Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15. According to its website, it “honors the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans as we celebrate heritage rooted in all Latin American countries.”
With that in mind, Indy Maven wants to highlight five Latina artists in Indianapolis in an effort to not only celebrate their heritage but also better understand the art form. Be sure to check out their websites, as we always encourage mavens to buy art from living artists.
Ana Escalante
Website, Instagram
Ana is from Venezuela and started her art career 5 years ago when she began to learn Lettering. It was a hobby, but then she began sharing her knowledge with people around the world through online workshops. After that, she tried different painting techniques to make products with her lettering. Now she sells hand-painted items online.
What drew you to the mixed-media art form?
As an artist, it seems important to me to try everything you can. You will always discover something new that you are passionate about or that matches better with your style.
What are your preferred forms of media that you mix to create your art?
I use acrylic paint. Those are my favorites. But depending on the product I’m working with, I mix acrylic paint with acrylic markers to add details. I love the gold foil paper, resin.
How has being a Latina artist in Indy influenced your work?
It has been very lonely. I started on social media, which helped me a lot with my job and all my sales. Considering that I recently moved to this country – it was a difficult time for me in my life. I didn’t know many people at that time. But now I noticed that more people are doing art jobs, and that’s amazing.
Mayra Espino
Mayra is a graphic designer who loves art, pieces full of many vibrant colors, and intervening elements to bring them to life in paintings.
What drew you to the mixed-media art form?
To be able to create new things.
What are your preferred forms of media that you mix to create your art?
Media that are light and not too heavy and that can be shaped.
How has being a Latina artist in Indy influenced your work?
It influences a lot. It influences the joyfulness and vibrancy of what I paint.
Vanessa Monfreda
Website
Vanessa was born in Valparaiso, Chile to an Austrian father and a Chilean mother. When she was just a year old, they moved to Bergisch Gladbach, Germany. She was introduced to the art of collage in Middle School. In 1986 her family moved to Quito, Ecuador where she finished high school. After some soul searching, she moved to Santiago, Chile to attend art school at Universidad Catolica de Chile. Since 1997 she has lived in Indianapolis. Vanessa lives and works North of the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
What drew you to the mixed-media art form?
I love mixed media art because it allows you to think outside the box, which gives you a lot of solutions, and there are less rules.
What are your preferred forms of media that you mix to create your art?
I mostly focus on using discarded materials and magazine paper with paint to create my mixed media collages.
How has being a Latina artist in Indy influenced your work?
Wherever I have lived, I have been inspired by the art scene. First Friday Gallery openings in Indy have influenced my art a lot. I am also inspired by other Latina artists in this town, and it makes me feel less lonely. Sometimes people tell me I should stop using so much color. But I can’t part from it. It’s just in my soul.
Frances Ruiz
Website, Instagram
Frances is a Puerto Rican artist who has lived in Indiana for about twenty years. After years of creating art solely for recreation and spiritual retreat, she decided to focus on her art and become a full-time artist in 2020. During the quarantine months of the COVID-19 world pandemic, she taught art online to family and friends across the globe. During this time, she became fascinated with collage art. She mixes media with paper to create her collage paintings. She follows Matisse’s iconic “drawing with scissors” technique, as well as his commitment to form and color. She also creates her own patterns and colors on paper to engage the viewer in a unique artistic visual representation experience. Many have described her work as “painting with scissors” due to the detailed lines and definition in her representational collage that bring her subjects to life. Her background, Taino, African and European, provides the perfect culturally diverse expression for her paintings. Her upbringing in Puerto Rico and personal life experiences are the basis for her inspiration. She strives to reflect her love for music, dance, nature, and the Caribbean using bold organic colors and lines in her compositions to provide movement and provoke a feeling. She is a member of Indy Latina Artists (ILA), a new organization of Latina artists founded to promote women Latina artists in Indianapolis and Central Indiana counties. She is a member of the Fishers’ Creative Council managed by the Fishers Art Council. She is also part of the first Latino Artist Mentorship Program (LAMP) cohort in Indianapolis. In the brief time that she’s worked as a full-time artist she has already been awarded Best Floral or Other Award by Juror Rena Brouwer at the Juried Exhibition of Hamilton County Artists in Fishers, IN. She has been awarded Honorable mention and Finalist certificates in online art competitions. In March 2023 she was selected for the Hoosier Women Artist Award given by the Indiana Arts Commission and Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch. Fishers Arts Council, in collaboration with Fishers Parks, picked her artwork to be publicly displayed on banners surrounding the new Fishers Arts Center Development site. She has exhibited her artwork at Saks Fifth Avenue Gallery, Indy Arts Council’s Gallery 924, Circle City Industrial Complex, the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Center, Lost Dog Gallery, the World Arts Expo 2023 at the Global Village Welcome Center of Indianapolis, and at The Collaboration Hub Art Gallery in Fishers. She is working on private commissions and on new artworks for future exhibitions. She is passionate about promoting diversity awareness in her community, especially to create a positive impact for future generations of Latinos. Therefore, she looks forward to LAMP’s exhibition at Newfields Indianapolis Museum of Art showcasing Latino artists in Indiana in November 2023.
What drew you to the mixed-media art form?
In the early 2000’s I began taking art classes from Jane Roberson at Kaleidoscope Art Studio in Fishers, IN. She introduced me to many different artistic mediums I hadn’t tried before. She also taught me how to mix mediums and how mediums could complement or enhance a painting to a more interesting level. I learned more about Matisse “drawing with scissors” collage paintings and techniques during the quarantine of 2020 and became fascinated by it.
What are your preferred forms of media that you mix to create your art?
I love integrating acrylics, paper sources such as magazines, sheet music, literature, and painting patterns onto my papers to create representational subjects. I use messages and colors to evoke movement and feelings.
How has being a Latina artist in Indy influenced your work?
It influences everything I do! I carry with me and convey through my paintings my Latina heart and soul. I use bold colors and movement, a reflection of my Caribbean upbringing. I strive to integrate positive messages, literature, poetry, and music in my paintings. A reflection of my upbringing, of always trying to make things better for your surroundings, your community. I believe integrating music, poetry, literature, whether from Puerto Rico or elsewhere, is uplifting and evokes emotions. It’s very Puerto Rican to “let it out” to be very expressive. I think that’s evident in my mixed media collage paintings.
Giselle Trujillo
Website, Instagram
Giselle Trujillo is originally from Caracas, Venezuela, and moved to Indianapolis in 2003. She has a theater arts background, including stage design, dance, music, sculptures, murals, videos and post-production. Her artistic endeavors have been diverse, ranging from large outdoor structures, murals, paintings, portraits, wire, and light sculptures to audiovisual performances and social work with a focus on recycling. But teaching has always been a significant part of her life, spanning various artistic disciplines for both adults and children. It allows her to inspire people to tap into their creativity, and in turn, their creativity inspires Giselle. Over the past decade, she’s expanded her teaching efforts to include consulting and workshops centered on sustainable practices, recycling, and social work to create functional art. Her freelance teaching approach allows her to collaborate with non-profit organizations, working with various communities, including neighborhoods, libraries, public parks, schools, and fellow educators, thereby broadening her impact and reaching more people.
What drew you to the mixed-media art form?
I was initially drawn to mixed-media art because it offered limitless creative possibilities by reusing and recycling materials, aligning with my values of sustainability. This art form allows me to transform discarded items into meaningful and visually compelling pieces, conveying powerful messages about responsible consumption while expressing my artistic vision.
What are your preferred forms of media that you mix to create your art?
My preferred media for creating mixed-media art include found objects, concrete and wire. These materials offer versatility, texture and contrast, allowing me to create unique and intricate artworks, from sculptures to installations.
How has being a Latina artist in Indy influenced your work?
Being a Latina artist in Indianapolis has positively influenced my work, as the city embraces new experiences and cultures. Indianapolis’s welcoming community has allowed me to infuse my art with my Hispanic background, blending it with the local culture. This fusion enriches my work and contributes to the cultural diversity of the city, making it a meaningful part of both my artistic expression and the community.
Maura Malloy is a writer, minimalist, TedX Talker, and Indy Maven’s Managing Editor.
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