About Denise Weaver Ross

Artist – Illustrator – Muralist – Poet

Denise Weaver Ross is a multidisciplinary artist, illustrator, muralist, and poet based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her work moves between the visual and literary arts, bringing together painting, drawing, mixed media, public art, artist books, cards, decks, design, and poetry.

Weaver Ross creates layered visual narratives shaped by myth, the natural world, cultural history, place, memory, and personal experience. Her work often brings seemingly unrelated elements into conversation—using symbolic imagery, research, humor, and storytelling to build compositions that invite close looking and ongoing interpretation.

Since moving to Albuquerque in 1996, she has developed an expansive practice that includes original artworks, murals, artist books, collaborative public projects, and poetry. She holds an MFA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Major bodies of work

Weaver Ross’s major series create distinct visual systems while sharing a commitment to symbolism, history, and imaginative connection.

House of Cards reimagines a traditional deck through 56 large-scale works on paper. In this series, spades become bones and fossils; diamonds become stars, constellations, and other celestial forms; clubs become trees and botanical symbols; and hearts use personal experience alongside Tarot and ancient Egyptian imagery.

Legendary Creatures explores folklore and mythological beings from around the world, moving alphabetically from A to Z. The series considers the stories humans create to explain the unknown, preserve cultural memory, and give form to fear, wonder, and possibility.

64n Hexagrams of the I Ching combines symbolic imagery with the yin-yang structure of the ancient I Ching. The works approach each hexagram as both a visual and philosophical prompt, using layered associations to explore change, balance, tension, and transformation.

Postcards to America pairs the optimism and idealized imagery of vintage postcards with contemporary and historical realities. Through the contrast between familiar Americana and layered visual evidence, the series uncovers overlooked stories and examines systemic issues, collective memory, and the contradictions within the American landscape.

Murals and Public Srt

Alongside her studio practice, Ross creates murals and community-based public art projects throughout Albuquerque. Her work ranges from site-responsive murals for local businesses and residences to collaborative projects developed with students and community members.

In 2026, she completed her ninth mural, Sky of Life, at The Next Best Thing To Being There in Albuquerque—her third mural for the shop on Mountain Road. She was also invited by Harwood Art Center to create a mural of the Harwood Girls School, honoring the building’s original purpose during the annual Spring ENCOMPASS event.

Her recent public-art work includes selection as one of four artists creating a community-informed, sign-like sculpture for Albuquerque’s International District Park as part of the 2026 Route 66 Centennial. Since 2024, she has also taught with Harwood Art Center’s Youth Mural Program, guiding middle-school students through the creation of school-based and public murals.

Selected achievements

2026: Completed Sky of Life at The Next Best Thing To Being There and was invited to create the Harwood Girls School mural for Harwood Art Center’s Spring ENCOMPASS event.

2025: Selected for Albuquerque’s International District Park community sculpture project connected to the Route 66 Centennial; continued school and public mural work with middle-school students.

2024: Completed an eighth residential mural in Albuquerque; CALIFORNIA: The Homeless State was selected for Arts North International 29 at the Hopkins Center for the Arts; began teaching in Harwood Art Center’s Youth Mural Program.

2023: Completed Sea of Life and Secret Garden murals in Albuquerque; exhibited in nationally juried shows in Georgia, Louisiana, and California.

2022: Represented Albuquerque in VIVID: A Sample of Today’s Albuquerque Art Scene at the Attleboro Arts Museum; MICHIGAN: The Great Divide received an Underdog Prize in ArtPrize.

2021: Received an Honorable Mention for GEORGIA: On My Mind in Dynamic: d’Art’s ˆ in Norfolk, Virginia.