Founded by business woman Tina Valdez, in collaboration with her daughter, artist Amanda Valdez, they recognize the inequality that exists in the art world for women and increasing difficulty once they introduce a child into their family.
Integrating their new role as a mother while continuing to advance their career in the first decade of motherhood is the goal of The First Ten.
In Spring of 2024 The First Ten will launch The First Year, a year long virtual program of regular group career consulting, access to a high level grant writer, and quarterly creative workshops to advance the careers of artist mothers. This program is open by nomination only at this time.
About us
Tina Valdez is a professional business woman who spent 30 years in the corporate world. In 2018 she formed her own company Trustina, Corp. Her vision is “to make life better” for those who cross her path, giving and receiving with a full, strong, clear and open heart. Tina’s company includes senior homecare, a senior care training school, publishing, and supporting creative arts programming.
Valuing the inherent creativity in every human, Tina has always been passionate about art and the creative process. Seeing every moment in life as an opportunity for self expression - the daily moments such as getting dressed in the morning, singing a song to a child, planting a garden, or cooking a fantastic meal are opportunities for creativity. Tina’s creative strengths have often been in service of solving business problems with out of the box thinking in order to optimize business operations.
Tina is a supportive mother to two children who both pursued creative vocations; her daughter is a visual artist and her son is a set designer, witnessing first hand fulfilled happy lives following their creative expression.
Amanda Valdez is an artist, writer, mother, and executive director of The First Ten. Over the course of 14 years in New York City she has grown an art career that includes gallery representation, institutional exhibitions and acquisitions, international and national residency awards, a robust list of press coverage, and ever growing participation in group exhibitions.
Developing The First Ten program to reflect care, community, and professional advancement has been the driving inspiration alongside her mother Tina Valdez. Equally present is the awareness and response to an art market that historically under supports women artists and women artists who are mothers. No one experience is the same or singular in the ever shifting personal relationship to motherhood and studio practice. As a mother and active participant in the art world she has encountered various cycles of support, the need to adapt, and moments where the two roles clash. Problem solving and community building come naturally to her. Perennially searching for meaningful ways to serve the community she exists within and collaborate on community uplift will continue to drive her and The First Ten forward.
Rose Holtermann is an artist, designer and program coordinator of The First Ten. Parallel to her arts practice, Rose has held roles in art administration for over ten years, during which she has acquired a wide range of experience, including gallery operations and sales, art handling and installation logistics, as well as graphic and web design.
After many years of playing supportive roles for profit-centric agendas, Rose decided to make a shift and focus her attention to working directly with and for artists. Rose became involved with The First Ten while working as Amanda Valdez’ studio assistant, during which she and Amanda found they had a shared common drive to support artist communities, as well as passion for finding ways in which artists can stay uplifted and empowered to maintain thriving practices.
Rose aims to use her diverse, yet art world specific, skill set to support The First Ten as it continues to grow and is excited to be a participant in the blossoming First Ten community.