We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Katherrin Billordo. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Katherrin below.

Hi Katherrin, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on was organizing my first youth-only art gallery when I was 16/17. The Visionary Art Gallery created a platform for over 65 young Chicago artists to showcase 250+ pieces of art to an audience of 400+ guests. After months of persistent outreach, strategic marketing, budgeting, grant applications, and saving money from my part-time job, the gallery came together. To ensure accessibility and enjoyment for all, I made the event entirely free and included live performances by eight musicians, a food vendor, and photographers.
The idea for the gallery stemmed from my own struggles—and those of my teenage peers—in finding spaces to exhibit our artwork. We faced logistical, financial, and social barriers that made showcasing our creativity seem unobtainable and unwanted. Despite several rejections from gallery venues due to my age or limited budget, I remained determined, searched for alternative solutions, and reached out to previously unknown Chicago art collectives for guidance.
Through this experience, I gained confidence in expressing myself verbally, developed a deeper appreciation for the value of giving back to the community, interpreted rejection as redirection, and witnessed firsthand how art has the power to foster connections and create new friendships. This project not only affirmed my passion for art but also demonstrated the potential for creativity to inspire and unite people.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a first-generation American, multimedia visual artist from Chicago. I’m also a junior at Harvard University, where I’m pursuing a double major in Psychology and Studio Art with a minor in Economics and a certificate in Civic Engagement. Through paintings, sculptures, photographs, murals, and linocuts, I explore my Mexican- Argentine roots, colorful facets of everyday life, and philosophical concepts. I’m motivated to create in hopes of portraying underrepresented perspectives, inspiring empathy, initiating difficult conversations, and establishing meaningful relationships.
I founded the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Visionary Art Gallery Foundation at age 16. Since then, I’ve independently organized four annual pop-up youth art galleries in Chicago and Cambridge to provide more exhibition and networking opportunities for young visual artists. My most recent show was the Harvard x Yale Art Gallery in November 2024 which had over 150 works from students at both schools.
I’ve loved the arts for as long as I can remember- music, writing, photography, painting, you name it. For me, art is an incredibly therapeutic outlet that has the power to transcend geographical, linguistic, and ideological barriers to express complex experiences and inspire empathy, reflection, conversation, and change in a viewer.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

One book that has truly influenced my thinking and philosophy is Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned from Meditations is focusing on what aspects of life are within your control and accepting what lies outside it. This perspective has been invaluable in navigating the uncertainties of growing up in an ever-changing world and pursuing a creative career. It’s helped strengthen my mindset of adaptability, personal accountability, gratitude, learning from every mistake, leading with purpose, and treating others with compassion.
I also adore listening to podcasts and audiobooks 24/7. Some of my favorite ones are Diary of a CEO, Lex Fridman Podcast, and How I Built This.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

To best support creatives, society should prioritize arts education, recognize the cultural and societal value of the arts, and encourage community engagement and collaboration. Arts education is incredibly beneficial in inspiring creativity, critical thinking, empathy, confidence, self-expression, and problem-solving skills, which can help leaders in a variety of fields. Because art often isn’t seen as a respected or “valuable” profession, many talented people are deterred from it. We should instead celebrate the fact that art actively shapes identities, fosters social connections, and enriches communities. Additionally, we should encourage artists to get out there and interact with other creators and organizations as much as possible. Attending/ showcasing work at local exhibitions, sharing artwork online, and starting collaborative community projects can inspire innovative solutions, help people grow artistically, and encourage others to give back through service.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://katherrinbillordo.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katherrin.art/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherrin-billordo-/

Image Credits

Tristan Darshan