IndigenousWays

Discipline: Dance

Indra Arriaga Delgado is a Mexican artist, writer, filmmaker, and researcher working in Alaska. Arriaga Delgado has exhibited her work nationally and internationally. In 2019, she received a Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artist Award for her Etimologías Opacas/Opaque Etymologies project. Her recent film, Sabor Ártico: Latinos en Alaska (Arctic Flavor: Latinos in Alaska) was funded by Latino Public Broadcasting and selected to screen in September as part of the Los Angeles New Filmmakers Festival. Indra serves on the board Perseverance Theatre, is on the advisory committee for Identity, as well as an Advisor to the Center for Technology and Civic Life, a nonpartisan organization helping to strengthen electoral practices nationwide, and is currently collaborating with Out North as Artistic Director for the Out North Fringe Festival.

Discipline: Multidisciplinary

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Discipline: Multidisciplinary

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Discipline: Multidisciplinary

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Discipline: Multidisciplinary

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Intersection for the Arts [Fiscal Sponsor of applicant organization Campo Santo]

Isaac Lucero is a Xicano tattoo and multimedia artist from southwest Denver who incorporates his culture, community, and family into every aspect of his work. Specializing in black-and-gray tattooing, his style is heavily influenced by graffiti, Chicano heritage, and the storytelling traditions of his ancestors. For more than 15 years, he has been creating art that not only decorates skin but also reflects identity and resilience.

Outside the tattoo studio, Lucero is committed to giving back to his community. He collaborates with local nonprofits in Westwood, mentoring and working with youth and donating his time to ensure the next generation has access to creativity and cultural expression. Whether through ink, murals, or mentorship, he views his art as a tool for empowerment.

At the core of his work is his family. A devoted husband and father, Lucero balances his passion for art with his dedication to being present for his loved ones. He currently works out of a private studio in Arvada, Colorado.

Israel Carranza is a Mexican-American artist whose been creating abstract expressionistic paintings inspired by his Indigenous Mexican heritage for many years. He was born and raised in Illinois and recently moved to Lincoln, Nebraska.
Carranza’s art is a reflection of his deep connection to his cultural roots and his passion for exploring the intersection of Indigenous Mexican traditions and contemporary art. His paintings are characterized by bold, vibrant colors and abstract forms that evoke the natural landscapes, myths, and symbols of Mexico’s Indigenous communities.
In addition to his art, Carranza is also active in organizing cultural events in Lincoln that celebrate and showcase the rich heritage of Mexico and its people. He has been instrumental in bringing traditional music, dance, and food to the local community and promoting cross-cultural understanding and appreciation.
Carranza’s work has been exhibited in galleries throughout the United States, and he has received recognition for his contributions to the arts, community and culture. He continues to create and share his art with the world, inspiring others to connect with their own cultural heritage and explore the power of art as a means of expression and connection.

Israel Carranza is a multidisciplinary artist, curator and cultural organizer whose work bridges abstract expressionism, community building and cultural storytelling rooted in his Indigenismo, Xicanx and Mexicano identities. Holding a bachelor’s in fine arts in illustration from the American Academy of Art in Chicago, Carranza has exhibited, curated and produced events across the Midwest, fostering collaboration between artists, musicians and communities.

As art and cultural director at Proyecto Cultural in Lincoln, Nebraska, he cultivated inclusive creative spaces through all-ages art and music events that celebrated diversity and cultural heritage. His experience spans nonprofit administration, event production, curation, art handling, ornamental metalwork, docent work, youth entrepreneurship mentorship and art education. Each reflects his deep commitment to craftsmanship, identity, creative rebellion, cultural resilience, collective empowerment and decolonized, regenerative futures.

Now based in San Diego, Carranza continues to explore the intersections of art, culture and community as a horticulturalist at the Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum. There, he integrates traditional Japanese garden aesthetics with contemporary creative practice, deepening his exploration of harmony between people and place and treating horticulture as an extension of his artistic expression.

Director of Community Impact, Aurora Theatre

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, I have always been an art dreamer since I was about 4 years old. Singing was my favorite thing to do growing up. Through high school, I explored playwrighting and storytelling without knowing the impact it would have late in my life. It wasn’t until I reached college that I discovered Musical Theatre and the possibilities this would bring. For the last 11 years, I’ve dedicated my life to exploring, studying, and experiencing the arts in many of their forms. From classical to Spanish Rock singing, to musical theatre, to acting, to arts administration. With my degrees in Music, Performing Arts, and Arts Presenting and Live Entertainment Management; and my experience as a singer, actor, playwright, and administrator, I possess a wide perspective of the world of art. Currently, after wearing different hats as an Acting Apprentice, I hold the Director of Community Impact position at Aurora Theatre, where I connect with our diverse communities and provide them with multicultural programming that highlights heritage and culture. My job is the best combination of community and arts building. A true dream come true.

Youth Studios Manager, The Union for Contemporary Art

Jacquline Smith is the youth studios manager at The Union for Contemporary Art. In addition to developing and administering The Union’s Youth Engagement programs, she serves as a liaison between the artists, partner organizations, youth and their families. She graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with a Bachelor’s in General Studies – Art Concentration, with a certification in nonprofit management. She brings nearly 20 years of experience working with youth to The Union’s programs. Prior to joining The Union, Smith served as an art teacher at The Montessori Co-Op School from 2016 to 2019 and taught at Metropolitan Community College in its Continuing Education program from 2015 to 2018. She also taught art classes abroad as a volunteer in San Ignacio, Belize (March-May 2010), and Banos, Ecuador (October 2016).

Jada Renée Allen is a writer, educator, and culture worker from Chicago’s South Side. She has received fellowships, scholarships, and support from Tin House, the Kenyon Review Writers Workshop, Community of Writers, The Frost Place, and VONA (Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation), among other organizations.

Her writing has appeared or is forthcoming in Academy of American Poets’ “Poem-a-Day,” Callaloo, Chicago Reader, Gulf Coast, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Logic(s), Virginia Quarterly Review, Wildness, and other publications.

Allen is the founding executive director of The Frances Thompson Arts Foundation and serves as editor-in-chief of Bodemé. She lives in Phoenix on U.S.-occupied Yavapai, O’odham, and Hohokam land.

Instagram: @jadareneeholy
Facebook: Jada Renée
Bluesky: jadarenee.bsky.social

Jaewook Lee is an associate professor of new media art at Northern Arizona University, where he leads courses in experimental game design, extended reality and 3D animation. His work explores the intersection of ecology, technology and speculative histories through immersive media such as virtual reality and video games. Lee’s recent projects, including “Toward Entropy” and “Game Over: Planet,” reimagine art history and environmental narratives through critical play and digital world-building.

Before joining NAU, Lee taught at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and served as a visiting lecturer at the University of Chicago’s Department of Visual Arts. His works have been exhibited internationally at the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei, Currents New Media Festival and SACO9 Biennale in Chile.

Lee earned his Master of Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon University.

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Jaime Alejandro Cruz is a playwright/multimedia creative from Wyoming. He produces the Arts Calling Podcast, and publishes short-form literary and audio projects at the coalition. Recent collaborations with Teatro del Pueblo, The Ugly Radio, and self-produced at the coalition. His plays have been produced at University of Wyoming, Rain City Projects, Casper Children’s Theater, Las Vegas Little Theater, among others.

Jaime was a Screencraft Horror Competition International Semifinalist and ScriptLab International Quarterfinalist for ‘The Inherited.’ His plays have been workshopped at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, Last Frontier Conference, UNLV, Relative Theatrics, Northwest Playwrights, and others.

He was invited to serve as panelist for Ohio Arts Council Award for Playwriting, and was recently seen onstage as a University of Wyoming visiting artist. Through an absurdist immigrant lens, Jaime creates stories about family, working-class people, and outsiders.

Discipline: Music