Paltiya: The Material That Changed Sculpture Forever

Maria Sarmiento is a passionate and versatile artist and educator based in Atlanta, Georgia, and a native of Colombia. Her work is inspired by nature and ancient cultures (pre-historic and pre-Colombian) and evokes spirituality as well as a sense of transcendence, which she describes as a medium to express inner spiritual growth. Maria connects with common symbols of cultures and transforms them into her own emerging forms using diverse materials and methods, including cast metals, cement, Paltiya, steel, paper, and recycled materials. She also has broad knowledge and expertise in artistic glass, from stained, to cast, fused, and now mosaic. Maria received a Master of Fine Arts degree in Sculpture from Georgia State University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Universidad de Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano in Colombia. She currently teaches at the Spruill Center for the Arts in Atlanta and nationally at craft centers including Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Snow Farm, and conferences for the Society of Mosaic Artists. Her past leadership appointments include serving on the Board of Directors and as Chair of the Recognition Committee for the Mid-South Sculpture Alliance (MSA) and Co-Chair of the 2015 Mid-South Sculpture National Conference.