SHORT BIO

Mariel Miranda, works as head of Interdisciplinary Learning & Research Programs at the Museum of Contemporary Art -Tucson. Miranda’s creative and pedagogical work encompasses a wide range of strategies that explore labor paradigms, counter-narratives, collective memory, and resistance tactics in the borderlands. She uses speculative fiction, material appropriation, visual art, writing, post-critical pedagogies, soft sculpture, and installation in her artistic production. Recent awards and grants include the National System of Art Creators Grant (2023-2026), Gary Metz Research Fellowship (2023), Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award (2023), Border Lab Graduate Fellowship (2022), among others. Miranda holds an M.F.A. in Photography, Video, and Imaging from the University of Arizona, and a B.A. in Sociology

ARTIST STATEMENT

I grew up in the border town of Tijuana, in a neighborhood called Las Cumbres (1993). It is located on the west margin of the city, where we can see the ocean. My community is vital to my practice. It’s where I first realized how structural violence affects people living in a fragile political and social environment marked by their social class. It’s also where I learned about Latin American fantastical birds, the small and silent acts of courage and love applied against terror. I learned about organizing with others, the power of taking action, and the importance of observing, listening, researching, creating, and telling stories.

In the summer of 2022, my brother and I opened a community library in our house. We engage with our neighbors, family, allies and friends through books, movies, food, dance, workshops, and games.

LINK TO CV