Every quarter, DVAA hosts Creative Conversations to get into the nitty gritty of professional development within our artistic practice. We discuss topics like how to write a CV, best practices for photographing and uploading artwork, maintaining a studio practice without burnout, how to build a digital portfolio, and more!
Creative Convos: Climate Justice in the Arts
Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on climate justice in the arts at Da Vinci Art Alliance. This event will bring together artists, activists, and community members to explore the intersection of art and environmental activism. Together, we'll delve into how creative expression can inspire change and promote sustainability. Don't miss this opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations and connect with like-minded individuals who are passionate about making a difference.
Guest speakers include Lauren Fiasconaro & Jose Ortiz-Pagan
About the Speakers
Lauren Fiasconaro (b. 1992, Ellicott City, MD) is a visual artist who creates work on her rooftop in Philadelphia, PA, using plant matter and negatives in both traditional and non-traditional photographic processes. Her eco-minded home-based studio is powered by a mix of solar, wind, and low-impact hydro energy. Lauren graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Photography and with dual minors in Sustainable Studies as well as Art History. Since 2013, she has been included in numerous group exhibitions both domestically and internationally. Lauren held her first solo exhibition in 2014, followed by three more in 2022, 2023, and 2025. In 2024, she was awarded an Environmental Art Activism grant from the Puffin Foundation for a new project, “Plant-Based Portraits”. Lauren’s work spans unique individual pieces as well as editioned prints and is held in multiple private collections in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Colorado.
José Ortiz-Pagán is a Puerto Rican multi-disciplinary artist, organizer, and curator residing in Philadelphia. Ortiz-Pagan utilizes the power of ritual to question, activate, heal, and consider alternative options for a hopeful future. In his practice, he consults and activates community power while negotiating their cultural presence in the transitional and migratory. His work has been featured in several major exhibitions, including The Trienal Poligráfica in San Juan, PR, the International Printmaking Biennial in Taiwan ROC, the Bronx Latin American Biennial, and, recently, he just opened the individual exhibition Umbral at the Berman Museum. In addition to his work studio and social practice work, Ortiz-Pagán has been a lecturer at Temple University, the Barnes Foundation, and Haverford College.
As part of his career, José has developed and orchestrated various community-based projects around Philadelphia, including La Sombrilla Block Party, part of the Heat Response project in South Philly, which sought to understand how art could bring solutions to heat impact. As well in 2020, he developed (during the pandemic) a Solitary Procession in which he collaborated with artists, activists, and organizations to create a ritual that allowed local folks to mourn their loved ones in dignity. Currently, he is working with Taller Puertorriqueno in the initiative Memorializing Fairhill, which seeks to create a series of monuments celebrating the history of activism and struggle in the Fairhill neighborhood. Most recently, Ortiz-Pagán was selected to receive the Artworks grant given by the Philadelphia Foundation & the Forman Arts Initiative, which recognizes the work of community-based artists.