Your Creative Soul, was a heartfelt project that combined my spiritual path with my artistic techniques. I also developed an online class that reached students around the world.
What is one of your favorite comments that you received about your art?
As I was finishing an outdoor art show and zipping up my tent, I heard someone call to me. A woman who had stopped by earlier came back to say she had never liked or considered abstract art before, but my work changed her perspective. That is why I do this—to help people see new possibilities.
On the Threshold, mixed media, 18″ x 24″
What major plans and projects do you have for the remainder of 2026?
This year is bringing many changes as I step away from teaching and explore new directions in my work. It feels like a return to the freedom I had when I first began—before galleries shaped my path—when I simply created what felt true in the moment. I’ll be focusing on installation projects and new sculptures.
Shown here is Sandra’s “A Stitch in Time”, mixed media, 8” x 8”. It is featured in the “HerStory” 2026 exhibition. About it she wrote: “I am teaching in Ireland, and this view in the painting comes from my window looking out over the land. I have added the stitched curtains to convey what women’s work used to be and the stone textures to symbolize the land. A painting is more than the imagery; it is the feeling I have while creating it.”
Why did you submit your art to “HerStory” 2026?
Women’s voices deserve to be heard and seen in the art world. More women are creating art than ever before, yet we remain underrepresented in galleries and museums. By submitting to this exhibition, we help push for change. Thank you, Renee.
Thank you Sandra for also participating in our “HerStory” 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 exhibitions.
What advice do you wish to give to fellow women artists?
Keep making art, even when it feels like no one is watching. Create when inspiration rushes in and keep creating when it doesn’t—because showing up matters. Art does not ask for perfect conditions; it asks for your willingness to begin. Twenty minutes a day and the materials already in your hands are enough to start. You do not need a studio, every tool, or endless time to be an artist. You already carry that truth within you. All that remains is to trust it and let it come alive.
The Place Between, mixed media, 24″ diameter
Sandra submitted this statement for our article “How Our Artist Members Bring Positive Change to the World”. It reflects her spirit of generosity and how much she is dedicated to encouraging us all to exercise our creativity.
She wrote, “When Covid hit and shut down everything I knew people would suffer if they didn’t have a creative outlet. I had already been filming online classes based on my book, Awakening Your Creative Soul, and I decided to put together a series of free YouTube videos. I worked with a videographer and produced over fifty videos . The stories of gratitude and healing I hear from viewers and the amazing art they are making fills my soul with joy and love.”
Sandra’s YouTube channel has grown to more than 17,000 subscribers and contains 164 videos.
Sandra’s art is also featured in “Art Transforms Rooms and Art Transforms Lives”. Shown here is her painting “Sun Sails”, acrylic on panel, 48″ x 36″. Sandra tells us this painting is an imagined landscape of ancient barges sailing on the Nile.
Sandra, who is your favorite famous woman artist from art history and why?
Agnes Pelton was a member of the Transcendental Painting Group in New Mexico from 1938 to 1945. They had the grand mission of using abstract painting to discover cosmic truths. Its members—both men and women who were associated with Taos, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque—saw vibrant colors and sharp forms as ways to explore the spiritual aspects of the universe.
Thank You Sandra!
Visit Sandra’s page in our online gallery: manhattanarts.com/sandra-duran-wilson
Visit Sandra’s website: sandraduranwilson.com
Join Sandra Duran Wilson in Social Media
Facebook: sandraduranwilsonartist
LinkedIn: sandraduranwilson
Instagram: sandraduranwilson
Youtube: youtube.com/sandraduranwilson
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