ART+BIO Collab Cultivo Artist Residency / Desert Mentorship
Funded by the RISD Research SPUR Fund
The Art+Bio Cultivo Residency for Artists and Scientists of Color addresses the needs for cross-disciplinary and inclusive experiences for marginalized Artists and Scientists of Color. This artist residency focuses on the power of collaboration within the intersections of art and science through community engagement and outreach in the U.S. -Mexico Border. I had the opportunity to spend two weeks in the Chihuahuan Desert near New Mexico. We camped in the Oliver Lee Site in Alamagordo, New Mexico and started out in El Paso, Texas. As a First-Gen Mexican American Architecture student, this experience was essential for both my professional and cultural development. This opportunity would not have been possible without the support of the RISD Research SPUR Fund.























The desert, sandy, and dry landscapes within the Chihuahuan Desert inspired me to create Architectural Drawings that capture the experience of the site. During my residency, I began to acknowledge the privilege I had as a Mexican-American citizen exploring a desert that my family would not be able to experience due to their citizenship status. I wanted to capture my experience to share with my family members who are from Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua.
















