was born in Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico; December 29, 1966. He started drawing at an early age, first studying painting at the age 9. He studied at Brigham Young University, Wisconsin, Arizona State University, and the Autonomous University of Guadalajara where he studied Representation Techniques and Philosophy of the Arts. He has been a Professional Artist since 1990, showing work in Guadalajara, Mexico City, and his Native State of Sonora. Alejandro moved to Portland Oregon in 1995 where he continued to have shows in several venues and galleries, including Washington State University, IFCC, and the Portland Art Museum. He has done public murals in Portland and taught art, done commissions, and sold to private and public collections. He is an active member of the artist community in visual arts and radio production and transmission.
The Still life/Bodegon series is a collection of 20 watercolors on paper, one acrylic, and two oil paintings. Framed, they will be shown on June 5th at Downtown Portland. The Still Life /Bodegon Series will continue even after the show.
is a Latina artist from Portland Oregon. Her work shows a lot of Black and Brown women coexisting with nature, animals, and gardens of fruits and flowers. She likes to show a lot of symbolic imagery that invokes preserving and caring for nature and the gift we have received to co-exist with animals and plants. Her work is also heavily inspired by her Mexican culture and her mother’s garden.
Worshipping Nature is a 40×40 canvas piece that shows Black and Brown women coexisting with ocean life and other sorts of animals. She wants to show women gardening flowers, picking fruit, and hanging out with the animals and plants. She wants to show imagery of women spending time with nature and getting to know it. This piece will hopefully inspire folks who see this to remember to love our home. It is irreplaceable and something we can’t buy. The imagery will display the love and beauty of the natural world.
has been in the entertainment business since 1989, beginning with Miracle Theater. She moved to Hollywood in 1995 to try her hand in the movie and TV business and has been in many television shows and films. The COVID lockdown gave her the opportunity to switch gears and develop her long latent storytelling roots and also, to change her brand from a passive observer playing maids and nurses, to a real creator in the business. THIS LAND IS, is her first production to become a reality and has a real opportunity to win awards.
Bunnie has two more projects in development, IS THERE LIFE ON EUROPA and SUPER BOOMERS.
(Tekpatl) was born in Michoacan, Mexico and lived there till the age of 9. Art became his passion at a very early age. Blessed with an abundance of imagination and creativity along with his environment, it was only a matter of time till he would pick up a pencil and a piece of paper and start capturing the beauty of his surrounding. At the age of 9, Santollo and his family took a leap of faith and made their journey from Michoacan, MX to Portland, OR. When Santollo arrived to his new home (Portland) he quickly realized that most people couldn’t understand stand him, so art became one of his most valuable tools that allowed him to communicate with others when words were not a option. Santollo has now lived the majority of his life in Portland. Some of his most recent work was done for the Portland Trail Blazers and the Portland Parks Foundation. His personal work is highly influenced by his upbringing in Mexico, and life experiences in the United States. He is an active member of IDEAL PDX and has also worked with PSAA to create some beautiful murals around the Portland area.
Frida y los Axolotl is a merch line featuring Frida Kahlo and two Axolotls that will be available at the Portland Art Museum Gift Shop.
Growing up in the Dominican Republic, Hampton was profoundly influenced by the intellectual pursuits of the contemporary abstract art movement in my country, the Dominican Republic. After exhibiting my work in Spain and Belgium, he arrived in Oregon in March of 2002. Since then, he has become a different artist. The focus of his work shifted to capture the idiosyncratic culture of Portland’s diverse neighborhoods; the cadence of people’s lives there, the scenes of cultural clashes, and Urban vs. Rural. And the development of images that tap into shared concepts and free expressions of anger and hope, desire, and sadness. His work is egalitarian, surrealistic, and filled with people’s mystiques. He strongly feels that an artist belongs to the place he lives, a universal evolution of feelings and juxtaposed realities that are reflected in his work and in his own life.
The project, Enjoy and Get To Know Your Natural Resources While Learning About How They Are Your Tools, is a nature project based on the salmon that are in Oregon. It would symbolize the nature that we have in Oregon. We would also incorporate colors that are traditionally Hispanic, which would incorporate the Latinx community of Oregon. They will be graphically designed and printed on T-shirts. There would be a few different designs and they would show the unity of Latinx people in the state of Oregon. The salmon is a representation of one of the most popular fishes here in Oregon and is a part of nature. It would also represent traveling. It represents Oregon as a state and as a community. Having colors that are representative of Latinx culture will be incorporated with the image of the salmon. The colors will be ones that are seen in a lot of traditional wear and also just the landscape that you see when you visit Latinx countries. It’s a part of who Latinx are. Vibrant colors are very important to many different cultures and they tell a lot about their history. Putting these together is a symbol of incorporating the Oregon and Hispanic population in the state. It is a symbol that there are many Hispanic/Latinx people in Oregon. This project will incorporate art, nature, culture, and inclusion.
is original from Puerto Rico. For as long as she can remember, she had a passion for the arts
and design world. While earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design from the School of Fine Arts in Puerto Rico, she also worked in the Puerto Rican film industry for over six years. In pursuit of her passion for the design industry, she relocated to Orlando, Florida, where she worked at Walt Disney World® as a costume designer. After eight successful years with Walt Disney, Joeanally moved to Portland, Oregon in 2017. This time with another approach to life and arts, she wanted to go back to teaching and connect with different communities; especially Latin communities. As a volunteer, she became involved with a nonprofit to empower Latin women to use art as a way to heal and help them recognize their cultural and social needs. She also became an art teacher for an after-school program. Through the use of arts, she was able to teach students to be creative thinkers and leaders. When she works with her students she also likes to use mindfulness and art as therapy. Connecting the imagination to the body allows the expression of feelings that her student can’t get express in words. She realized the power of art and lived through them in how art is not just only a tool to be creative, it is also a natural way to channel our emotions, and it is a reflection of what is in our hearts. She fully believes that through the arts we can express what we feel and heal at the same time. As an artist and activist, she has supported and will continue supporting organizations that strive for sustainability by establishing a culture that is equally invested in relationships, processes, and results.
‘Mujeres Caminando Hacia el Exito’, is a workshop that aims to understand that life is not a matter of
chance and that one can take control of one’s own life. Our decisions will determine with what attitude
and intensity we will face the challenges of the future. Living in the past is not a healthy or productive
option. The project will consist of reflecting on the film ‘The walk’, by Robert Zemeckis. It is based on the
true story of French tightrope walker Philippe Petit, who crossed the twin towers on a small cable, a
challenge never before done.
was born in Chicago and is now based in Portland, Oregon. The American rapper and songwriter’s musical catalogue is filled with catchy anthems, bold lyrics, and vibey hooks with elements of Latin music and R&B in her primarily Rap musical style.
The song, “Good 4U” is about surrendering to the divine and settling on what could be a missed opportunity for emotional fulfillment if one doesn’t take action. It’s R&B fused with a Reggaeton beat.
is from Mexico City, where she worked as a journalist at several publications including Reforma Newspaper, one of the biggest and most influential newspapers in Mexico (www.reforma.com.mx). At Reforma, one of her responsibilities was interviewing international businessmen, and writing special economic reports. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in communication science from Universidad del Valle de Mexico and also has studied economics and finance. Maria moved to Portland in 2005. She studied at Portland Community College in order to improve her skills in English. She concluded the ENNL Program (English as a Non-Native Language.) She also has taken journalism, writing and Public Speaking classes. In 2007, she founded the Portland Latin American Film Festival. Maria believes that a good film, artfully told, is a great platform and subtle strategy for bringing about social change. She is the mother of a eleven-year-old son who she is raising to be bilingual. In addition to the PDXLAFF, Maria has worked as a freelance interpreter for Hecht & Norman, LLP. She also has worked as a freelance reporter and translator for the bilingual newspapers, El Hispanic News, El Latino de Hoy and El Centinela Católico in Portland, Oregon
The Portland Latin American Film Festival is a non-profit cultural organization dedicated to showcasing perspectives of Latin American culture through an annual exploration of Latin American films. PDXLAFF presents films with universal appeal that can be enjoyed by native Spanish, Portuguese, and English speakers, and other lovers of the Latin culture. XVI PDXLAFF will kick off on September 21st at the Hollywood Theatre.
was born and raised in Salem, Oregon. He is a Dancer, scenic creator, and teacher, graduate in artistic education with a focus on folk dance from the Nellie y Gloria Campobello National School of Dance from 2017-2021. He is an active member of the Institute for Research and Dissemination of the Mexican Dance Civil Association (IIDDMAC) belonging to the State of Mexico delegation from 2020 to the present day. Neftaly is also part of the board of directors of international relationships of Casa De La Cultura Tlanese located in Salem, Oregon He has participated in different important presentations as an interpreter for his professional training; Auditorio Nacional with Edwin Luna and Trakalosa de Monterrey, theater at Willamette University with Mariachi Vargas de Tecatitlan, he appears in a video clip with pastor/ Regina Orozco/ Ernesto Anaya, fragments in the series “The pack” on amazon prime video, he was finalist in various contests National folk dance competition, for example, Puerto Vallarta National Folk Dance Contest, Jal, CDMX National Huapango Contest, among others.
Movimiento color y son is a mix of flamenco & son Jarocho with a twist of modern folk music through dance storytelling of love. Sergio, a young adult from Spain, comes to Veracruz Mexico, through flamenco footwork. This project will have several types of dance styles such as Flamenco, Contemporary, Latin salsa but focus more on the Mexican folk dance . The music that will be used is from a modern group of son Jarocho called Recoveco
started embroidery about 10 years ago and 2 years ago decided to take up her lineage’s craft which is called Ñanduti. Ñanduti means “spider web” in the language Guarani. She spends most of her time doing this craft and time doing childcare. She feels honored to carry this beautiful craft and share it with the world.
Ñanduti is a sort of Embroidery/weaving style that the Guarani people of Paraguay have been doing for a very long time. Nirmala grew up seeing them all the time in Paraguay and also in her home in the United States. She believes it’s important to carry on these beautiful indigenous arts and not forget them. Through this fund, she will be working on a Ñanduti, multicolored, 1.5 ft Diameter, circular.
hails all the way from Lanús, in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. She was drawn to performative arts since she was a little kid, and she started by taking theater classes at the local community center when she was 10. At age 18, after graduating school, she joined a theater troupe and explored other arts. That’s when she decided to go for a film career. In 2015, she was accepted for the Avellaneda Film School (IDAC) and she hasn’t stopped making or working in films ever since. In 2018, following an official selection in an international film festival, she relocated to the U.S.A. She is very proud of being a Latina filmmaker and is eager to help bring more representative voices of the vast community of Latin America in the States. Her credits as a Director in the States include ‘Navidad de Reserva’, and most recently, a Victorian era short film, ‘The Unwanted Guest’. She also holds credits as Producer, including ‘Dulces Conquistas’ and ‘Dino Hart’.
Navidad de Reserva is a slice-of-life short film that follows Florencia, a South American immigrant, during Christmas Eve day as she tries to cope with day-to-day issues and the constant isolation that she feels… ironically, in the most wonderful time of the year.
was born in Lima, Peru, raised in Santiago de Chile, and has been an immigrant in the United States since the age of 16. She obtained her Bachelors of Fine Arts with an emphasis on Drawing and Painting at California State University Long Beach. She relocated to Portland, Oregon in 2018. Her artistic practice remains close to her roots with South American fauna and landscape as recurring themes. She works in various media, including drawing, painting, and straw marquetry. She’s a new member of IDEAL PDX, currently collaborating in their mural series around town.
A Better World is Possible is a series of visual compositions in a mix of old and new materials and techniques where I explore themes of cultural belonging, womanhood, and citizenship in the post covid 19 world.
Born and raised in Venezuela, SILV migrated to the United States with their parents and sibling. Originally dreaming of a comedic future with a side of film animation, SILV eventually found prose and lyric during puberty, when poems, songs and short stories began filling their every composition notebook. Once in college, SILV began publishing the first of five books exploring writing and photography in a plethora of themes ranging from death, spirituality and queerness. The latest, Toy Soldier, is a visual and literary exploration of gender liberation. In Portland, SILV co-curates TAG! Queer Shorts Festival, and their latest project, Mapping Masculinity, is a co-created documentary archive exploring intersectional masculinity. Their latest book, Yo No Soy Rafael, will be a curation of short stories and poetry deconstructing the childhood mythology of the queer self.
Yo No Soy Rafael (I Am Not Raphael) is a book that has been birthed and grown throughout the last two years as quarantine, lockdowns, social unrest, heightened phobias, familial obstacles and self-seeking has led SILV, like most, to isolate in ways previously unimaginable, and understanding what it means to be content, complete, and the dynamism of growing older, being alive and how our origin stories and traumas persist, insidiously. As a child, growing up in South America and being heavily influenced by United Statian culture and media, SILV grew up as a fanatic of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Although there was no clear understanding at the time, SILV often was left to be, and happily identified with the red bandana-wearing character, whom years later with further inspection, is portrayed as a morose, too-deep-to-be-a-bro, emotional, solitary intellectual often jokingly ostracized by their siblings who are often preoccupied with eating pizza and objectifying women. It is clear how this queer-coded character made an impression in the mythology of whom SILV would become as an intersectional queer male-leaning adult. The book, without planning it, has assisted in the unearthing of how our childhood emblazons an identity that is often challenging to remove completely, and if this is the case, how we hope to not allow these elements to follow us into future interpersonal, professional, creative and communal relationships where these elements mark us deeply.
is a visual artist exploring different mediums and techniques. Tattoo artist, printmaker, and puppeteer. She works both individually and collectively. Her work is mainly representational or figurative, inspired by nature and our relationship with it. Through illustration, she dives into concepts around the environment and social justice. She was born in Rosario, Argentina, and moved to Portland, Oregon in her late 20’s in 2007. Before moving to the US she lived in Mexico and Spain, where she studied painting techniques and started to tattoo.
Native Plants to our Kitchen is a series of prints (lino blocks and screenprints) over kitchen towels that Virginia will make from scratch. The prints will be inspired by native plants that can be seen and recognized while hiking in the area. This work will be shown during the month of July at a venue in town called Turn Turn Turn. During the one month-long exhibition people will be invited to write short stories about hiking and finding these plants. Virginia will also make a small zine with the plants that are going to be part of the show and a description of them. This will be given to the people that come to the opening.