Meet Blanca Herrada

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Blanca Herrada. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Blanca below.

Blanca, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I believe a long series of events in my life led me to this point. When I was in middle school, I began using art as a way to cope with my life at that point, and started keeping sketchbooks. I still have them to this day. When I entered high school, I immediately enrolled in an art class. I was fortunate that my small-town high school had a robust arts program, and I grew to be very close with my jewelry and metals teacher, Mrs. Spade. It was through Mrs. Spade’s mentorship and guidance that I decided to ditch my longtime childhood aspiration of being a doctor and enroll in college for a degree in fine arts. At first, as a compromise to my parents, I began college in an art therapy program. After one semester and meeting with my advisor to plan what my college career would look like, I decided art therapy was not my path and switched to a major in painting and art history. After school, I moved to Lawrence, where there is a thriving arts community. Slowly but surely, I found my community and became more and more involved with the arts, both as an artist and as a facilitator. After helping form a collective of women of color creatives, I realized that my love for my community and activism could be channeled through art. How could I not have seen it sooner? Art saved me in many ways, and through hard work and perseverance, I have been able to build a career in the arts where I am able to use my position to uplift marginalized artists and create space for conversation, education, and collaboration across intersections. Over the course of my career, so far, I have had the opportunity to represent the state of Kansas as a national Leader of Color Fellow and as a national BIPOC Leadership Circle Fellow. Through these opportunities and connections, I have continued to grow as an arts admin, artist, educator, and human by learning how to facilitate accessible and welcoming arts programming. For me, art and activism are one and the same, and it is an intersection in which I have been able to thrive.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

My multidisciplinary visual work focuses on my life experiences, frequently incorporating political themes or underlying meanings surrounding subjects like identity, familial ties, and unspoken feelings. While working primarily with oil paint, my paintings are often fused with mixed media to create contemporary pieces that combine traditional painting techniques and contemporary materials. My work as a curator is rooted in uplifting marginalized voices and providing space for real, educational, and collaborative conversations across intersections to build relationships and understanding between people. Community is at the basis of my personal and professional praxis and informs my interactions as an artist, arts facilitator, and activist. I often work collaboratively with community members and artists across disciplines to bring art into as many spaces and lives as I can. Community-focused work has ranged from facilitating a mural creation by elementary school kids to creating and performing with larger-than-life Calavera Puppets for Dia de Los Muertos celebrations, to designing and applying a window mural for a local art shop, to creating flyers and media for events, to mentoring elementary school students, and serving on the board for the public library. In my work at the Lawrence Arts Center, we host around 20-24 exhibitions every year, flipping our galleries every 6-8 weeks. Our galleries and their associated programming are 100% free and accessible to all. Through these professional channels and using my experience as an activist, I can advocate for marginalized voices and artists to try to secure a seat at the table for them. In addition to all of the things I just spoke about, I am also a teaching artist and have had the pleasure of teaching classes across age ranges, physical and cognitive ability, and mediums. It is within the classrooms where the impact of my efforts can be immediately seen and measured. My students inspire and bring me joy in ways that I often don’t expect, and it provides an element of excitement and appreciation to teaching. There is no greater joy than seeing a student accomplish something they previously thought they couldn’t do. I am constantly spinning many plates, but it is what keeps me going.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think the most impactful quality or skill I have is my determination. Coming from a working-class family, a career in the arts was not something that was ever on our radar, but I was able to channel my passion for art and community into a viable and fulfilling career. I think being open-minded and continuing to educate myself have also been useful habits or skills. By constantly reevaluating my praxis, I can adapt and learn how to be a more evolved person, artist, and arts facilitator. My advice to anyone looking to have a career in the arts is to keep doing you. Continue to be passionate about the world and the things you care about. There is room for everything; you just have to learn how to make it work.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

I think the most impactful thing my parents have done for me is support me and my interests. My mom, especially, has always been supportive of my decisions, no matter how questionable they may seem at the time, and she has always encouraged me to pursue my aspirations. She gave me room to fail, but made sure I knew she was there to help pick up the pieces. And I think that’s what most parents should do. Give their children the support they need, but the leniency to know they don’t have to be perfect. My parents aren’t perfect. They may not have been able to come to every event, opening, etc, throughout life, but they’ve always backed and reassured me. It feels good to know that even though I may not be the doctor they hoped for, my parents are proud and continue to support my endeavors.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.blancaherrada.com
• Instagram: @_casualdreamer

Image Credits

Mariah Seifert
Jeff Burkhead