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Cruz Newman is a Venezuelan artist who discovered inspiration and the courage to pursue her craft after moving to the lakeside town of Hector, NY.
Cruz was born and raised In Merida, Venezuela. She grew up playing outside, eating unprocessed food, and secretly wishing she was a boy as it seemed they had it easier, were more important, and had more freedom. When she was 17, Cruz enrolled at Los Andes University to study Industrial Design; when she graduated, she didn’t know exactly what she wanted to do career-wise, but she knew she wanted to travel. “I moved to London to learn English and see a little more of the world,” Cruz said. “Living in London as a young adult was an eye-opening experience that helped me evolve and grow.”
In 2014, Cruz moved to the US after meeting Wes, an American man with whom she had fallen in love. “We got married after a year of knowing each other,” Cruz recalls, “and are still happily married. We have two cats, Oscar and Pepe, who are our kids.”
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Cruz and Wes moved to Hector, NY, a small town on the east side of Seneca Lake, in the fall of 2021 from Washington, Pennsylvania, outside of Pittsburgh.
“My husband used to work sailing boats in Hector as a young adult,” Cruz said. “He built a very loving community of friends in this area whom he would visit regularly.” She added, “When I moved to the US, he would bring me to Hector for mini vacations, and I always loved our time here – the scenery, the lake, the community.” She was also impressed by all the beautiful wine. “I worried I would drink too much of it!”
Cruz loves having access to her favorite things: nature, good humans, and inspiration for her art. That inspiration propelled her full-time career as an artist. “When I moved to Hector, I was working remotely for a bank, and as you can imagine, I hated that job, but it paid the bills,” she said. “I was doing some commissions here and there and was curious about selling reproductions of my illustrations, but I wasn’t confident about that idea.”
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Frustration with her bank job led to a better opportunity working at a friend’s winery – Hector Wine Company. While working there, her friend, who knew she liked painting, asked about hanging her work at the winery. She had a few originals ready the next month. “I hunted for frames at thrift stores, framed a few pieces, and had my first art exhibit! The pieces at the winery were selling well, and I started feeling like I could make this happen,” she said.
That support from her community further motivated Cruz. “I started researching, reached out to a couple of artists I knew, bought a printer, and started making small reproductions of some old illustrations I had,” she said. “Then, I applied to the Ithaca Handwork Artisans Co-op to become a member, and they accepted me! That was my introduction to the Ithaca community.”
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Cruz said, “I used to live in a little town where art wasn’t present, and people weren’t too open-minded. When I moved here, I immediately felt more accepted (as an immigrant), more supported, and freer to be the person I am.”
When Cruz is not out selling her artwork at art fairs and markets across the region, she prints and works on new art pieces (you can follow her on her Instagram: Cruz Illustrations). Cruz and her husband also spend a lot of time renovating their house lately. But she most enjoys the moments she can get outside. “I try to include some outdoor time in my days, that could be going hiking, swimming, going for a bike ride, doing yoga outside, or going for a little walk. Any outdoor time makes a huge difference in my day.”
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Cruz offers this insight for anyone thinking about life in Southern Finger Lakes: “If you are a country kind of person who loves quiet, space, and nature, this is a place for you. If you enjoy wine, even better.” She notes, “If you want to move to Hector, NY, and are a business person, please consider opening a coffee shop with nice pastries!”
Thank you, Cruz, for sharing your story! Read more SoFLX stories to learn about life, work, and play in the Southern Finger Lakes.