Octavio Valencia has a secret identity. Or two.

Demetris “BAMR” Washington is inspired by graffiti, cartoons and his faith in Christianity, the latter of which was also the inspiration for his alias: BAMR is short for Becoming a Man Righteously. 

Jennifer West was still new to her role as film commissioner for the City of Sacramento’s Sacramento Film + Media office when she was sent home because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Deziree Dizon was dragged to art school, but she is now making fine art and showing her work at galleries.

Craig Martinez knows his sculptures, made from reclaimed materials, can be challenging, and not everyone is going to like them.

Della Rosa’s signature style can be seen in the visual branding of companies around the Capital Region, including restaurants, food and beverage brands, creative festivals and more.

Aliyah Sidqe, a mentee of the artist and activist Milton Bowens, uses her paintings to uplift the community. 

Laurelin Gilmore weaves zodiac and earthy elements to show the connectivity humans have to nature.

Lindsay Swearingen was introduced to needle and thread at 8 years old, when her mother taught her how to cross-stitch. She was young and didn’t stick with it, but “about eight years ago, I picked it back up around when there was a resurgence of embroidery and fiber art,” she says. 

Mentored by Ricardo Favela of the Royal Chicano Air Force artist collective, Manuel Fernando Rios describes his artwork as “neo-Expressionist, neo-Chicano, mixed in with pop culture.” His solo show scheduled for May has been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, but he is continuing to make new work.