Jerry De La Cruz (born 1948) is an American fine artist born and raised in Denver, Colorado. He currently works out of his studio in the Santa Fe District in Denver, Colorado, and out of his studio in the Little River District in Miami, Florida. Work "De La Cruz is a painter, a sculptor and a photographer. His work often combines mediums, but invariably is grounded in exquisite control and fine craftsmanship. He is among many well-known Denver artists, but is the only one whose work 'slaps you in the face and doesn't let you go.' It's definitely not safe. Realistically rendered human figures abound, as varied as reality, but rarely left in their realistic settings. They may be painted, drawn, photographed, sculpted, assembled or digitally manipulated, are most often juxtaposed against surreal settings, and always convey more than their physical characteristics. Each work is surprisingly different from the last and cannot, grouped together, be placed in any single category or style, beyond the fact that all are totally accessible, recognizable and without need for any knowledge for a meaningful interaction with the viewer.” “De La Cruz's mastery of formal and experimental techniques reflects a career dedicated to creative probing and discipline. It is rare indeed to come into contact with an artist who so successfully ranges from abstraction to surrealism in single canvases. Themes of personal identity and interpersonal responsiveness are layered into his work, allowing the viewer to share in the artist's process of questioning the relationships of his subjects to the world. The insights that develop in his works are universal in their ability to connect the reflective with the informative.” Artist De La Cruz is listed among the three dozen most influential regional artists of the twentieth century (Denver Post survey of regional curators). His is the only Spanish surname. At the first International Latino Art Auction held in Phoenix, AZ in conjunction with Sotheby's (2003), De La Cruz proved the bestselling artist of the auction and drew the highest auction price for a single work. The Denver Art Museum's first purchase of a living Hispanic's work for its permanent collection was a De La Cruz. Years later, he was the only artist considered when that same museum wanted to commission a contemporary digital work commemorating the opening of its new Libeskind Building (2007). He was the recipient of back-to-back artist in residency grants from Colorado