Glory Paredes left El Salvador and moved to Annapolis in 2004, where she continues to get involved in the art community and represent her culture through her paintings.

by Ariana Perez

DCtrending contributing writer and columnist at The Capital Gazette

[Reprinted with the permission of The Capital Gazette.]

At a small school in Nueva Concepción, El Salvador, hundreds of children around the city walked into school for their first day of classes. One of those children was Gloria Paredes, who was excited about going to school for the very first time. While the other children wrote on a piece of paper, she tightly held her pencil and began to draw. There was something about drawing that felt natural and enjoyable. She might not have known it then, but it was at that moment when she found what would become her lifelong passion.

Her noticeable talent was something her teachers picked up on immediately. They weren’t just scribbles, they were very well drawn figures considering her young age. Wanting to leverage the student’s interest and talent, the school gave her the opportunity to start painting murals and taking part in other art projects in local libraries.

Her mother didn’t encourage her to pursue art because it wasn’t a lucrative career. But despite that, she got involved in small projects and groups with other artists where she continued to perfect her talent. Her dedication and involvement in the world of art gave her the opportunity to meet more artists who encouraged her and helped her along her journey of becoming an artist.

Over 30 years later and Glory, as she’s known by her artistic name, is still painting in Annapolis. She never gave up on her dreams and followed what felt right in her heart.

“Art is not something I ever studied as a career but I’ve always loved it since I can remember,” she said. “I also liked the aspect of being able to represent my culture through my paintings and bring a little piece of El Salvador through what I draw, be it a painting of the god of corn - a staple of the Hispanic/Latino culture - or the church in my town.”

In 2004, Glory was visiting friends in Annapolis. She fell in love with the charming city and decided to leave New Jersey to start her life here. She got busy with work but always found a way to dedicate a couple of hours every day to her passion. When she felt tired, stressed or sad about being thousands of miles away from her family, Glory grabbed a brush and lost track of time while sitting in front of a canvas.

“It’s not easy to leave your country or your family. Through painting, I’m able to escape and forget that I sometimes feel like a stranger here. Art fills me with happiness and purpose. It’s something that has helped me identify who I am and has taught me that every human being has something to offer and has a purpose, we’re not just our jobs.”

Over time, her art began to pick traction as more people noticed her unique approach. As a way to continue learning and honing her skills, she signed up for art classes offered by Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. Glory draws and paints all sorts of figures, landscapes, and objects but her personal preference is portraits.

“A person’s gaze or facial expression is so different and unique one from the other. It’s not easy to do, but I love capturing those differences. The way we look or how we express ourselves is something I think is beautiful and special.”

At one of her exhibits, Glory was approached by a person who complimented her art and expressed admiration for her work. The conversation then turned into an invitation to have her art exhibited in the Consulate-General of El Salvador in Silver Spring.

“I was very proud when I was given this opportunity,” she said. “I was asked to represent my municipality in the Chalatenango department of El Salvador.”

Glory has exhibited her art in multiple shows in Maryland and Virginia. Currently, she sells portraits by order and has several drawings in Caliente Grill in Annapolis. A mother of a 5-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter, Glory volunteers at local nonprofits and her children’s school, tutors art to three young children and attends art courses once a week. Her biggest hope is to open an art studio to teach others about art, primarily young Hispanic/Latino children.

“The beautiful thing about children is that if you help them learn about it and motivate them, they’ll want to learn more because art is so beautiful. I want to help children in my community because when we leave our countries we focus so much on work that we forget about our other talents. We create our own barriers in thinking that we have to just work. Art is powerful in that it can help us express ourselves, and I want to help transmit that to both my children and others.”

Annapolis Resident Artist Brings A Piece of Home To Local Arts