I loved listening to Ofelia Esparza talk about her life and
artistic practice. Her words really resonated with me, especially the way she
spoke about her family and the profound influence that her mother has had on
her work. It made me realize how much my own mother has affected me as an
artist. My mom, like Ofelia, is a public school educator. She’s been teaching pre-k
in Spanish longer than I’ve been alive. I have very fond memories of my mom and
I making arts and crafts together when I was a child. She was the first person
in my life to introduce me to art and I am still consistently inspired by her
and the crafts we used to make together.
As a young Chicana making art at a renowned academic
institution like UCLA, I sometimes feel very out of place. It was really validating
for me to hear how Ofelia achieved success by staying true to herself and her
culture. Sometimes it’s nice to be reminded that there is no one way to be an
artist. Ofelia is incredibly inspiring. I appreciate all the work she’s done
for the Chicanx community—not just in Los Angeles, but all across the globe. In
addition to increasing Latinx visibility, her work has also helped bring Dia de
los Muertos to the mainstream.
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