Most Recent Show Summary
We AmeRícans
Claire Oliver Gallery 2288 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd, New York, NY 10030
Claire Oliver Gallery is proud to announce We AmeRícans, a group exhibition curated by acclaimed photographer and curator Ruben Natal-San Miguel, on view November 7, 2025 - January 3, 2026. Opening during National Puerto Rican Heritage Month, the exhibition brings together multiple generations of Puerto Rican artists: Carlos Betancourt, Elsa María Meléndez, Erica Morales, Ruben Natal-San Miguel, Dave Ortiz, Felix Plaza, Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz, Nitza Tufiño, Beatriz Williams, James Cuebas, and Enoc Perez, whose works reflect the history, resilience, and cultural contributions of the Puerto Rican community in America and beyond. The exhibition title is inspired by the celebrated 1985 poem AmeRícan by Tato Laviera, a pioneering Nuyorican poet whose work embraced cultural hybridity, identity, and pride. We AmeRícans features artists whose practices span painting, photography, sculpture, printmaking, textiles, performance, and mixed media, creating a multivocal portrait of Puerto Rican identity and its diasporic reach.
Dave Ortiz is a New York artist of Puerto Rican descent. Ortiz works primarily in painting, silk screen printing and drawings. He is among the 80s generation of American Hispanic artists who found his voice first in street art. His work focuses on heritage and cultural assimilation topics and he can be described as a colorist.
EDUCATION & TRAINING
Fine Arts Studies Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), New York City
Life drawing, painting, sculpture, perspective, color theory
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025 “Jíbaro” | The Fireplace Project Gallery, Hudson, NY
2025 “Last Dance” | BDG, Merida, Mexico
2024 “COLORED” | 1053 Gallery, Fleischmanns, NY
2023 “The Alphabet of a Colored Man” | Birdsong Estate Gallery, Delhi, NY
2023 “The Goya Series” | Upstate Bodega at Hamden General Store, Hamden, NY
2022 “OBJECT-IVE” | This & That Art Series, Delhi, NY
2017 “Santos Series” | PONY on the Bowery at Studio 55, NYC
2016 “GOYA Float” | Puerto Rican Day Parade and 11 national parades, National
2016 “Mixed Work Showcase” | PONY on the Bowery, NYC
2015 “The Goya Series” | PONY on the Bowery, NYC
2015 “Law Journals III” | Our/Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2015 “Law Journals” | Joseph Gross Gallery, New York, NY
2013 “20 Year Retrospective 1993–2013” | Joseph Gross Gallery ArtNow, New York, NY
2000 “I Live Here BROOKLYN” | McCaig Wells Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
GROUP SHOWS | ART FAIRS | AUCTIONS
2025 “In All Our Affairs” | FirePlace Project, East Hampton, NY
2025 “Jíbaro” | Scope Art Fair, Claire Oliver Gallery, Miami, FL
2025 “We AmeRícans” | Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, NY
2024 “Apocalypto” | Mriya Gallery, New York, NY
2024 “Fast Cars” | Classic Car Gallery, New York, NY
2019 “Americana: The Culture of the USA” | Keys Art Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY
2019 “9999” | The Fireplace Project, East Hampton, NY
2019 “The American Flag: Inspired” | American Giant, San Francisco, CA
2018 “The American Flag: Inspired” | American Giant, San Francisco, CA
2017 “Watermill Summer Benefit and Auction” | Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center, Watermill, NY
2017 “Fashion for Relief Cannes” | Naomi Campbell, Cannes, France
2016 “In Good Taste” | Castle Fitzjohn Gallery, LES, New York, NY
2016 “Watermill Summer Benefit and Auction” | Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center, Watermill, NY
2015 “Sublime”, Harlem, NYC
2015 “Trophy Art” | Azart Gallery, New York, NY
2015 “Watermill Summer Benefit and Auction” | Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center, Watermill, NY
2015 “Select Art Fair”, Chelsea, New York, NY
2015 “Color Blocks” | Gowanus Lab, Brooklyn, NY
2015 “Influenced by Keith Haring — Law Journals II” | 2222 Jefferson, Saint Louis, MO
2014 “War Of Art” | Safari Gallery, West Broadway, New York, NY
2014 “Stir Crazy” | Sensei Gallery, Grand Street, New York, NY
2014 “Piece” | 116 Gallery, Suffolk Street, New York, NY
2013 “The Future is Now” | Highline Loft, New York, NY
2013 “Rise Above” | Art Auction, Harold Hunter Foundation — ArtNow, New York, NY
2012 “Bring Back The Boardwalk” | Hurricane Sandy Fundraiser & Art Auction, Trais Gallery, New York, NY
RESIDENCIES
2017 ARTs East NY Town Hall Series, Brooklyn, New York
2015 Gowanus Print Lab Artist in Residence, Brooklyn, New York
Disciplines: Painting, printmaking, mixed media
PRESS & RECOGNITION
2015 The Hundreds “Day Jobs: Dave Ortiz” (feature profile)
2016 Goya Foods commissioned artist for Puerto Rican Day Parade float (national campaign)
2017 Naomi Campbell’s Fashion for Relief selected artist, Cannes, France
2017 Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center three-time auction participant
REPRESENTATION
Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, NY
PROFESSIONAL & ENTREPRENEURIAL CREDITS
2014 Partner, Our Vodka Our New York Chapter
2013 Co-Founder, Another Whip Bicycle Company
2012 Co-Founder, Dave’s Wearhouse collaborations with Nike, GoPro, House of Marley, Sol Republic, DC Shoes
2003 Founder, Dave’s Quality Meats (DQM) collaborations with Nike, Adidas, Converse, Vans
1994 Zoo York Employee No. 1