Amelia "“Pelusa”" Arenas, 69, of New York, NY passed away on October 14, 2025. She was surrounded by her family and loved ones.

Amelia was predeceased by her mother, Amelia Molina (Morenita Rey) and her father Guillermo Arenas. She is survived by her daughter, Bárbara Martínez, grandson Mateo G. Fischer and brother, Guillermo Arenas, and his 4 children: Guillermo, Leonor, Gabriel, Gerardo. 

Amelia Arenas was born in a family of performing artists in Latin America. Before moving to New York in 1980 to pursue advanced studies in art history at Columbia University, she was a visual artist. Her career as an art educator began teaching inmates at a high-security prison, where she combined theater and visual arts. Back then, she wrote art criticism, taught in art museums, and developed a series of radio programs on art for the Venezuelan National Broadcasting Company.

Once in New York, she taught college art history, worked extensively on museum education, and collaborated with museums worldwide as a writer, independent curator and consultant on all matters relating to the public’s response to art. Amelia worked at the Museum of Modern Art and traveled extensively throughout the United States, Spain and Japan working with museums and galleries, curating art exhibits, writing education material, giving lectures, igniting the world of art with her unique way of seeing. She was widely recognized for her use of interactive discussions about art as a tool to encourage the development of critical-thinking skills in school children and for her bold approach to the connection between art and people in all areas of the museum world. Her work for cultural television has earned her international recognition.

Among her writings are "Hell", "Confessions" and "And Then", which was selected as one of the Best American Short Plays: 2007-2008. She wrote wrote, produced, directed, as well as the book "Is This Art", which was translated into many different languages. 

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