Student
Midori Yamanaka
Socially Engaged Designer.
Just like you probably, I have been exploring who I am and how to make myself and the world better. It would be great if we can come across and work together. I am excited to hear your stories and your dreams. I would be very happy to help your challenges and share what I have. Together, let’s make our world better. –Midori
Manfred Parrales
A latin art communicator from San Jose, Costa Rica. I believe in communicating through and by art.
After graduating from the Art School of the University of Costa Rica, my interest as a designer and art enthusiast is in creating art communications solutions/experiences around the use of technology.
+ 6 years of experience in design and visual communication in the technology industry with several expressions in video, design, and photography.
I created videos for Costa Rican rock bands, art videos, as well as educational videos about art topics and art history.
Student at Portland State University MFA Art and Social Practice for Fall 2022.
+ Take a look here
+ Instagram here
Marissa Perez
Marissa was born in Portland, Oregon in 1994. Over her summers she has worked at over six summer camps and considers herself a life long camp counselor and youth worker. She makes comics, parties, prints, posters, and gifts. She interested in neighborhoods and their capacity for safety, fun, resilience and friendship.
This past summer she organized a neighborhood talent show. Some of the acts included: a rubiks cube demonstration, singing, opera, and storytelling. Here is the poster!
You can find more of her art here and find her on instagram here.
Gilian Rappaport
Gilian Rappaport (they/she) is an artist, educator, and naturalist.
In this urgent moment of climate catastrophe, their practice is asking “What can we learn from closeness with nature, and the paths to get there?”
They experiment with co-authorship to deepen our sense of connection to our natural environments and communities.
Their design thinking practice allows them to continue asking these questions while supporting the vision for projects aiming to renew, restore and nurture our world.
The granddaughter of Ashkenazi migrants by way of Russia and Poland, they were born and raised in New York between the Hudson and Delaware Rivers.
Their work has found its way into the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, Vogue, and The New York Times. They are currently a collaborating artist at KSMoCA, a contemporary art museum inside a public elementary school in Northeast Portland, Oregon.
They are openly queer, and live and work in Rockaway Beach, Queens and Portland, Oregon.
Follow along: @gilnotjill
Portrait by Seth Caplan
Olivia DelGandio
Olivia is a mixed media artist interested in human connection, what it means to be tender, and the joy/sorrow dichotomy. She finds solace in creating through and for grief and is currently thinking about how grieving can become more of a community practice. She asks questions like:
Olivia likes to make books for and about the people she loves. They’re all about love taking a material form:
And if she isn’t working on a book, she’s working on a video: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgSOSJiWixUFXzyJSyzdEqg
You can find more examples of her work at https://oliviadelgandio.com/
and find her on Instagram at @liv__bliss
Luz Blumenfeld
Luz Blumenfeld (they/them) is a transdisciplinary socially engaged artist who is third generation from Oakland, CA and currently lives and works in Portland, OR where they are in their second year of the Art & Social Practice program.
Luz’s practice involves ongoing collaborations with their preschool students, DIY artist-in-residencies, and always observing and taking notes on everything.
You can see some of their work here. You can also follow them on Instagram at @dogsighs__