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Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with us at Monarca Art Space! For the entire month of September, we proudly showcase the vibrant and diverse works of six talented artists, each representing their unique cultural backgrounds. This special exhibition features the artwork of Vania Soto, Jesus Vasquez, Isaac Meek, Chico Sierra, Sue Moreno, and Adolfo Martinez.
Each piece on display is a reflection of the artist's heritage, offering a rich tapestry of stories, traditions, and perspectives from across the Hispanic world. From contemporary interpretations to traditional influences, this collection promises to inspire and connect viewers to the beauty and diversity of Hispanic culture.
Join us in honoring the contributions and artistic expressions of these incredible artists throughout this one-month exhibition. Monarca Art Space continues its tradition of supporting artists of color by providing a platform for their voices and visions. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience art that celebrates heritage, identity, and the vibrant spirit of our community.
Artist Statement,
Tallgrass: A Prairie Perspective
My work in this show is primarily mixed media and uses painting and encaustic techniques. The process begins with applying and fusing layers of the encaustic (wax) medium then augmenting the surface with oils. These multiple layers create a depth and tactile surface quality that work to draw the viewer into the work.
The vastness and diversity of the prairie is an ongoing inspiration, especially the Kansas Flint Hills. My most recent works are a reflection of my deep awe and appreciation for this landscape, and my striving to evoke a sense of the dynamic tension between nature’s vitality and tranquility.
Bio
I have been creating art professionally since 2017. My early pieces were in watercolor and gauche and later I moved into encaustic and mixed media works. Like watercolor, creating with encaustic has allowed me to explore the interplay of color, and transparency. Additionally, encaustic also enables me to add texture and depth to my work. Through layering pigmented beeswax I can explore the depths of emotion and memory, light and translucency.
During 2020 I began creating works that referenced geographic locations but distilled them to the elementals of the landscape. Inspired by the Kansas Flint Hills, these pieces serve as a conduit for my exploration and contemplation, and invite viewers to embark on their own journey of discovery.
This exhibition encapsulates a mere glimpse of the diverse paths Latin/Mexican individuals have trodden in life. From entertainers to astronauts, athletes to activists, the spectrum is vast. My vibrant portraits mirror the richness of our culture, while the grayscale ones strive to evoke emotions and narratives. Through my art, I aim to dismantle stereotypes and showcase the depth and pride inherent in every aspect of our endeavors.
Bio
Jesus Vasquez, a Mexican American artist, originates from Kansas City, where he was born and raised. Self-taught, he has refined his skills through trial and error and guidance from fellow artists. His expertise lies in acrylic painting, though he also finds fulfillment in pencil and pen drawings. His artistic style tends towards the modern, encompassing a variety of subjects from portraits to cityscapes and animal depictions. With each artwork, he evolves, seeking to carve out a distinct and personal artistic identity.
When I moved to Kansas City, I came to appreciate the many
varieties of peonies and sunflowers growing in neighbors’ gardens, in wild
flowers growing in fields and roadsides, and flowers offered at Farmers
Markets! They bring sunshine into anyone’s life and are an inspiration to
paint.
Additionally, I was and still am, in love with the sweet bungalows on
my street and the lovely folks that live there. I call that series, “Love Thy
Neighbor”. These paintings have been borrowed back from those owners
to whom I gave them.
Inspiration is fluid, not static, constantly developing in thought and
may present itself in a variety of styles as well as mediums. Oil painting is
my preferred media, however, charcoal, graphite gouache, and pastel play
an important part in my creative process which includes sketching and
color studies, exploring composition, values, and color relationships.
My hope is that through my paintings you will feel the relationships
and ideas that are important to me—the essence of the flower, scene,
figure, story or idea—and that they may touch your sense of beauty.
Locally, I’ve exhibited in shows at Kansas City Artists Coalition
member shows and auction, Buttonwood Art Space, Albrecht-Kemper
Museum, Perennial Gallery, 333 Meyer, Roeland Park City Hall Gallery,
InterUrban ArtSpace, Brookside Art & Frame Gallery and Marco Polo Wine.
PAOLA ALEXA
- ARTE DE LA TIERRA -
ROOTS Y RAZA COLLECTION
When it comes to my creative process, my natural instinct is to translate the current reality that I am living into a physical, graspable experience. My most recent series, Roots y Raza has been an exploration toward my ancestors' ancient culture. This collection is a reflection of seeing my inner warrior in its rawest form. Aztec and Mayan legends have stimulated the ideation of each individual piece, related to their own authentic disposition. The concept of people feeling content with the uncertainty of not knowing, is connected to my surreal creatures and aztec deities that have been brought into fruition through arcilla/ clay. Leaving people curious enough to want to know more about what their eyes tell them to perceive intrigues me. Through this realization, I have given myself the space to re-discover myself through the arts. I feel called to share the stories of beautiful legends that light us up with belief, faith, and unity. To represent through respect toward a culture that brings people together.
I am a local instructional multimedia artist and bilingual teacher. I offer community engagement and interactive activities through the arts and culture in Kansas City, with the intention of guiding people to tap into their own unique, authentic styles of expression.
IF INTERESTED IN KNOWING MORE ABOUT ME OR MY PIECES, REACH OUT
I WANT TO HEAR FROM, & ABOUT YOU!
INSTA: ARTEALEXA
I am a Puerto Rican and Nicaraguan artist from Miami, FL, who uses her love of
art and psychology to investigate/confront how nature, the psyche, and spiritual
awareness merge to create new visual narratives. My art practice is an extension of my
spiritual practice. I create multi-disciplinary works incorporating book-making,
printmaking, glass sculpture, and painting. Working this way allows me to challenge,
question, and reconcile my way through my inherited trauma and spiritual journey. I
use symbols of plant life to symbolize the spiritual tools gained by matriarchs as well
as iconography for mental health neglect.
Alice Walker's short story collection In Search of Our Mother's Garden has
influenced themes in my work about care and sacrifice. In these stories, Alice Walker
encapsulates the repression endured by generations of mothers of color as they stifled
their dreams before their families well-being. Walker's text pushed my current work,
using symbols of plant life to narrate the spiritual journeys of the matriarchs who
couldn't tend to their needs. My work is about healing spiritual inherited trauma
through the awareness of caring towards your mental health. Through my prints, I give
gratitude to the matriarchs before me who sacrificed more than I can know to allow
me to be where I am in life as flowers gained down their lineage.
Kelly is a lifelong artist, painter and creative. He started at age 12 with watercolor and progressed to acrylic and oil. Focusing on primarily wildlife and nature, his first oil painting was in ninth grade of a pheasant. Each day, his art teacher would put the painting in a case out in the hall so other students would be able to see how a painting evolves. After the first week and with only the head of the pheasant painted, the piece was sold.
Kelly has spent most of his adult career as an award-winning Art/Creative Director in the advertising world. He works with clients ranging from mom-and-pop shops to global corporations to help craft their brand and messaging.
Abstract painting is something that always interested Kelly. He never felt he could get outside the mental bounds of himself to paint something that had very little structure and exact “rules.” He began experimenting with abstract expression during Covid shutdowns and found the challenge of it engaging and a new creative outlet. Not one to get in a rut, he has an ever-changing style. He enjoys experimenting with styles, techniques, and mediums to express his creativity and stir emotion on canvas.
Another of Kelly’s creative outlets is constructing furniture in a less traditional style and with a more creative flair. Check out his Instagram for more samples of his work with wood or paint.
Open to commissioned projects.
Jacqueline is a visual artist of Chilean descent. With 20 years in corporate marketing in newspapers, television,radio, magazines, digital media and more, she left the corporate world to start her own media company. The Collinsville Daily News is a digital online news source that has been read in over 150 countries around the world in English and Spanish.
Her creativity is expressed through her writing, photography, graphic design, and acrylic paintings. Her art has been featured at The Munyin St. Louis and an international academy. Jacqueline’s photographyfeatures landscapes and architecture that is experienced as she
travels around the world.Commissioned artwork is available.
My name is Christopher Erazo. I am 20 years old. I am half Guatamalan American, and Half
Mexican American, but I am 100 percent Chicano. Growing up, Lowriders have always been
a major part of my life. Another major part of my life has been photography. When I was a
kid I would take photos of my culture with my phone or with a cheap camera. I knew that I
wanted to pursue photography as a career. After yers of working and saving, I was finally
able to afford a professional grade camera back in February of 2022. I then Started my
company, Brown Boy Media. I focus on posting photos of the Chicano culture. I also started
filming using a vintage VHS camera. I am now known for creating VHS videos that capture
the Chicano culture. My work has been featured in an exhibit in Mexico City, and some of
my video clips have been used on 41 action news. One of my photos will be on a travaling
exhibit in the Smithsonian Musuem in Washington D.C. All of my photos are candid. I
capture Chicano culture from within as it’s also the culture that im apart of.
Kansas City Artist/Muralist/Art Instructor - Vania Soto was born in Juarez, Mexico and began selling paintings at age 13. Vania describes her style as realism with a pop of surrealism.She was named Best Local Artist in 2021 by Pitch Magazine.
Anahi
36 x 36 Acrylic and Oil on Canvas
Vania Soto
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