About
Jonathan Villoch is a first generation Cuban-American artist originally from Miami Beach, Florida. Jonathan’s earliest influences were the colors, shapes and textures his Cuban grandmother used to create patterns to make dresses. After dropping out of high school, Villoch worked for several years in stage production doing live concert lighting and sound. Jonathan moved to New York City to make a better living where he worked for a major art dealer and gallery, assisting many prominent contemporary artists in the production of their exhibitions. Next he had an opportunity to go back to school, earning a B.A. in Studio Art and a M.S.E. in Special Education from CUNY Lehman College in The Bronx.
Jonathan has created acclaimed wall murals and installations around the world. Additionally, his work has been exhibited at the The Deitch Projects Art Parade; Deitch Projects/Paper Magazine Pop-Up Store in Wynwood; Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation; Frederico Seve Gallery; site-specific murals for Primary Flight at The Bakehouse Art Complex in Miami; Welling Court Mural Project in Astoria, Queens; for “Draw The Line” at Allegra LaViola Gallery in New York City; and community-based projects at Aisle One Gallery, 2222 Gallery and No Coast Skateboards in St. Louis as well in the municipality of Tulum in Akumal, Mexico for Festival de Artes Akumal.
Villoch is the art teacher at a public middle and high community school in East New York, Brooklyn working to educate and support some of the city’s most gifted and talented students, special needs children as well as disenfranchised and at-risk youth. He has curated an art exhibition with Variety the Children’s Charity featuring the work of homeless LGBTQ teens; guided students to exhibit artwork in abandoned spaces with organizations such as “No Longer Empty”; created a large mural with high school children on the autism spectrum for AHRC; served as a judge in a borough-wide student art competition organized by the New York City Department of Education’s Office of Arts and Special Projects; managed a county-wide mural contest with funding through the National Endowment for the Arts grant program “Challenge America” for the Westchester Music Conservatory in White Plains, NY; and was a lead artist for the United Way’s “March United” in partnership with NYC’s Mayor’s Office, The United Federation of Teachers and the NYC DOE.