Healing Arts from the Borderland

“For one thing, I personally have an issue withhyper-intellectualizing my feelings.” Same Gus, same.

See a public art project in El Paso? Chances are Ben Fyffe hashelped foster its development. Fresh off the triumph of the years-long in theplanning opening of the Mexican American Center in downtown El Paso, Bendiscusses his work on behalf of the city in fostering art projects. He’s theart connoisseur and munipal patron of the arts we all want to be when we growup.   

Patrick Gabaldon was born and raised in the Sun City of El Paso, Texas. His passion in art began after returning home to the vibrant color and vast expanse of the desert sky. His time away gave him a new perspective on the often forgotten west Texas desert.

Join us with healer and yogi Karessa, creator of the Wholistic Mercado, as she explains the lessons in her life; evolving her acceptance and understanding through facing the truth and having faith. Karessa demonstrates a kindness towards her being, her lessons, and her faith in the community she serves doing the same with a little bit of guidance.

Join us with Celia Aguilar storyteller through writing, poetry, music, and acting, as she reviews her journey of connection, strength, and  reconnecting to her indigenous heritage despite stigma. Celia continues to grow her stories pending a manuscript and by connecting to additional organizations that uplift through music.

Join us with Ome Tlatoc tattoos and agriculturalist as he describes the healing he does towards the stigma of tattooing, his active decolonization journey, and how his culture influenced his art of tattooing.

Meet Maria R Perez, activist and wordsmith as she describes her life as a Mexican-American woman with disabilities and how it has given her many opportunities to empower people through language and connection.

Valerie Rivas discusses the lessons in her life and how her intuition protected her, introspection allowed her to heal and start an incredible journey of utilizing herbs to help her community. She has gentleness in her approach, and in caring for plants, she honors lessons in every type of situation and not take on the weight of expectation. She speaks of medicine being everywhere in both plants and experiences.

Kaelin Li discusses her life as an international adoptee from China during the 90s and how it influenced her life experiences, art, identity, as well as recognizing the harmful impacts of stereotypes within her community. As graceful as her dancing, Kaelin inspires by knowing she will be legislator later but is making impact now through film, dance, and her being herself. #StopAsianHate

Join us with Jacqueline Recendez as she grows into herself as a Latina lesbian muralist. She describes the obstacles in her life demonstrating an art of resiliency, strength, and allowing others to know they can do the same.  Despite challenges, Jackie offers confidence, pride, and beauty in this world through the murals she makes and the story she carries

Join us on a journey through perspective where Lori Edwards discusses her 3 lives: as an adopted child, a young mother to a an ill child while being an EMT, her new life with her family having a transgender child, and how her experiences have allowed her to build community wherever she goes. She copes through writing, reading, and allowing herself to continue to grow from experiences that are not just her own.

Angie Michelle Barraza is a painter and has used art to help her navigate through her struggles from grade school as well as an adult. She expresses her struggles in having been groomed by an older boy during her youth, being mixed-race here in the borderland (Afro-Latina and Spanish speaking) as well as reevaluating her life while she was healing from her trauma. Angie Michelle Barraza now utilizes her art to enhance other artists voices in now being a member of the Arts Association as well as putting forward an artist of the week. Check out her Healing Arts podcast coming up this week! Our podcasts are for those in recovery, survivors, and the everyday people who wish to be inspired by local/traditional artists who reveal their art, how they came to be, challenges (including those of intersectionality), and their current community outreach. #healingwithheart #recovery #sexualassaultawarenessmonth #inspiration #hope #healing #resilient #mentahealth #healingtrauma #healingtraumaintheborderlands #contentwarning borderlandrainbow.org/hstb

Listen to Sandra Ramirez's journey of how she expresses her body through dance, her struggle in gender expression as a cis-gendered woman, an eating disorder, and what it means to "have the body of a dancer". 

Take a listen through a journey of resiliency in which our artist, Gabrielle Lennon, tells about her life, her mental health journey of recovery, overcoming blocks, and ultimately sharing her knowledge as a writer/actor to the community. There is mention of her suicidal ideation/tendencies as well as sexual harassment." Our podcasts are for those in recovery, survivors, and the everyday people who wish to be inspired by local/traditional artists who reveal their art, how they came to be, challenges (including those of intersectionality), and their current community outreach. #healingwithheart #recovery #sexualassaultawarenessmonth #inspiration #hope #healing #resilient #mentahealth #healingtrauma #healingtraumaintheborderlands #contentwarning