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Education
2013 Latin American Studies/Communications, B.A., University of Texas at Austin
2013 African Diaspora in Central America, UT Austin research program in Bluefields, Nicaragua
2009 Indigenous Social and Political Movements, UC Davis research program in Chiapas, Mexico
Clients
The California Sunday Magazine, Buzzfeed, Amplifier Art, Obey Giant,
Remezcla, La Liga Zine, Contemporary Art Review LA, Girls Like Us
Publications
En Mi Piel: Colorism & Latinidad, contributor, La Liga Zine, print. 2018
Femme Frontera, by Arlene Mejorado and Adriana Monsalve, Homie House Press, print. 2017
Óptica Magazine, multi-contributor, multi-issue, created/edited by Arlene Mejorado, print. 2016-2017
La Pulga, by Arlene Mejorado, Deep Red Press, print. 2017
Grants • Awards
2018 Lucie Foundation Independent Book Award, awardee
2018 Women Photograph Workshop, selected
2018 Authority Collective, The Lit List, awardee
2018 Lucie Foundation Emerging Artist Scholarship, shortlisted
2018 Photobook Biennial of Cork, Ireland, selected
2017 National Association of Latina/o Arts & Cultures Mentorship Grant, awardee
2016 Fotoseptiembre Choice Award: La Pulga, a solo exhibition
2016 Luminaria Public Arts Grant, awardee
2015 FilmInitiativ African Film Festival, official selection
2013 Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Alliance and Collaboratory Scholarship, awardee
2012 Lozano Long Institute of Latin America Studies Academic Scholarship, awardee
Residencies
2018 Club Balam, teaching artist, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
2018 The Lower Eastside Girls Club, teaching artist, New York, NY
2017 Homie House Press, book-making and publishing, Washington, DC
2013 Museo de la Palabra Y La Imagen, political graphics archiver, San Salvador, El Salvador
2012 Espacio Zapata, printing with master printmaker Mario Guzmán, Oaxaca City, Mexico
Solo Exhibitions
2016 La Pulga, curated by Lady Base Gallery and R.L. Rodriguez, R Space, San Antonio, TX
Group Exhibitions
2018 Remedios Sagrados, Luminaria Arts Festival, San Antonio, TX
2018 RESPECT, Lower Eastside Girls Club, New York, NY
2018 The Lit List, curated by The Authority Collective, Photoville, Brooklyn, NY
2018 Mirame Bien, curated by Rudy “Bleu” Garcia, Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2018 Fotografia y nuevos medios: Selections from the Permanent Collection, MexicArte Museum, Austin, TX
2017 Entre Orillas: Photography by Arlene Mejorado & Adriana Monsalve, Galeria Guadalupe, San Antonio, TX
2017 Mi Comida, Mi Cultura, curated by Sean Fitzgibbons, Centro de Artes, San Antonio, TX
2017 East of Center: Locals In Focus, Luminaria Arts Festival, San Antonio, TX
2016 SATX | MX: Un viaje lleno de cultura, Centro de Artes, San Antonio, TX
2016 Multiples: Artists Within Our Midst, Galeria Guadalupe, San Antonio, TX
2015 Soy Mujer, Espacio 1839, Boyle Heights, CA
2014 Illustrating Anarchy and Revolution, MexicArte Museum, Austin, TX
2013 LLILAS Student Photo Exhibit, Benson Latin American Collection, Austin, TX
Collections
Femme Frontera, book - Library of Congress, Washington D.C.
We the People - Defend Dignity, print - Library of Congress, Washington D.C.
My Mother's Passport, print - Department of Arts & Culture, City of San Antonio, TX
Photography of Oaxaca - MexicArte Museum, Austin, TX
Artist Talks
2018 Power of Pink project panel, speaker, Photoville, Brooklyn, NY
2018 Photographing Community, speaker, The Lower Eastside Girls Club, New York, NY
2018 Damaged: New Works by Shepard Fairey exhibition, roundtable, Los Angeles, CA
2017 Portraiture and Empowerment, presenter, The Lower Eastside Girls Club, New York, NY
2017 How We Do It: Conversation with Women Photographers, panelist, The Main Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2016 La Pulga, a solo exhibition, artist talk, R Space Gallery, San Antonio, TX
2016 Latin American Communication Research in Transitional Settings Conference, presenter, TAMIU, Laredo, TX
2014 Dismantling Power Structures Through Women Narratives, panelist, Illustrating Anarchy & Revolution Conference, University of Texas at Austin
Experience
2018-2019 Teaching artist, Las Fotos Project, Los Angeles, CA
2018 Production assistant, Life Between Borders documentary, Tijuana, Mexico
2018 Project coordinator, Power of Pink photography exhibit, Las Fotos Project, Los Angeles, CA
2017-2018 Collaborating artist, Obey Giant, Los Angeles, CA
2017 Videographer, Woman of the Water documentary, Sonora, Mexico
2016-2017 Artist & consultant, We the People campaign, Amplifier Art, Los Angeles, CA
2016-2017 Founder & editor, Óptica Magazine, print
2013-2017 Co-founder & editor, Mujeres en Medio Multi-Media Journal, digital platform
2015 Digital photo curator, San Anto Cultural Arts, San Antonio, TX
2014 Administrative assistant, Self Help Graphics & Art, Boyle Heights,CA
2012-2013 Audio archive intern, Human Rights Documentation Initiative, Benson Collection, Austin, TX
2007-2011 Communications coordinator & culture programmer, Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural, Sylmar, CA
Associations
Women Photograph, member
The Authority Collective, member
Espacio Migrante, board of directors, member
Selected Press
Vice, “Creating Spaces for Latinx Art Is a Matter of Healing and Survival” by Yeiry Guevara, Oct. 2018
Los Angeles Magazine "Artists of Color Capture the Beauty of Their Own Communities" by Eva Recinos, July 2018.
The Washington Post - The Lily "Zine World Gives Creators Space for Power" by Ashley Nguyen, June 2018.
The Current, "Chicana Feelings' and 'Entre Orillas' Show How Visibility Can Be a Way of Healing" by Alejandra L. Gonzalez, Dec. 2017
LA Weekly, "Photographer Arlene Mejorado Gives the Camera the Angeleno Aesthetic" by Trina Calderon, Sept. 2017
LA Weekly, "How L.A.'s Latinas Are Telling Their Own Stories Through Photography" by Eva Recinos, Sept. 2017
For Creative Girls, "Arlene Mejorado on Photography, Documentary, and Creating Meaningful Work", Feb. 2017
Obey Magazine, "Behind "Defend Dignity" Q+A with Arlene Mejorado and Maribel Hermosillo" by Illana Woods, Feb. 2017
San Antonio Express-News, "Shepard Fairey Poster Based on Work by San Antonio Photographer", by Elda Silva, Jan. 2017
Remezcla, "These Powerful Portraits Find Beauty in the Vaqueros & Vendedoras of San Antonio", by Andrew Vargas, Dec. 2016
Houston Chronicle, ""Arlene Mejorado's Pulga Series", by Madalyn Mendoza, Dec. 2016
Deep Red Press, "La Pulga y la calle: Arlene Mejorado", by Raul Rodriguez, Nov. 2016
San Antonio Express-News, "Photographer Finds Her Art at the Flea Market", by Elda Silva, Aug. 2016
Praxis Center, Kalamazoo College, "Monthly Artist Feature: Arlene Mejorado", 2015