Join us at NSU Art Museum for a conversation with featured local artist, Niki Lopez. Lopez will explore the significance of Juneteenth, and its original and ethical ways to honor this pivotal moment in history. As an artist and social practitioner and through Lopez’s non-profit What’s Your Elephant, Lopez will delve into the transformative power of art in fostering freedom, expression, and collective healing. Discussion will start promptly at 12:30 pm on Wednesday, June 19, 2024.
The Artist’s Roundtable Series focuses on connecting museum visitors to creative professionals, igniting conversations in a close discussion around ideology, practice, and technique. Artists’ roundtables are free to members and included with museum admission for non-members. Stop by the Museum Café after the talk for lunch!
Guest Speaker
Niki Lopez is an award-winning Afro-Latina visual artist, curator, and social advocate. Through vibrant color palettes and avant-garde creations, she explores themes of trauma, healing, self-expression, and social justice. Her recent mixed-media reliefs incorporate masks and mask elements, reflecting her meditative journey towards Afrocentric spirituality, self-discovery, and empowerment.
Lopez is the founder of ‘What’s Your Elephant™,’ a nonprofit transformative arts movement addressing the unspoken. She actively supports various causes and serves on the Executive Board of Island City Stage. With over 12 years of experience as a teaching artist, she works with children with special needs and teens within the DJJ, fostering creativity and empowerment. A passionate speaker, Lopez addresses topics including art as advocacy, diversity, equity, mental health, and trauma recovery.
Her podcast ‘The Circle’ amplifies creative voices, fostering connections, and inspiring change. Lopez is a recipient of multiple awards, including the 2024 Philanthropy Award by Our Fund Foundation.