Miriam Alarcón Avila

Miriam Alarcón Avila, Tiffin, IA is a photographer, and a visual, multimedia, and storytelling artist. Born in Mexico City, Avila became interested in photography at a very young age. Her mission is to pursue her bliss by creatively producing strong works of art that leave a legacy for a better, sustainable, and inclusive world. Since moving to Iowa in 2002, Avila has documented the experiences of the Latino community throughout the state. A 2017 grant from the Iowa Arts Council supported a series of portraits of Spanish-speaking immigrants wearing Luchador masks created specifically for each person. When the photographs are exhibited, texts with the stories of how each person came to the U.S. and the important jobs they do here are displayed as well. Avila has shown her work at universities and galleries across the upper Midwest. Avila writes, “I’m enamored with light and fascinated by the creative process of capturing the essence of time and space, and expressing the nature of the soul in my work.”

www.miriamalarconavila.com

This bio/description was originally published in 2023 and updated in 2023. For more current information, please refer to the award recipient's website (if provided).