Fort Worth, TX (Thursday, November 6)- Arteando & Platicando (Arting & Talking), a collective art exhibition celebrating Latina visual artists, storytelling, and community, opens on Saturday, November 22, with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. at The Pool in the Near Southside Cultural District. Organized by Natalia Margarita Dominguez and curated by Megan Coca, the exhibition serves as the culminating showcase of Dominguez’s doctoral research, which explores how Latina visual artists sustain their creative practices through art education, entrepreneurship, and cultural connection.
Bringing together a vibrant group of visual artists, Arteando & Platicando showcases a diverse array of work, including paintings, fiber art, digital art, and photography that explore identity, resilience, and creativity. Each of the seven participating artists— Dizzy Orbit, Astral Tripper, Megan Coca, Elena Aredondo Greer, Stacey Najera, Natalia Margarita, and Taylor Pels-Hernandez— invites audiences into personal and collective stories and reflections, showing how art becomes both a profession and a passion and can reflect identity in both direct and indirect ways.
“At its core, this exhibition is about how community creates, supports, and sustains artists,” said Dominguez. “It highlights how Latina artists build bridges between art-making, education, and entrepreneurship while honoring family, culture, and the power of conversation.”
Arteando & Platicando (Arting & Talking) is a part of Dominguez’s doctoral research in Higher Education Leadership in the College of Education at Texas Christian University, which explores how Latina visual artists navigate art education and entrepreneurship through creativity, community, and cultural wealth. The study employs arts-based research, grounded in pláticas (conversational dialogue) and trenzas (braided narrative analysis), to center on lived experiences and highlight the intersections of identity, innovation, and resilience in the arts.
The community events during the Arteando & Platicando exhibition will turn The Pool into a space for dialogue, learning, and connection. Throughout the exhibition, the community is invited to participate in various activities, including meditation spaces, social gatherings, and workshops.
Arteando & Platicando Community Events
Opening Reception: Saturday, November 22, 5 – 8 p.m.
Community Workshops:
November 25: Sound Bowl Meditation with artist Choke
November 26, December 3, and December 10: Open Studio for artists with Creative Muse Arting
December 9: “The Art of Business” with Gilberto Atayde and Gilbert Rodriguez, sponsored by FWHCC and Chase Bank
December 11: “The Magic That is You” with Inlight Massage & Movement
December 12: She Dares Collective Holiday Soiree
December 13: “Roadmap to ARTrepreneurship” with Vanessa Daly
About the Research
Arteando & Platicando explores how Latina visual artists navigate art education and entrepreneurship through creativity, community, and cultural wealth. Grounded in arts-based research, this study integrates pláticas (conversational dialogues) and trenzas (braided narrative analysis) to center artists’ lived experiences. The research study addresses a significant gap in the limited body of art entrepreneurship literature focused on Latina visual artists, offering a culturally grounded lens to understand how artistic and entrepreneurial identities intersect. Through collaborative art-making sessions and the culminating collective exhibition, the project highlights resilience, innovation, and storytelling as acts of resistance and healing. The study employs culturally responsive and art entrepreneurship frameworks that connect art education and entrepreneurship, challenging deficit narratives and affirming the roles of Latina artists in shaping equitable creative economies. Purpose & Significance The purpose of Arteando & Platicando is to illuminate how Latina visual artists sustain their creative practices while navigating art education and entrepreneurship. Through collective art-making and reflective conversation, the project reveals how community, culture, and creativity intertwine to form pathways of resilience and self-determination. This research is significant because it reframes art entrepreneurship as both an economic and cultural act. By centering Latina artists’ lived experiences, the study challenges deficit-based narratives and cultivates dialogue around representation, belonging, and creative sustainability in the arts. It demonstrates how community-driven practices, storytelling, and mentorship foster sustainable, inclusive creative ecosystems that bridge art, education, and business.
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