“TLACUĀ PAHTIĀ” by Rebecca Nava Soto, ArtsWave “Truth & Healing” Artist 

“And always remember, YOU ARE the medicine.”

Rebecca Nava Soto

2023 ArtsWave Black and Brown Artists Program

Creativity Squared is proud to support and partner with ArtsWave and to bring you this special interview series featuring the phenomenal artists and grant recipients selected for this year’s ArtsWave Black and Brown Artists Program.

Rebecca is a 2023 ArtsWave Black and Brown Artists Program Grant Recipient and “Truth & Healing” Artist.

The intention of these interviews is to give these talented and deserving artists another platform to share their art and truth expressed through it, as you never know what ripples will turn into waves. If you’re interested in working with, featuring, or supporting these artists, please don’t be shy about it.

We’ll be hearing from these artists whose films were shown in the ArtsWave “Truth & Healing” Showcase and Film Festivals. Part one of this series features the artists whose work is in the exhibition that is available for visiting at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, OH, through September 10. 

This year’s theme is “Truth & Healing” and Creativity Squared host Helen Todd had the great honor of interviewing the artists during the opening showcase to learn more about their work and what truth and healing means to them.

Meet Rebecca Nava Soto

Rebecca Nava Soto is a multidisciplinary Xicanx artist based in Ohio. She uses mixed media painting, digital media, and ephemeral installations to explore themes of perception, writing/iconography/language, technology, healing, and mysticism.   

Rebecca earned her BFA in Painting from the University of Cincinnati and an MFA in Painting from Boston University. She currently serves on the faculty at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. Her artistic practice includes collaborative efforts, public art making, and educational workshops focused on Indigenous Mesoamerican art and history. Her latest art series has brought awareness and invited public support of contemporary indigenous preservation and regeneration initiatives.

Rebecca has an upcoming show, Ritual of Imagination and Reconnection, from September 15 – November 4 at the Weston Art Gallery in Cincinnati.

“TLACUĀ PAHTIĀ”

The name of her project is TLACUĀ PAHTIĀ ([náhuatl] /TLA-KWA’/PAH-TI-A’/ To eat. To heal.).  

This immersive installation is a personal poetic response into the healing connection between people, food, and earth medicines originating in North American and Mesoamérican indigenous traditions. As culture, science, and medical institutions embrace these modalities and bring them into the mainstream, how can we learn from our past and responsibly honor the original holders of this wisdom? This project raises awareness and invites public support of the Indigenous Medicine Conservation Fund, a non-profit dedicated to aiding communities in preserving their heritage, including traditional medicine.

ArtsWave 2023 Black and Brown Artists Program Cohort

This year’s Black and Brown Artists Program cohort reflects a vibrant collection of diverse art forms created by an equally diverse group of 18 artists. Their mediums include couture fashion, painting, and sculpture — along with film, musical composition, podcasts, theater, dance, and multidisciplinary works.

The projects not only represent the African American experience, but also the experiences of those with Mexican, Lebanese, Somali, Argentinian, Zimbabwean, Guatemalan, and Indigenous heritage.

Listen to the accompanying podcast episode which features Rebecca:

Connect with Rebecca

Stay connected with Rebecca through her Instagram (@rebeccanavasoto) and Facebook, and also support her work on her website.

Learn more about ArtsWave and why we proudly support the organization in Episode 9 “Art Bridges Cultural Divides” with Janice Liebenberg, VP of Equitable Arts Advancement at ArtsWave: https://bit.ly/Ep9JaniceLiebenberg.

Creativity Squared is a proud partner of ArtsWave and because it’s important to support artists like Michael, 10% of all revenue Creativity Squared generates goes to ArtsWave and directly supports the Black and Brown Artists Program.

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