I am an artist and a cultural worker. I collaborate with communities to help make them more vibrant and healthy. I teach art at a university in New York City, and I also work with young people in public schools and neighborhood settings. I do health work that addresses the challenges of HIV among people of color and LGBT communities worldwide. As an artist, I often work with other people to develop sculptures out of everyday materials, and design projects that play with language. Other people like to take photographs; I like to make them. I have been blessed to make pictures and home in many different kinds of communities, from rural Idaho to the heart of Manhattan. My mom hails from Panamá and my pops is from the Pacific Northwest. Connecting with all kinds of people, including folks like you, is a gift.