DEBORAH SANTORO | GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS

My work deals with themes of human and nonhuman intelligence, and what it means to return home when the nature of home itself is nebulous and undefined. In my video "Hera221: A Tale of Addiction and Loss," I am trying to imagine a version of home I once had before I lost my sister to opioid addiction. In many ways it's a poetic re-imagining of what I think is not an atypical childhood, in which divorce and the long storylines of colonialism and war impact our lives. This imaginative re-telling skirts on the edge of delirium, and as are all aspects of our lives that addiction touches, it is certainly dark.

My undergraduate degree is in painting but I have taken a long and circuitous route through printmaking, work on textile, woodworking, and finally back to painting again.

In my work the idea comes first, and the medium follows. Part of my methodology is learning what it takes to bring my idea to life. Figure drawing has always been a cornerstone of my practice, even when it's not obvious in the work. I participate in local figure drawing groups on a weekly basis.

I am currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at Fitchburg State University, teaching Studio Art in the Humanities Department. I served as the Gallery Director for UMass Lowell from 2014-2025, and was awarded an Artist Resource Trust grant for DRAW Lowell: confluence in 2024. I recently showed my 20-piece silkscreen installation "Perseverance Amidst the Regolith" at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo in Santiago Chile. I have been honored with 'Best in Show' by curators Lauren Sumita and Marie Picard Craig in Juniper Rag's

"Pulp" exhibition in April 2024, and have twice won the Peter McCollum Staff Choice award in the Fitchburg Art Museum's Regional Exhibition of Art and Craft in 2022 & 2024, which could not please me more. I hold a BA in Studio Art with honors from Wellesley College and an MFA in Studio Art from the Maine College of Art & Design.

Talk to the Hand, 40 x 52 in., silkscreen on silk // $2,000

Hera221: A Tale of Addiction and Loss, video, Limited edition: 1 of 3 copies // $500

Deborah Santoro’s work channels profound grief into a space of reflection and release, transforming personal loss into a universal expression of love and remembrance. Through her art, she reveals how creation can be both an act of mourning and of mending—a way to find light amid devastation. Her piece stands as a testament to the healing power of art, reminding us that even in the face of death and addiction, beauty and connection endure.

Including Deborah’s work in DELIRIUM, further validates how art can also serve as a vital lifeline for family members who are coping with trauma and loss. The act of creating provides a safe outlet for emotions that often go unspoken, offering much needed release, clarity, calm and connection in the midst of chaos. For those struggling with the weight of family stress, grief and loss or loved ones dealing with addiction, engaging with art—whether through making or viewing—can foster healing, empathy, and a renewed sense of hope.

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