The UTRGV Center for Latin American Arts College of Fine Arts

Student Testimonial: “I would like to thank the Center for Latin American Arts for supporting my journey in art-making and personal growth as an artist. Thanks to the Center and the School of Art and Design, I received travel funding to attend the Chautauqua Visual Arts summer residency. Participating in this residency helped me gain an abundance of knowledge for sustaining a life of artmaking and gave me a chance to be in a space that encourages collaboration, experimentation, and creating meaningful relationships with others. I would like to thank Dr. Katherine McAllen for her support and Raheleh Filsoofi, with whom I had the pleasure to work with. I would also like to thank Adilene Rosales and Shari Flores for encouraging me to apply for this residency and for their continued support.

---

Dominique Flores
BFA Undergrad Student

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: “I am very grateful to Dr. Katherine McAllen, the CLAA staff, UTRGV’s School of Art and Design faculty and staff, and the Chautauqua School of Visual Arts #CHQART for their support and generosity. I have learned a great deal about myself and art in larger contexts and want to use my mind, spirit, and body to make any positive difference I can with public art and socially engaged art. I was able to take classes with Raheleh Filsoofi and Jean Shin and have studio visits with these wonderful artists and educators, as well as other renowned artists, art historians, and art critics. I am humbled and grateful for this experience - beyond utterance.”

---

Dr. Kathy Bussert-Web
MFA Graduate Ph.D.

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: “The CLAA is a great place for supporting Latinx mujeres and the arts. As a woman artist it’s encouraging to see representation and broad inclusion of beauty. I’m proud to see my fellow peers and artists highlighted by the Center like Josie Del Castillo, Ángela Scardigno, and Monica Lugo. The CLAA has been a champion in supporting Latinx women in the arts.”

---

Samantha Rawls
MFA Graduate

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: “The Center for Latin American Arts has brought an abundance of opportunities for the students at the School of Art. I have been able to use their space for classwork, attend workshops, lectures and receive generous funding for my Arquetopia International Artist Residency in Puebla, Mexico. Dr. McAllen has been so supportive since my undergraduate career and today as a graduate student at UTRGV. For this, I am forever grateful. Her dedication to students is something we all cherish, and the Center’s staff is an exemplary group of individuals! ¡Gracias!”

---

Nydia Salinas
MFA Graduate Student

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: “The Center for Latin American Arts offers a great opportunity for students to showcase their work. I recently attended Angela Scardigno’s Abstract Narratives through the Glass, and as a graduate student in graphic design concentration, it was so encouraging and exciting to see an inclusive space that any art student can be a part of. I believe this space will benefit many students and their different concentrations by showcasing work that celebrates culture and visual communication.”

---

Monica Lugo
MFA Graduate Student

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: “I had the privilege to work on ‘Cerebritos’, a video series project directed by Professor Eric Wiley with the Latino Theatre Initiatives, which was sponsored by the Center for Latin American Arts. This project was a great experience as a graphic design student. I was able to deeply explore my heritage, while mastering my skills in branding and digital media such as animation.”

---

Yadira Marisol Hernández
UTRGV Alumna - BFA in Graphic Design and Marketing Minor

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: "My most memorable experiences at the CLAA were attending the Matthew Looper Maya Glyph Workshop and meeting Chicano activist and pioneer artist César A. Martínez. At the Maya workshop, I witnessed a beautiful and priceless endeavor rediscovering an ancient Indigenous language. It was an intimate hands-on experience, connecting with my roots. I experienced the same meeting with CLAA invited artist César Martínez, who spoke to me on the importance of invention and identity."

---

Alexis Ramos
MFA Graduate Student

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: “I am immensely grateful to the CLAA and to my mentor Raheleh Filsoofi for their support. The Center and Raheleh have encouraged me to work beyond my own boundaries and experiment with the possibilities that clay carries as a medium within the context of identity and border politics. I was able to attend inspiring lectures and exhibitions celebrating the borderlands liminal space thanks to the support of the CLAA.”

---

Shari Flores
MFA Graduate Student

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: "I am very thankful for the CLAA for providing me with the opportunity to collaborate and participate in the ‘Día de los Muertos’ Celebration community altar display at the IMAS in 2020. I will always treasure my travel abroad to Peru experience, enriched by the knowledge and guidance of Dr. Katherine McAllen and Dr. Robert Bradley. They have continued to support and provide mentorship to both me and my fellow classmates through the CLAA with virtual lectures, exhibitions, and inspiring alumni spotlights."

---

Angelica Rodriguez
MFA Alumna and Artist

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: “The Center for Latin American Arts is a place where students can enrich their knowledge in the arts through talks, performances, exhibitions, and scholarly research. The CLAA and its staff continue to work diligently to provide quality art and cultural opportunities to the UTRGV community. Thank you for everything you do."

---

Jesmil M. Maldonado Rodriguez
UTRGV MFA in 2D Studio Printmaking 1 & Drawing 1 Art Instructor at UTRGV

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: “I would like to thank the CLAA and my graduate mentors, Dr. Katherine McAllen, Jerry Lyles, Raheleh Filsoofi, and Paul Valadez, for their consistent words of encouragement and tireless dedication to me, my colleagues, and students.”

---

Cristina Correa
MFA Graduate - Teacher Visual Arts Lead for Idea Public Schools

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: “I am beyond thankful to the CLAA for providing me with valuable opportunities to accomplish my goals as an MFA student. The CLAA helped me connect with artists, scholars, and build incredible ties with professionals that I respect. I want to thank my Art History professors for the extraordinary opportunity to travel abroad to Cuzco, Peru, and to Dr. Katherine McAllen for the opportunity to assist with research. These unforgettable experiences inspired my research for my MFA Thesis exhibition, ‘Katharsis.’ I am forever grateful!”

---

Fatima Lai
MFA Graduate - Teacher Rivera Early College High School

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: "I am thankful beyond words for all the support and encouragement from the Center for American Arts in promoting my work and exhibitions. It was an honor to be under the mentorship of Center Director Dr. Katherine McAllen and Executive Committee member Raheleh Filsoofi. I am also grateful to work with an amazing team of Center colleagues: Angela Scardigno, Carlos Limas, Carol Lopez, Daniel Ymbong. Gracias, los extraño!"

---

Leticia Lowry-Garcilazo
MFA Graduate

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: "I am an MFA student, and I would like to express my gratitude to the CLAA and Director Dr. Katherine McAllen for the great impact the Center has had on me as an art educator. The CLAA has inspired me to create an illustrated book for young audiences with artists’ biographies to present a positive approach to the contributions of Latin American artists in our culture and for humanity.”

---

Olga Alanis
MFA Graduate Student

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: “After graduating with a Masters in Art History and returning from my Archer Center fellowship and Smithsonian internship in Washington DC, the Center for Latin American Arts has provided me with valuable work experience. This is a skill I need to apply for jobs at art museums such as the LACMA and The Getty in Los Angeles.”

---

Carol Lopez
Curator and Administrative Coordinator and MAIS Graduate from UTRGV

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: “As a Fine Arts major, sometimes the opportunities given to us are limited. With the Center for Latin American Arts, I feel many doors are going to be opening for us, and it’s already starting to show. In December, the Center invited the Ballet Folklórico Universidad Veracruzana to UTRGV. Being a dance major, this was such a big opportunity to dance with them. It made me more motivated about my learning. It was eye opening, and I am thankful to have been part of this with the Center’s support.”

---

Marisol Abascal
UTRGV Dance Major

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: "The Center for Latin American Arts has been immensely helpful to the community at UTRGV by enriching us with many Latin cultural arts activities on campus. The Day of the Dead parade and the Gran Circo de Ilusiones play were a great collaboration with the Latino Theatre initiatives. These are some of the many projects we have embarked on with their help!"

---

Priscylla Guzman
Mass Communications Major with a Concentration in Photojournalism with a minor in Theatre

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: "The Center for Latin American Arts has allowed me to establish professional ties with different disciplines such as music, dance, and art history. The Center has supported me in the exhibition of my new digital collage in a solo titled "Abstract Narratives through the Glass," engaging with the urban landscapes of Edward Hopper and Latin American artists such as Raúl Loza from Argentina and Eduardo Ramírez-Villamizar from Colombia"

---

Angela V. Scardigno
CLAA Coordinator for Media Design and MFA Graduate from UTRGV

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: "Having the CLAA invite the Ballet Folklórico de la Universidad Veracruzana was so inspiring because they brought their rich dance, musical wealth, and traditions of Mexican culture for a breathtaking show. Being able to perform in the concert as a UTRGV student was such an unforgettable experience."

---

Elsa Beatriz Vasquez
UTRGV Dance Program Major

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: "I want to thank the CLAA for giving Latino artists the possibility for art expression through exhibition and for supporting the arts in the Rio Grande Valley. Angela Scardigno's exhibition sponsored by the CLAA has inspired me to explore my own creativity in sculpture. I am encouraged to push through life's unexpected hurdles and strive for success!"

---

Tania Viveros
MFA Graduate - Teacher PSJA Early College High School

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: "The CLAA has greatly enhanced my experiences and allowed me to participate in Mario Lamo's play El Pequeño Gran Circo de Ilusiones and El Primer Festival Internacional Latino del Valle de Texas at UTRGV. I connected with multiple Mexican artists with whom I still keep in touch. It is always gratifying to do children's theatre and make a positive effect on younger students. CLAA and LTI have offered me a lot more than I ever expected. I am incredibly grateful."

---

Aldo Longoria
UTRGV Mass Communication Major and Theatre Student

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: "As a Hispanic student in the lower Rio Grande valley, having the Center invite the Ballet Folklórico de la Universidad Veracruzana to UTRGV was an amazing learning experience. Being taught by a very well-know director, who I have admired in my career, was a privilege. Having this opportunity to work with the BFUV at UTRGV was important for so many who are unable to travel to Veracruz."

---

Leila Banda
UTRGV Dance Major

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: "The Center for Latin American Arts has been a great help to accomplish my professional goals when I was pursuing my Master's in Fine Arts at the UTRGV School of Arts. I can honestly say that the Center for Latin American Arts has shown a genuine interest in supporting students like me in our journey to excellence, and all I can say is Thank You."

---

Carlos Limas
CLAA Chief Coordinator of Media and Graphic Design and MFA Graduate from UTRGV

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: "I am beyond thankful to the Center for Latin American Arts for providing valuable experiences as a staff member. In a competitive industry, the Center has been vital and generous in giving me the chance to curate several projects. It's a privilege to serve our community and trail-blaze the path for future creative professional leaders."

---

Daniel Ymbong
CLAA Curator and Social Media Coordinator and MAIS Graduate from UTRGV

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: "Having the opportunity to share the stage with the Ballet de la Universidad Veracruzana was an experience that I will never forget. The Center giving me this experience definitely gave me a look inside what my life could be if I was to go professional. I got the opportunity to talk to some of the dancers and they shared their experiences with me, and I have been able to share my experience with others."

---

Elizabeth Stamatio
UTRGV Psychology and Dance Senior

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: “The CLAA has been invaluable to help me connect with scholars all over the world, receive access to academic and cultural events, and understand how to proceed in my research. I believe the CLAA will continue to benefit me even beyond my time as a student at UTRGV. The need for the arts is growing in the RGV, and the CLAA will help pave the way for more professional opportunities in my field of study.”

---

Regina Pérez Kamel
UTRGV MAIS Graduate Student, Art History

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: “As a Latina student, I can’t help but to feel like a minority. Thankfully, the Center for Latin American Arts supports activities that celebrate our Latin culture. We presented a play at the Brewster School in Spanish sponsored by the Center. As a daughter of immigrants, I remember telling my parents to go see something with me or see me participate, and they were always hesitant because they were afraid to go and not understand because of the language barrier. The Center for Latin American Arts helps students understand where they come from. Once we learn the beauty of our culture, it makes us feel proud and helps us to celebrate diversity."

---

Alondra De Hoyos
UTRGV Graduate Student in Communication and Member of Latino Theatre Initiatives

Faculty Profile

Student Testimonial: “With the help of the Center for Latin American Arts, I was able to attend my awards ceremony at the AXA Art Prize 2019 at the New York Academy of Art. It was an incredible experience to visit New York City for the first time! I was able to explore the art museums, and network with other artists and students from all over the nation of different cultural and educational backgrounds. If it weren't for the Center’s financial help, I am not sure if I would have had the funds to attend this opportunity. I hope CLAA continues to help students in their future successes.”

---

Josie Del Castillo
UTRGV MFA Graduate Student

Faculty Profile