Our Generous Artists
In addition to each child creating his or her own individual work of art, each classroom collaborates on a community art project with one of El Paso’s own celebrated local artists. Each artist guides and works with our children to create a beautifully crafted masterpiece together. We are proud to introduce each of our greatly talented collaborative artists below. Once finished, their beautiful collaborative pieces will be available to purchase at auction.
The auction link will be made available on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026, both in person at our patrons of the arts, Canvas and Cocktails (adults-only) event, and online via our website.
Gabriel Marquez
1s Mentor
Gabriel Marquez is an El Paso–based painter, muralist, graphic designer, and arts organizer. A 2012 BFA graduate of UTEP, his work explores motion and stillness through intricate contour linework and surreal, intuitive compositions.
He is the founder of Mystic Desert Studio, a working gallery in central El Paso, and the organizer of the Central Art Market, a curated night market supporting local artists, designers, and makers. Marquez’s murals and exhibitions span El Paso and Seattle, reflecting his bicultural border roots and commitment to building community through art. . . Read More
Kristin Duran
2s Mentor
Kristin has been a full-time abstract artist for the last seven years, starting shortly after she had her first baby. Her work focuses on combining hand-lettered Scripture with brightly pigmented ink, but she also loves watercolor and ceramics. In 2021, she published her first book, "A Girl's Guide to Bible Journaling," and she also has murals in both the Dallas World Trade Center and the El Paso YWCA.
Mae Corbin
3s Mentor
Mae is an El Paso native and a jack-of-all-trades who loves exploring how her skills and experiences intersect in unique ways that contribute to her various communities. She enjoys writing, sculpting, swimming, gardening, building, and playing whenever she can, especially with her daughter.
As an amateur artist, she has had the pleasure of exploring a variety of media including ceramics, cardboard building, face painting, interior design, wood working, and paint (oil, acrylic, watercolor) on canvas, paper, wood, and cloth. . . Read More
Lee Beach
Pre-K Mentor
A fourth-generation El Pasoan, Lee Beach, draws inspiration from the cultural rhythm of the El Paso–Juárez border. His work explores how identity is shaped through labor, movement, and memory, where everyday symbols evolve into carriers of meaning—blending pop art aesthetics with mixed media. Beach transforms familiar imagery into compositions that balance tension, endurance, and restraint.
Marina Monsisvais
Pips Mentor
Marina Monsisvais is an arts advocate, potter, and all-vinyl DJ who connects artists, audiences, and ideas across the El Paso borderlands. A radio veteran who has helped shape the region’s music scene since the late 1990s, she has hosted KTEP’s State of the Arts for nearly 11 years, spotlighting artists and cultural voices from across the community. She is also a co-founder of Chalk the Block, one of the largest public art festivals in the Southwest. She is currently part of the team working to bring Sol Summit Music & Cultura Fest to downtown El Paso on May 2nd and 3rd.
Carolina "Kako" Villareal
Sprouts Mentor
Carolina "KAKO" Villarreal is a Mexican-American painter whose work explores what it means to be alive. Based in El Paso, Texas, her art reflects the duality of life in the U.S.-Mexico border, where cultures, identities, and experiences intersect. Kako’s work is deeply rooted in “Humanhood”, a term she uses to describe the shared yet complex journey of the human condition. Drawing from her lived experience and community involvement, . . . Read More
Laura Ponce
Seedlings & Saplings Mentor
As the 2026 Annual Art collaborator for her Seedlings and Saplings class this year, Laura Poonce is honored to merge her lifelong love of art with the vibrant creativity of her students!
Laura's journey as an artist began long before her years in the classroom. During her college studies, she immersed herself in the discipline of oil painting--learning to see light, texture, and emotion as living elements on canvas. Those years shaped both hertechnical foundation and . . . Read More
Christin Apodaca
Woodlings Mentor
El Paso artist Christin Apodaca is acclaimed for her murals across the Borderland that celebrate the region’s natural beauty and culture.
And while art lovers can see many of her massive works in public spaces in El Paso, she also captures the desert landscape through Kissing Cactuses, an enterprise she launched that unites her love for plants with her joy of creating small, artistic, colorful pots. . . Read More
Alejandra Ortiz
Willows Mentor
Alejandra is an El Paso native and has always been a creative spirit—drawn to the arts from a young age. Dancing, painting, movement, and creating have always been part of her life, serving as meaningful outlets for self-expression and connection. Her passions for art, health, and wellness have intertwined throughout her journey, guiding her both personally and professionally. Three years ago. . . Read More.
Brent Schlinke
Sequoias Mentor
Growing up on a ranch with no television or telephone shaped the way Brent Schlinke views the world. He spent a lot of time outdoors, engaging with prehistory and nature; his art is an attempt to recreate them from a different perspective. The creative process happens in meditation. He loses track of time and reality, attempting to capture life, motion, and culture in wood and paint. He has ceased trying to create a perfect product, but instead revels in attempting a perfect journey. The process of his art frees him to exist in a reality of his own choosing.
Michelle Borunda
3s Mentor
.png)
As a passionate advocate for art and this art show, Michelle has a personal connection to this cause as a scholarship recipient since she first volunteered in 2019. Her goal has been to raise funds so that other students can benefit from the same opportunities her daughters received from this incredible community. With a love for art in all its forms—and with nature as the ultimate masterpiece—she is excited to work with the 3s to bring the desert to life through them.
