Latin-American Heritage Art Contest & Expo
Latin Heritage Month
We celebrated the richness of Latin-American heritage at Sheridan through art, culture, and community. The Latin-American Heritage Art Contest invited students of Latin origin or descent to showcase their talents!
This year, our focus is on the theme:
“Through my Latin Blood”
We invite you to reflect on how your Latin American identity and heritage shape your life. How does it influence your experiences, relationships, and how does it translate into your art?
The stories of the Latin American diasporas are woven together through language, food, memories, and art. Beyond our vibrant textiles, ceramics, paintings, and murals, what truly connects us are the experiences we share. The joys, the battles, the migrations, and the resilience passed down through generations. These stories live within us and shape how we see the world, how we create, and how we heal.
This is an invitation to reflect on how your own heritage, challenges, and triumphs have shaped your identity, and to bring those reflections to life through art. This contest welcomes submissions that reflect the intersectionalities of Latin heritage, including but not limited to:
Afro-Latino experiences
Indigenous-Latino perspectives (from any Pueblo Indígena, community, nation, or country within Latin America)
Mestizo identities
Asian-Latino or other multiethnic experiences
Reflections that intersect Latin culture and heritage with religion, queerness, machismo, immigration, language, socio-economic status, and beyond.
MEET THE JURY
Dani Elizondo
Dani Elizondo is a Mexican artist, stop-motion fabricator, and illustrator based in Toronto. A graduate of Sheridan College’s Animation program, Dani’s work celebrates texture, colour, and the complexities of everyday life through handcrafted storytelling.
She has collaborated with studios such as Stop Motion Department, Gazelle Automations, Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, and House of Cool, gaining a reputation for creativity and adaptability. Beyond her professional work, Dani is passionate about teaching and has instructed at the Animation Portfolio Workshop, inspiring young artists to find their own voice.
Melina Cossío
Melina Cossío is a Mexican-born visual artist based in Canada, originally from Tapachula, Chiapas. Her work bridges the beauty of nature and the energy of cityscapes, drawing on years of study and collaboration in Chile, Finland, and Canada. Trained in oil painting, stained glass, and carbon drawing, she has contributed to large-scale projects such as a mosaic installation with Finnish artist Tuula Lehtinen and an environmental art project with Matti Kuronen. Since 2014, Melina has been an active member of the Canadian art scene, exhibiting with Visual Arts Mississauga, the Artists’ Network in Toronto, and the Mississauga Arts Council, while supporting local communities as a juror and workshop facilitator.
Martha Bátiz
Award-winning Mexican author, translator, and educator based in Toronto.
Her literary work spans over thirty international anthologies and multiple award-winning publications. She is the author of Plaza Requiem, No Stars in the Sky, and the acclaimed novella Boca de lobo (Damiana’s Reprieve), soon to be followed by her upcoming novel A Daughter’s Place (House of Anansi Press, 2025). Martha holds a PhD in Latin American Literature, teaches at York University, and founded the Creative Writing in Spanish program at the University of Toronto.
Marton Robinson
Marton Robinson is a Costa Rican interdisciplinary artist whose work challenges conventional representations of Black identity within art history and mainstream culture. With a background in Physical Education and Visual Arts and an MFA from the University of Southern California, Robinson’s practice examines racism, colonial legacies, and the nuances of the Afro-Latino experience through irony and critical reflection. His work has been exhibited internationally at institutions such as The Getty Center (U.S.), Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo (Costa Rica), Le Palais de Tokyo (France), and Museo Amparo (Mexico), contributing powerfully to contemporary dialogues on the African diaspora.
soJin Chun
soJin Chun is a Toronto-based curator, artist, and arts facilitator whose practice explores the in-between spaces of culture, identity, and resistance. Drawing from her experiences within the Korean diaspora in Bolivia and Canada, she uses community-centred art to decolonize image-making and highlight underrepresented narratives. soJin has collaborated extensively with BIPOC and LGBTQ2S+ communities across the Americas and has exhibited internationally, including at the Oberhausen International Film Festival. She holds a BA in Applied Arts and a Master’s in Communications and Culture from Toronto Metropolitan (formerly Ryerson) and York University.
www.sojincita.com
Questions or comments?
This initiative was proposed and brought to our community by Mateo, SSU Student Executive of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion. Please do not hesitate to contact him if you have any questions or concerns about this event.