Inspire ....... & Spirit

Vanessa Ortiz grew up knowing her mom would do whatever it would take to stretch their budget to ensure her daughter had access to art. Later, her mom would re-direct her creativity when Ortiz started to turn to graffiti by having her daughter volunteer at galleries.

As life always goes, a series of choices, decisions, and a leap of faith has brought Ortiz to where she is today. A full-time professional artist who was selected to showcase the natural beauty of Arizona for Super Bowl LVII through the Stallion Stampede Community Art Project.

“I was applying for mural jobs; I kept getting rejected from all these projects. Sandra (Sutton Andrews) told me to apply (for the Stallion project) since you never know if you’ll get accepted,” Ortiz said. “I didn’t have any hope of getting selected, and last minute, I submitted my application, and I was selected. There’s this fear of am going to complete this project. Or what does it entail? I went in scared, but I jumped–and I’m enjoying it. I mean, I had a little life with them.”

Ortiz’s work often features vibrant colors and desert landscapes with native flora and fauna. Sandra Sutton Andrews of the Millet House in Mesa, Arizona, encouraged Ortiz to apply so southwestern art would have the opportunity to be represented among the different stallions.

“She’s so incredibly positive, and she has what I call a spiritual connection to the desert,” Andrews said. “In other words, she’s not just painting the desert; she’s out there, rain or shine, whether she’s sick or well. And some of her art does have a spiritual aspect to it. She sees that in the desert.”