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.

Juan Manuel Escalante

San Diego County

Juan Manuel Escalante is a designer and an artist working with computer code, modular synthesizers, and analog drawings. His work has been shown internationally and featured in major festivals and exhibitions, including Ars Electronica, Athens Digital Arts, OFFF, Mutek, Currents New Media, Binario, and Ceremonia, amongst others. He was a member of the National System of Art Creators (National Endowment for the Arts, MX) and received the Corwin Award (1st prize) for Electronic-Acoustic Composition in 2016. He has taught creative programming at the University of California Santa Barbara and various higher education institutions in Mexico, including the graduate program in Architecture (UNAM), where he founded and directed its Media Lab for eight years. He holds a Ph.D. in Media Arts & Technology (UCSB) and is currently an Assistant Professor at the Department of Visual Arts at California State University, Fullerton.

Elsa Alvarez

Imperial County

As an Imperial County artist for 30 years, Elsa Alvarez has utilized oil, acrylics, and mixed mediums to produce realistic art paintings highly influenced by her community and culture. She was born in Mexicali, Mexico, and later moved to the Imperial Valley with her family as a child, becoming an American citizen. While growing up in the county, Alvarez participated in art competitions and exhibits, the most recent of which included the Imperial Valley Palate, Palette & Pallet (P3), a popular fundraiser held by the Imperial Valley Food Bank. Alvarez is excited to transform her artistry into a public awareness campaign highlighting crucial community issues. For the last 15 years, Alvarez has become a knowledgeable Alzheimer's Disease caregiver for her mother. This essential work has influenced her future projects to highlight the complex nature of this disease and its impact on the community.

Fernando "Fro" Reza

Imperial County

Jose Reza Fernando was born in Mexico City and lives and works in the Imperial Valley. He began his career in the pop culture and gig poster art scene of Los Angeles, learning printmaking, painting, and sculpture. He creates key art and visual campaigns for various film and TV studios. His work has been showcased globally, most recently in the Crafting Pinocchio exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Since 2017, Fernando has championed arts programs and beautification projects in the Imperial Valley, a town desperately needing art's transformative power in its underserved community. Through his art, he hopes to communicate the unique cultural, economic, and ecological hardships that face the Imperial Valley region and spark a creative approach to addressing these issues in new, innovative, and effective ways.

Enrique "Chikle" Lugo

San Diego County

Enrique Lugo, aka chikle!, is a visual artist and the proud son of Mexican Immigrants dedicated to human-centered education and CommUNITY activism. Via a multidisciplinary approach, his work has focused on identity, cultivating safe spaces, raising awareness, fostering change, and nurturing a sense of CommUNITY and belonging. He is a Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduate and has been involved in activism, promoting entrepreneurship, producing family-friendly events, and curating art shows since 2004. He continues to make art, including CommUNITY murals and participates in his CommUNITY, serving as Dean of Culture at High Tech High Chula Vista in Chula Vista, California.

Lissbeth Garcia

Imperial County

As a former teacher or (edutainer) with a background in psychology, Lissbeth Garcia works with varied media including cardboard boxes, acrylic paints, music, play writing & performance. As a seminar administrator, she has worked in the medium of communication, seeking to mobilize & inspire others.

Paul Valdivia

Imperial County

Paul Valdivia is the Communications Coordinator for the Imperial Valley Social Justice Committee. A graduate of the University of California Los Angeles, he specialized in History with a minor in Film, Television, and Digital Media Studies. His role is multifaceted and includes videography and photography focused on social issues. Valdivia uses art to advocate for social reform. His primary goal is to continue driving impactful change in his community. Valdivia is firmly grounded in his beliefs and translates his convictions into tangible action, aiming to create a more equitable society through his work.

See More

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.

See More