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As a multidisciplinary Xicanx-Latinx artist, I use sculptural paintings and ephemeral installations to explore themes of writing/iconography, language, and ritual. My work threads into the continuum of Indigenous American art history within a contemporary cultural framework, drawing from Mesoamerican glyphic writing systems and  early experiences making art within the Midwest immigrant communities where I grew up. Materials and accompanying rituals such as colorful tissue paper for piñatas, Mexican paper flowers, and papel picado, alongside collectively crafted wood shavings and natural material (alfombras/ephemeral floor art installations) during holidays and religious celebrations, hold origins predating European influences.

In an act of decolonization and reconnection, I draw from the roots and worldviews of ancient and contemporary indigenous Mexico, encompassing my Nahuas, Maya, and Purepecha ancestry, interweaving them with the broader Xicanx perspective and contemporary issues. My recent projects also aim to raise awareness and garner public support for contemporary indigenous regeneration initiatives in the United States and Mexico.

In the studio, I enter a state of heightened perception where time and distance collapse. Material and research operate at a hinge point with a self-generating element, revealing a mediumistic relationship through art. Despite colonialism's efforts, our ancestors' spirits live on through us. Art brings forth what is hidden beneath the surface, revealing sustenance that can guide, heal, and empower us individually and collectively.

Rebecca Nava Soto is a Xicanx-Latinx multidisciplinary artist and educator born in Chicago, IL, to Mexican immigrant parents. She explores a diverse range of mediums including mixed media painting, digital media, and ephemeral installations, synthesizing ancient and modern traditions in her art. Her work draws from Mesoamerican-inspired materials, writing systems, language, and ritual practices to address contemporary issues through a Xicanx lens. Nava Soto earned a BFA in Painting from the University of Cincinnati and an MFA in Painting from Boston University. Dissatisfied with the eurocentric art historical focus of traditional art education, she immersed herself in Indigenous PreColumbian Art History courses as an undergraduate and studied indigenous Mesoamerican Glyphic writing systems during graduate school in Boston. Her journey has taken her to Maya and Nahuas lands in Mexico, and more recently, to engage with indigenous communities such as Weeminuche, Navajo, Abenaki, and Mohican lands in the United States.In addition to her studio practice, Rebecca Nava Soto is a dedicated art educator at local universities and art schools, where she also serves as a lead artist for public art initiatives. She extends her commitment to community engagement through Maya glyphic writing workshops and by providing art-making and exhibition opportunities for the Latinx/Xicanx immigrant community in Cincinnati and Kentucky, emphasizing collaborative approaches.

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EDUCATION

  • Boston University, College of Fine Arts, MFA, Painting, May 2004

Notable Course: “Memory I: Faith and Heresy in Ancient and Modern Literature”—Professor Elie Wiesel (Nobel Peace Prize Recipient)

  • Harvard University, Independent Study: Mesoamerican Writing Systems, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology

  • University of Cincinnati: College of D.A.A.P. (Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning) BFA, Painting, June 2000

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SOLO EXHIBITIONS/PERMANENT INSTALLATIONS

  • SKYBUNDLE: A Codex Transmitter, Duke Energy Convention Center, Cincinnati, OH (January 2026) – Large-scale permanent installation

  • Etching Futures in Light: No Erasure Holds, Outdoor Projection, Various Sites, Cincinnati, OH (April 2026) – Solo digital projection installation

  • MirrorField: AfterFlight, Proof Concert Series, Music Hall, Cincinnati, OH (October 2025) – Interactive contemporary ofrenda installation

  • Ritual of Imagination and Reconnection, Weston Art Gallery, Cincinnati, OH (September 2023)

  • Tlacuā Pahtiā, Wave Pool Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, OH (April 2023)

  • The Edge Project, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Cincinnati, OH (July 2021)

  • XIBALBA, Semantics Gallery, Cincinnati, OH (June 2010)

  • The Scribe, the Fish and the Sea, Mural, Madisonville, OH (2008)

  • Rebecca Nava Paintings, Milton Art Museum, Milton, MA (2007)

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GROUP EXHIBITIONS (selected)

  • Artist Inspire Showcase, CCAC, Clifton, OH (July 2026)

  • Cultural Ties, Kennedy Heights Arts Center, Cincinnati, OH (May 2026)

  • Remembering Semantics, Pique Gallery, Covington, KY (November 2025)

  • Freedom of the Future, Eisle Gallery, Mariemont, OH (November 2025)

  • Native Resistance, Indigenous Peoples’ Day Convergence, 21C Museum Hotel, Cincinnati, OH (October 2024)

  • Native Resistance, Indigenous Peoples’ Day Convergence, Contemporary Arts Center of Cincinnati, OH (October 2024)

  • In Touch, Medici Museum of Art, Howland, OH (April 2024)

  • In Touch, The Riffe Gallery, Columbus, OH (January 2024)

  • The Gift, Wave Pool Gallery, Cincinnati, OH (November 2022)

  • Truth and Reconciliation Showcase / Tepozanilli, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, OH (July 2022)

  • Tepozanilli: Great Ohio River Project, AAC SITE 1212, Cincinnati, OH (June 2022)

  • The Edge Project, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Cincinnati, OH (July 2021)

  • ArtWorks Artist Exhibition, 1305 Gallery, Cincinnati, OH (July 2017)

  • Siete Artistas, Duke Energy Gallery, Cincinnati, OH (September 2011)

  • Touch, Kennedy Heights Art Center, Cincinnati, OH (January 2010)

  • Descent to Xibalba, Cincinnati Museum Center, Cincinnati, OH (November 2009)

  • Bicentennial Exhibition, Miami University Art Museum, Oxford, OH (November 2008)

  • Graduate Showcase, Commonwealth Gallery, Boston, MA (November 2004)

  • 15 Emerging Artists of Cincinnati, Carnegie Art Center, Covington, KY (July 2000)

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TEACHING EXPERIENCE (selected)

  • University of Cincinnati, College of DAAP

Thematic Studio: Communicating and Connecting through Ritual, Spring 2024/2025

  • Art Academy of Cincinnati

Faculty, Foundations, Representational Drawing, Discovery and Voice, and Fine Arts Departments; Vision and Voice, Painting and Drawing; Going Big: Professionalism Workshop, Liberal Arts Department
Fall 2008 – 2013, 2020–Present

  • Xavier University

Painting I–IV, Senior Fine Arts Thesis Advisor, Fall 2022–Spring 2024

  • ArtWorks, Inc.

Lead Teaching Artist / Designer (2006–2025). Major projects include: Skybundle (2025, permanent installation, Duke Energy Convention Center), The Edge Project (2021), You Are Here (2020), Connected Through the Ages mural (2019), Migration mural series (2008), The Scribe, Fish, and the Sea mural (2007), and Welcome to Pleasant Ridge mural (2006).

  • Cincinnati State Technical & Community College

Faculty / Lecturer: Design Principles, Drawing, Introduction to Art, Ancient Art, Contemporary Art, Medieval to Renaissance Art, 1880–Present
2008–2020

  • Miami University

Adjunct Faculty, Department of Art: Drawing III–V
2006–2008

  • Milton Art Museum

Instructor, Painting, Drawing, Collage and Mixed Media (Adult and Children Classes)
2004–2006

  • Boston University

Teaching Assistant: Visual Arts (Drawing I: Drawing as a Visual Language, Anatomy Drawing, Painting for Non-Majors); Gallery Assistant; Administrative Assistant to Graduate Painting Department Chair
2002–2004

  • Independent Workshop Offerings (2019–2025)

Mesoamerican Writing: An Introduction to Maya Glyphic Writing and History.
Cochineal: The Perfect Red: Introduction to the Mesoamerican color that changed the world. Learn how to grind the Cochineal insect in a molcajete and explore its color variations for painting.

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ARTIST LECTURES, PODCAST AND PUBLICATIONS

  • Panelist, The Art of ‘Seeing’, ArtsWave Boardway Bound, Moderated by Mary Stagaman (ArtsWave), with Jason Franz (Manifest) & Christina Vassallo (CAC), December 2025

  • Panelist, Why Art [Matters], ArtsWave Boardway Bound Graduation, Moderated by Reggie Harris (Cincinnati Councilmember), with Tysonn Betts (P&G), Lynn Meyers (Ensemble Theatre), March 2023

  • Casting Light, Rebecca Nava Soto, Aronoff Center Artist Series, November 2025

  • Featured Artist, “UnHeard” Video Series, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, November 2025

  • Arte, Cultura y Lenguaje, Spanish Dept., (Artist Talk in Spanish) Miami University, November 2025

  • Interlude Artist Residency Program Video Project, Featured Artist, July 2025

  • Life on the Margins: An Urban Native Experience, Podcast Episode: Beyond Borders: Reimagining Colonial Lines Through Indigenous Sovereignty.

  • Guests: Erika NJ Allen, Rebecca Nava Soto, Sylvia Pinto, April 2025

  • Indigenous People Convergence Day (21C Museum Hotel), Artist Talk, October 2024

  • Topics in Contemporary Art (Hauntology), Guest Speaker, University of Cincinnati DAAP, October 2024

  • Rebecca Nava Soto Artist Talk, Riffe Gallery, February 2024

  • Cincinnati Edition, NPR/WVXU Interview; A New Exhibition Amplifies the Voices of Indigenous Artists; Guests: Briana Mazzolini-Blanchard (Urban Native Collective), Leonard Harmon (curator), Rebecca Nava Soto (artist and educator) October 2024

  • Featured Story, Women of Cincy, December 2023

  • Creative Mornings: Rebecca Nava Soto on Art and Ritual, August 2023

  • Art Hang Podcast, October 2023

  • Creativity Squared Podcast, September 2023

  • Weston Art Gallery Artist Talk Series, September 2023

  • Contemporary Arts Forum Series, Miami University, September 2022

  • Artist Talk, Minneapolis Institute of Art, October 2021

  • Artist Talk, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, September 2021

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GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / AWARDS / RESIDENCIES

  • Artswave Artist Inspire Grant 2026

  • Ohio Art Council Individual Excellence Award 2025

  • Nectar Artist Residency (Tarragona, Spain) August 2025

  • Interlude Artist Residency Award (Hudson, NY) July 2025

  • Ohio Arts Council Artist Opportunities Grant Award October 2023

  • Elizabeth Murray Artist Residency Award (Granville,NY) August 2023

  • Elsewhere Studios Artist Residency Award (Paonia, CO) July 2023

  • Art Academy of Cincinnati Adjunct Faculty Award June 2023

  • The Welcome M(ART) Artist-In-Residence April 2023

  • Artswave Truth and Inspiration Grant/Reconciliation Grant 2021, 2022, 2023

  • Artists of Color Grant: Covington’s The Center for Great Neighborhoods 2022                       

  • Cincinnati Art Access Grant  December 2020                                                         

  • Americans for the Arts Artist Grant December 2020

  • Vermont Studio Center (artist residency; partial artist scholarship) March 2006

  • Constantine Alajalov Scholarship, Boston University March 2002 - 2004

  • Visual Arts Scholarship, Boston University March 2002 -2004

  • H.I.R.E. Presidential Scholarship Award August 2002

  • City of Cincinnati 2001-2002 Individual Artist Grant Recipient May 2001

  • Jean Tatgenhorst-Conrad Artist Travel Fellowship April 2000

  • Three Arts Scholarship March 2000

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2025 © by Rebecca Nava Soto

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