We recently connected with Rosie Saldaña and have shared our conversation below.

Rosie , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

There are a couple different ongoing projects I have had the pleasure of working on and being a part of. The first is through the non profit organization I work for, Tieton Arts and humanities, this project/program is our annual Dia de Los Muertos community celebration. I started out just helping with this event and in 2020 I was given full ownership of the event. Since i have been the main coordinator/director it has been an honor to be able to give back to my community by providing an event that highlights and celebrations the Latine population here in rural Yakima county. There is not a lot of functions in this area that really celebrate the community. This event is not just about Dia de Los Muertos but more about honoring indigenous cultures as well as many other traditions and cultures throughout Mexico. I have transformed this event to also celebrate and highlight local Latine artists, performers and local Latino owned small businesses. The art exhibit this year was the biggest by far showcasing work by over 50 artists and displaying over 60 works of art. This project also holds a special place in my heart, because I didn’t grow up in a traditional Latine setting. As a forth generation Chicana, I grew up with very minimal traditions and little to no Spanish was spoken in my home. This experience has helped me learn more and appreciate my cultural roots. i feel like this Holiday has given me more inspiration through the artwork I produce and has taught me how much my community needs events like this to feel appreciated and represented.

The other project I am involved in is called Mezcla Collective. The collective is currently run by five Latina women here in Yakima WA and our mission is to create space and opportunity for local artist in Central WA. As artist currently trying to thrive and showcase work, we realized little to no opportunities for artist in this area, specifically artist of color. This area has a variety of galleries but unfortunately these spaces primarily serve artists who are well known and produce calls/shows that do not reflect the cultural styles and content. We have been a collective for a year now and have put on 6 shows that have had numerous artists involved. We have also partnered with local non profits like the Yakima Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Yakima Valley College Yakima Libraries, and Tieton Arts & Humanities. These projects have involved community outreach and exposing artists to the community through showcasing artwork. We have also done panel presentations explaining our goals and the lack of representation in this area. This experience has been very meaningful to be because I see so much talent go unrecognized in this community. Its also special to see more opportunities come through as when I was just starting out as an artist I didn’t have many options on where to show my work and had little to no resources. I feel like if I had these resources sooner I would be further in my artist career. The collective hopes to do more this year by offering workshops to artists and do more community involvement. We feel offering classes on how to produce an artist resume. how to apply to shows, creating artist portfolios and also how to apply to artists grants are valuable skills to learn and not relatively available to artists of color.

Rosie , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I graduated from Heritage University with a visual arts degree in 2017 started working with Tieton Arts & Humanities (TA&H) right after graduation. I started off as an intern and was asked to stay on after that summer. Throughout my time with this organization I gained a passion for exhibitions and working with artists. I decided to go back to school and in 2023 I recived my Masters in museum studies through John Hopkins University. I was then offered the position of artistic director with TA&H. During that whole time i have also been a working artist. I have displayed my work throughout WA state and have also juried multiple exhibitions. My work is a reflection of my culture and my family. I am inspired everyday by the work around me and my own personal journey as a chicana artist.
Ive been known to wear many hats as Ive also started teaching at Heritage University located in Toppenish WA. I teach a drawing and design class and it has become a new passion of mine. I just finished my second semester and it has been such a joy working with the students and helping many realize their talent.
I really love all the work that I do and try to emerse myself in as much as possible. I help a few other local galleries book artists and am also involved in Mezcla collective which aims to create space and opportunities for artists of color living in Central WA.
I am really not one to hype myself up as an individual. I really love promoting others and celebrating their success. I think that is why I love the work that I do because it gives me so much happiness to see other local Latine artists being exposed and making a name for them selfs. Growing up i really didn’t know what I could do or be as an artist. I think I am really proud of the fact that I have found opportunities for myself in a feild I actully love. I am able to create and have found passion in helping others succeed.

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

I believe the best way people can support artists, creatives in todays world is to just show up. I understand it can be hard to finacially support artists in todays society but just showing up to shows and/or events really makes a difference. Even simply liking or sharing their art on social media makes an impact. As an artist it always makes the work I do worth while when I see people participating in events and seeing shows. Even if I do not personally sell work Its amazing to know people love what i am doing and make time in their day to show they care.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I have probably touched on this in every question thus far, but my goal is truly creating space and appreceation for people of color in this rural part of WA state. In the work that i do and the art that i create I try to always make it known that my culture matters. Latinos have made WA state what it is today and there is very little representation of us in our communities. There are so many untold stories, many unseen artwork, and a number of accomplishment gone unnoticed throughout history. If i can do one thing in my creative journey it would be to make a difference in the way our culture is seen.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tietonarts.org
• Instagram: @artbyrosiesaldana, @tietonarts, @Mezcla.collective

Image Credits

Image of Catrina in front of Big skeleton Credit to (Enely Voelker)