Artists + Practitioners + Organizations

Meet the artists, practitioners, and organizations! Far South/Border North awarded funding to support artists and cultural practitioners working in disciplines from performing arts, visual arts, music, film and media, and literature to multidisciplinary and socially engaged forms.

Far South/Border North Round I Grant Recipients

Our Round I grant recipients include about 60 artists and cultural practitioners from San Diego and Imperial counties. Round I grant recipients began developing their campaigns in June 2023, and are now implemented those campaigns through May 2024.

Sergio "Takito" Ojeda

Sergio "Takito" Ojeda

Sergio "Takito" Ojeda

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Sergio "Takito" Ojeda

Imperial County

Sergio Ojeda is a spray paint artist dedicated to changing the narratives of the binational communities of Imperial Valley and Mexicali. He was born and raised in the borderlands with a bohemian lifestyle and a cosmic perspective gained from an education focused on research, science, and psychology.

Thao French

Thao French

Thao French

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Thao French

San Diego County

Thao Huynh French is an artist, muralist, and street photographer. Born in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, she lives and works in San Diego. She is best known for co-founding Mindful Murals™, a creative social enterprise with the mission of bringing communities together through the power of art. Since launching it in 2018, she and her husband (and business partner) have painted over 400 interactive murals for schools and public spaces, reaching places as far as Hawaii and Vietnam. French’s artwork explores different varieties of flowers and her Asian American heritage. Her art is an eclectic mixture of abstract and figurative concepts using acrylic and spray paint as primary mediums with no limitation of color. Her work continues to evolve, using years of practice to experiment with more modern ways to create art styles that are uniquely hers.

Armando de la Torre

Armando de la Torre

Armando de la Torre

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Armando de la Torre

San Diego County

Armando de la Torre work has a long-time involvement in social justice and outreach projects through visual art and teaching practices. These projects - including participatory events at Bread & Salt and The Front and participation in the Best Practice exhibit "Rosas Y Nopales" - entwine with place, borders, and identities. His works often reflect the dichotomy of the San Diego-Tijuana region in its complex environmental and social problems. He is a multidisciplinary artist who is deeply impacted and shaped by these political and environmental forces, and he has learned to turn this into cultural content, continuing to develop work that can inform a broader narrative of inclusion in the San Diego -Tijuana region.

Carlos Uribe

Carlos Uribe

Carlos Uribe

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Carlos Uribe

Imperial County

Carlos Antonio Uribe is a 4th generation mariachi musician and director of Mariachi Acero Del Valle. He was born in Portland, Oregon, with roots in Guadalajara, Jalisco. He lives and works in Niland, California. He has performed with Mariachi Los Toros, Mariachi Espectacular, the 2022 Summit of the Americas, and Mariachi Acero.

Ruth-Ann Thorn

Ruth-Ann Thorn

Ruth-Ann Thorn

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Ruth-Ann Thorn

San Diego County

Ruth-Ann Thorn is a documentary filmmaker and host of "Art of the City," a show that features Native American artists. Her program airs on GlewedTV and FNX (First Nations Experience). She is also the Editor-in-Chief of Off the Easel Magazine and a contributing writer for Art World News. As a filmmaker, Thorn has produced six cultural films showcasing North America's diverse Indigenous art, history, and culture, shooting at different times and on various tribal lands, providing an authentic representation of Indigenous heritage. She is a leader and advocate for Native American culture. Her art focuses on promoting fine art and celebrating Indigenous.

Kendrick "Mr. Lyrical Groove" Dial

Kendrick "Mr. Lyrical Groove" Dial

Kendrick "Mr. Lyrical Groove" Dial

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Kendrick "Mr. Lyrical Groove" Dial

San Diego County

Kendrick Dial, also known as Mr. Lyrical Groove, is a renaissance man with a mission to blend mental health and social justice art. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Africana Studies/Psychology from San Diego State University and a Master's in Social Work from the University of South California. Dial is an accomplished spoken word artist who published his first poetry book, Da JOYNT, in 2005. He has worked with the poetry collective Collective Purpose for over ten years, hosting one of Southern California's highest-attended open mic events, ELEVATED. He has collaborated with several arts-based organizations to perform and produce shows that inspire, challenge, educate, and entertain, including BkSoul, Playwrights Project, and Ira Aldridge Theatre. He is also a teaching artist with the Old Globe and recently completed a veteran playwriting workshop with the La Jolla Playhouse, where he is working on his two-person production.

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Far South/Border North Round II Grant Recipients

Our Round II grant recipients include 18 San Diego and Imperial County organizations. In fall 2023, they hired artists and cultural practitioners and began working alongside them to develop their campaigns, and implemented them through August 2024.

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