Artist Katiana Rodriguez visits Upper School students

Posted on January 16, 2025

Artist Katiana Rodriguez visited students at an Upper School Meeting this week to share her story and detail her career as an artist. Rodriguez, a Boston-based illustrator known for her vibrant depictions of culture and identity, shared how her childhood in the Bronx and connection to Puerto Rico inform her perspective on art. Upper School students were encouraged to consider what makes a place home and how those elements can be represented through art. Students also had a chance to ask Rodriguez questions, including “what software do you use?” and “what’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your career as a full time artist?”

Students were particularly excited to see a piece from Rodriguez that was created for the 2024 BVR Accelerator “Embracing Our Dignity: Creating Community as a Form of Resistance.” As a guest speaker for the course, Rodriguez met with students and discussed concepts such as LGBTQ+ history, queer resistance, and the connection between art and community. Their discussions (and faces!) inspired the piece, featured on the right.

Following Rodriguez’s presentation, she visited several classes throughout the day including Spanish: Art and Society, Social Entrepreneurship, and English: Myth and Meaning. These visits allowed students to dive deeper into the concept of art as a visualization of identity. For example, students in English: Myth and Meaning worked with Rodriguez to design postcards that reflected their own concepts of home and self, which sparked various conversations between students.

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