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.

Evan Apodaca

San Diego County

Evan Apodaca received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is best for his film "Que Lejos Estoy," which streamed nationally on PBS in 2016. His work has been screened and exhibited at museums and galleries nationally, including the San Diego International Airport, the New Americans Museum, The New Children's Museum, and the University of New Mexico. In 2018, he was the Associate Producer and Animator for "Singing My Way to Freedom," an award-winning feature film about musician and civil-rights activist Ramon "Chunky" Sanchez. His films have been screened at the Chicano International Film Festival (LA), the Tijuana Film Festival, and the San Diego Latino Film Festival. Apodaca was a 2019 San Diego Foundation Creative Catalyst fellow and recipient of the National Association of Latino Arts & Culture's Border Narrative Change Grant in 2021.

Anthony Sigala

Imperial County

Anthony Sigala, a contemporary Mexican-American artist intrigued by depicting the human form in its graceful complexity, movement, and many individual cultural identities. A draftsman, illustrator, and designer who uses form, line, movement, composition, and color to push subjects to their essence. He uses various art mediums, expanding his creative process by translating a concept into a visual language. He is a graduate of Art Center College of Design (illustration). His artworks include Mattel Toys, Reebok, Taco Bell, Disney, and numerous publications and municipalities. He has been an artist and educator, believing art and education can transform lives. Sigala has taught visual arts at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Pasadena City College, Imperial Valley College, and adult schools. Sigala is based in Brawley, California.

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.

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.

Johnnierenee Nelson

San Diego County

Award-winning poet and playwright Johnnierenee Nia Nelson, aka the Kwanzaa Poet, has written and published six books of poetry. Ms. Nelson is a poet/teacher with California Poets in the Schools and San Diego's Border Voices Project and a performance poet who has presented readings and workshops from Cairo, Egypt, to Vancouver, British Columbia. She also appeared in the Emmy-Award-winning documentary "Lighting the Way." In 2017, Nelson received a Fellowship from the Livingkindness Foundation to attend the International Women Writers Guild's 40th Annual Summer Conference in Allentown, Pennsylvania. She serves as the San Diego County Area Coordinator for California Poets in the Schools and as Poet Laureate of the World Beat Cultural Center in San Diego's Balboa Park.

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.

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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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