“When I dance I paint, when I paint I dance.”
Graciela Perrone is a multidisciplinary artist who explores visual art, flamenco dance, and singing. She was born in Montevideo, Uruguay and since she was little has been surrounded by pencils and colors and music. She says, “When I dance I paint, when I paint I dance.”
In 1997, Perrone emigrated to the United States where her quest to develop her art guided her to discover flamenco dancing. Once she settled in Louisville, Kentucky, she joined Ballet Español, a flamenco company directed by the acclaimed dancer, Mara Maldonado. Perrone taught and danced in the Ballet for several years and has since studied flamenco in Spain with Juan Parra, in Granada with the Carmen de las Cuevas School, and in Cadiz with Concha Baras.
Graciela has performed flamenco at many acclaimed venues across Kentucky, including the Brown Theater and the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts with the Louisville Orchestra and Louisville Opera, as well as at universities such as the University of Louisville, Western University in Kentucky, and Centre College. Outside of Kentucky, she has performed with the San Diego Symphony alongside the celebrated Romero family of guitarists and at the Cincinnati Opera. She has performed with Tim Ries, saxophonist for the Rolling Stones, for his Rolling Stones Project, in New York, Chicago, Louisville, and Ann Arbor.
As part of her visual arts practice, Graciela has exhibited at many art galleries, centers and museums across the United States and in South America. The Uruguayan Consulate invited Graciela to perform and prepare an exhibition of her paintings
at the Conrad Hotel in Punta del Este, Uruguay. She was also part of the Ibero-American Exhibition at the State Street Gallery at Robert Morris University, exhibiting paintings and multimedia video art.
Alongside her dance and visual art, Graciela is a vocalist and has performed as a solo artist and with bands in venues across Kentucky. She has performed on WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour, which airs on the Public Radio Exchange. Songs from her album Graciela are featured in two feature films: Keep Your Distance, directed by Stu Pollard and Higher Ground.
Graciela is also passionate about arts education and has worked with the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts in their ArtsReach program, teaching flamenco and music to children across communities in Kentucky; in their ArtsRise program, educating Kentucky public school teachers in partnership with the Kentucky Department of Education; and in their Governor’s School for the Arts Program.
Graciela currently lives in North Stonington, Connecticut with her husband, children, and chickens.
Select Exhibitions
2023 — Ongoing exhibition at Stonington Vineyards in Stonington, CT
2021 — Selected to exhibit at the Wheeler Library Winter Art Show in North Stonington, CT
2021, 2016–2019 — Selected to exhibit at the Mark Twain Library annual Art Show in Redding, CT
2019 — Doylestown Arts Festival in Philadelpia, PA 2018 —Exhibition in Punta del Este, Uruguay
2015 — Art & Dance workshop with Exhibition at Centre College in Danville, KY
2015 — Work was selected by flamenco dancer Sara Baras to represent her company in performances at the New York City Center in New York City, NY
2012 — Exhibition and choreographer at annual Choreographer’s Showcase at the Louisville Ballet, Louisville, KY
2011 — Exhibition at the Kentucky Center for the Arts Gallery, Louisville, KY
2010 — Solo xxhibition and performance at the Conrad Hotel in Punta del Este, Uruguay
2010 — Sketches of the Alhambra, Solo exhibit and performance at Caffe Classico in Louivsille, KY
2010 — Solo & Selected Artists Exhibition at Graciela Perrone Gallery, invited other other artists like Carlos Gamez de Francisco to exhibit, Louisville, KY
2009 — Exhibition and performance at Jazz Nights at the Philadephia Museum of Art with Tim Ries Band, Philadelpia, PA
2009 — Exhibition and performance at Smalls Jazz Club in with Sergio Monroy (flamenco pianist) and Tim Ries (composer/ saxophonist of the Rolling Stones), New York City, NY
2009 — Exhibition and performance at the Instituto Cervantes of Chicago in Chicago, IL
2006 — Solo exhibition by invitation of the Consulate of Uruguay at the State Street Gallery of Robert Morris University in Chicago, IL
2004 — Saint James Art Fair, Louisville, KY
2000 — Exhibition at the Louisville Visual Art Association in Louisville, KY
1997 — Selected by the government of Uruguay to reproduce 30 paintings from the Uruguayan artist Pedro Figari to display at the Hotel Pedro Figari in Montevideo, Uruguay