Summer 2021
About the Artists
Josue Baltezar
Josue (he/him) is a Mexican-American artist and designer. He enjoys illustration, branding, and working on projects that promote community and social justice. When he’s not painting or designing, you can find him on a soccer field, at the beach, or on a hike.
Mary Jhun
As a painter and muralist, Mary Jhun’s lifelong artistic series is focused on entering the mind, understanding the concepts of psychological homes, while exploring the emotions behind everyday life. As a surrealist, she finds the relationship between inanimate objects and livings things, and tell a deeper story reflected in the form of The Girls.
Bloodline Ochre is dedicated to the roots of the Ifugao in the Philippines, an abundant culture of rice farmers, weavers, and indigenous people. Growing up in Cavite Province, I wanted to utilize the painting techniques and paintings I saw as a child from our country.
Jon Pucci
Jonny Pucci received his BFA in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA in 2009. With over ten years of experience as a painter, muralist, illustrator, installation artist and designer with works across the United States, Mexico and Russia, he seeks to create positive change by engaging in community outreach through public art. As a surfer, snowboarder and cyclist, Jon draws most of his inspiration from time spent in the outdoors.
“Kochiyama was a lifelong civil rights activist until her death in 2014 at the age of 93! Along with over 120,000 American citizens of Japanese descent, she was forcibly interned in one of the many US concentration camps created during World War 2. After the war she became politically active and was a member of Malcolm-X’s pan-Africanist Organization of Afro-American unity and was present at his assassination in 1965. Given the current climate of intolerance in our country, and with hate crimes towards Americans of Asian ancestry on the rise, I chose to highlight this incredible woman who never stopped fighting to end social and political injustice.”
Kenda Francis
I am: A traveler, photographer, artist, teacher. An observer, advocate and champion of all animals and our natural spaces. ; I live in San Diego, California, but my heart is where the animals are. My ultimate goal in creating artworks about creatures that I respect and adore, is to create a visual voice for them and their stories. ; I have studied art and animals my entire life and I tirelessly work to synthesize my messages into visually appealing works with deep and heartfelt meanings. I have a BA from SDSU, an MA from CSU Chico, an AS in Zoology and two teaching credentials. I teach beginning and advanced art at Steele Canyon High School, give adult art lessons at my home and I am part owner of Studio C Gallery in downtown El Cajon. I travel as much as possible, to observe and photograph amazing spaces and animals around the world and I proudly work with several world changing organizations such as Helping Rhinos, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Global Conservation Force by donating my works and events to their noble causes.