CHARLA: Make Work About Your Truth

Make work about your truth was a Charla between Alejandro Sanchez, Aydinaneth Ortiz, Karina Esperanza Yanez, Marlene Tafoya, and Juan Valenzuela. The group set out to have an open and honest conversation as if they were speaking amongst friends. Discussing the impact art had on their lives, some of the challenges of being an artist, and their experiences as educators within art. During the Charla, they spoke about the need for systemic change and artists working alongside the community. Closing out the conversation with advice for the future generation of artists.

Bio

Aydinaneth Ortiz received her BA in Art at the University of California, Los Angeles, and MFA in Photography at the California Institute of the Arts. Utilizing documentary, landscape, and portrait photography, she focuses on intersections between urban structures, familial relationships, mental illness, drug addiction, and immigration. For years, her art has been a direct response to personal struggles and familial hardships. Most would shy away from making the private so public, but Ortiz has found that through the art-making process, she can channel her negative energy into a shared conversation. Ortiz has exhibited her artwork internationally, most notably at the Pomona College Museum of Art in Claremont and the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, where she is now part of their permanent collection.