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Melissa Rose Tylinski | Peruana Americana Portrait Artist
TMC Helix Park, 1885 Old Spanish Trail Houston, TX 77030
About Soñadores
Soñadores is a group exhibition that celebrates Hispanic heritage, featuring works by Houston-area artists that highlight the dreams passed down and still unfolding—affirming culture as a pathway to healing, connection, and wholeness.
on view from Sept 1st-Oct 25th
Curator's Note
I grew up being told my head was in the clouds. My mother always called me a dreamer. Over time, I realized that dreaming can bring us closer to the deepest parts of ourselves—the parts sometimes buried beneath what the world sees. I felt this deeply in my mother’s country, Perú, among the mountains of Cusco, where the earth reminds us that nothing exists in isolation and nothing is wasted. Our experiences, family histories, and stories carried across borders and languages all become part of who we are. Soñadores grew from that realization, but it was never meant to be mine alone. Together, we preserve these memories through art, honoring what we carry, what we uncover, and what we pass forward.
About the Exhibition
Soñadores means Dreamers, a name that honors the courage it takes to uproot from one’s country, begin again, and carry dreams, culture, and hope into a new life and future generations. Presented for Hispanic Heritage Month in collaboration with ALMAAHH and TMC Helix Park, Soñadores brings together 15 Houston-area Latinx artists exploring the many ways heritage is lived and experienced through family, migration, faith, language, community, creativity, and ancestral connection. Each artist offers a distinct perspective shaped by their own relationship to culture and identity. Together, their works reveal that heritage is both shared and deeply personal—there is no single way to belong, remember, or dream. By bringing these perspectives into TMC Helix Park, Soñadores creates a bridge between arts and health, recognizing that how we understand ourselves, connect with others, and experience belonging are part of how we understand human wellbeing. In that intersection, new conversations—and new ways of seeing one another—can emerge.
Meet the Artists
Celea Guevara (Honduras)
Gladys Poorte (Argentina)
Gladys Poorte (Argentina)
The Way explores an ancestral and personal journey of learning to trust the path ahead, even when I cannot see where it will lead.
Through linocut, I explore the physical act of carving as a metaphor for life itself. The process requires removing what is unnecessary so that an image can emerge. Each mark is intentional and becomes part of
The Way explores an ancestral and personal journey of learning to trust the path ahead, even when I cannot see where it will lead.
Through linocut, I explore the physical act of carving as a metaphor for life itself. The process requires removing what is unnecessary so that an image can emerge. Each mark is intentional and becomes part of my story, with the simple act of carving mirroring my own journey.
The Way reflects the beginning of learning to trust an unfamiliar path, even when the direction ahead is not always clearly defined.
The artwork also reminds me of the family and cultural inheritance that I carry with me. As a Garifuna woman, I carry stories, rhythms, values, memories, and folklore that existed long before me.
My path is shaped not only by where I am going, but by those who walked before me.
Gladys Poorte (Argentina)
Gladys Poorte (Argentina)
Gladys Poorte (Argentina)
Born in Argentina, Gladys Poorte spent her formative years in Buenos Aires. Her process begins with three-dimensional installations built from diverse materials—paper, cardboard, wire, fabric, and found objects. Constructing these installations allows her to build a tangible imaginary world, one from which unique narratives emerge and whi
Born in Argentina, Gladys Poorte spent her formative years in Buenos Aires. Her process begins with three-dimensional installations built from diverse materials—paper, cardboard, wire, fabric, and found objects. Constructing these installations allows her to build a tangible imaginary world, one from which unique narratives emerge and which she then explores across different media.
For this series of graphite and colored pencil drawings, Poorte used woven textiles to build her installation. The resulting forms occupy an ambiguous space between landscape and creature, reading equally as terrain or as close-ups of breathing, living organisms.
Reflecting on how the culture she grew up in—the urban cultural environment of Buenos Aires—surfaces in her work, Poorte points to Argentina's "fantastic" literary and artistic tradition, including writers like Jorge Luis Borges, visual artists like Xul Solar, and rock musicians like Charly García. What unites these influences is a fascination with invented systems, labyrinths, and alternate realities. She doesn't trace her work to any single influence, but rather to a shared mood—something absorbed simply by breathing that cultural air.
Jatziri Barron (México)
Gladys Poorte (Argentina)
Jesse Sifuentes (México)
My work explores culture, transformation, and the complexities of human experience. Moving between figuration and abstraction, I investigate how our identities and perceptions are shaped by the constant exchange between our inner worlds and the environments we inhabit.
I approach culture as a living and evolving system, not only something
My work explores culture, transformation, and the complexities of human experience. Moving between figuration and abstraction, I investigate how our identities and perceptions are shaped by the constant exchange between our inner worlds and the environments we inhabit.
I approach culture as a living and evolving system, not only something we inherit, but something we create through our experiences, relationships, movements, and encounters. I am interested in the human mind and its ability to adapt, reinterpret, connect, and create meaning within an ever-changing world.
Through the human figure, symbolism, color, material, and abstraction, I explore both visible and invisible forms of transformation. At times, the body becomes a vessel for these ideas; at others, material, movement, and organic forms allow me to investigate them beyond representation.
At the center of my practice is a curiosity about what shapes us, what connects us, and how our individual experiences contribute to the cultures and realities we create.
Jesse Sifuentes (México)
Gladys Poorte (Argentina)
Jesse Sifuentes (México)
Empty Bowls was created to show that pottery remains a vibrant craft, taught both as an educational practice and as a functional art form for everyday life. It also reflects the tradition of passing a craft from one generation to the next.
Quilted Twins uses patterns inspired by papel picado to illustrate images of the neighborhood, inter
Empty Bowls was created to show that pottery remains a vibrant craft, taught both as an educational practice and as a functional art form for everyday life. It also reflects the tradition of passing a craft from one generation to the next.
Quilted Twins uses patterns inspired by papel picado to illustrate images of the neighborhood, interwoven with American quilt patterns to represent the fabric of people's lives.
Johnny Lain (Venezuela)
Lizz Gurrola - Maye (México - Otomi)
Karla García Burgos (México)
My work explores identity, memory, and the connection between who we are and where we come from. Through portraiture, bold color, and elements of nature, I create spaces where culture and personal experience can exist together.
These works reflect different sides of that journey. Warm reds, oranges, and yellows celebrate heritage, strength
My work explores identity, memory, and the connection between who we are and where we come from. Through portraiture, bold color, and elements of nature, I create spaces where culture and personal experience can exist together.
These works reflect different sides of that journey. Warm reds, oranges, and yellows celebrate heritage, strength, and the energy we carry from our roots. Cooler blues create a quieter moment of reflection, representing memory, growth, and the experiences that shape us over time. The figures are surrounded by plants, flowers, and organic forms as symbols of resilience and our ability to continue growing while remaining connected to where we began.
As a Venezuelan artist with Spanish roots who has made Houston my home, my own story has been shaped by different places and cultures. Through these paintings, I celebrate that mixture and the idea that our identity is always evolving, while our roots continue to live within us.
Karla García Burgos (México)
Lizz Gurrola - Maye (México - Otomi)
Karla García Burgos (México)
My work emerges, almost organically, from Latino culture. I am interested in how clothing, music, and traditions serve as threads that weave together our identity. They are small, living archives that carry both a nation's history and the story of who we are.
Textiles are more than mere fabric; they are memory—a language passed down throu
My work emerges, almost organically, from Latino culture. I am interested in how clothing, music, and traditions serve as threads that weave together our identity. They are small, living archives that carry both a nation's history and the story of who we are.
Textiles are more than mere fabric; they are memory—a language passed down through generations as an act of pride and resistance. Music connects us with loved ones who, though no longer present, live on in the sound of guitars and traditional melodies.
These pieces draw upon that heritage—textiles and music—to show that our roots do not stay in the past, but transform and continue shaping who we are and who we are becoming.
Lily Borrero (Columbia)
Lizz Gurrola - Maye (México - Otomi)
Lizz Gurrola - Maye (México - Otomi)
Through flowers and portraits of women painted in acrylic, I create a dreamlike visual language rooted in memories of my youth and my mother, who introduced me to the world of flowers, their diversity and versatility.
In my paintings, I explore the contrast between the backgrounds, where I experiment with techniques and textures, and the
Through flowers and portraits of women painted in acrylic, I create a dreamlike visual language rooted in memories of my youth and my mother, who introduced me to the world of flowers, their diversity and versatility.
In my paintings, I explore the contrast between the backgrounds, where I experiment with techniques and textures, and the precision of the figures. Through this contrast, I portray a serene and delicate feeling that I hope to leave in the souls of those who admire my artwork.
My art is made to connect the world, one flower at a time.
Lizz Gurrola - Maye (México - Otomi)
Lizz Gurrola - Maye (México - Otomi)
Lizz Gurrola - Maye (México - Otomi)
I grew up in Los Angeles, where food vendors and fruit stands seemed to be on every corner. Those streets shaped how I see people, community, and perseverance.
Being Chicana and growing up as a young woman in a challenging environment taught me to speak up, stand strong, work hard, stay humble, and remain loyal to my roots. Those lessons
I grew up in Los Angeles, where food vendors and fruit stands seemed to be on every corner. Those streets shaped how I see people, community, and perseverance.
Being Chicana and growing up as a young woman in a challenging environment taught me to speak up, stand strong, work hard, stay humble, and remain loyal to my roots. Those lessons continue to show up in my work.
In The Orange Vendor, I wanted to honor the everyday people who work hard to provide for themselves and their families. The vendor represents strength, dignity, and the beauty I remember seeing in my community.
The One Who Will Not Be Silenced is about resilience and finding your voice. Her direct gaze represents women who refuse to disappear or be made smaller.
I submitted these works to Soñadores because they reflect where I come from and what I carry with me. When I paint these stories, I feel connected to my roots and my Latin heritage.
Lorena Morales (Venezuela)
Nohelia Vargas Bolivar (Venezuela)
Melissa Rose Tylinski (Perú)
When I reflect on my roots, the part of myself that feels most seen and whole is my identity as a visual artist. Growing up in Venezuela, within a creative environment and the open doors of our family home, I learned early on that creativity and hospitality can be genuinely connected. Living in another country, it is easy to feel fragment
When I reflect on my roots, the part of myself that feels most seen and whole is my identity as a visual artist. Growing up in Venezuela, within a creative environment and the open doors of our family home, I learned early on that creativity and hospitality can be genuinely connected. Living in another country, it is easy to feel fragmented, but remembering those colorful, joyful origins anchors me. It reminds me that my impulse to create spaces of warmth and connection isn't just a personal choice, but a living legacy.
Bringing people together through my practice makes me feel completely understood because it honors both the creative environment that raised me and the wisdom my parents passed down about the importance of uplifting others.
The Exuberant Home series consists of multilayered collages made from materials associated with domestic life, such as fabrics, wallpaper, lace, thread, beads, and ribbons. Through these elements, I am interested in creating dynamic spaces filled with vibrant patterns, natural motifs, and bold colors arranged in eclectic designs that serve as metaphors for movement, adaptation, and belonging.
Melissa Rose Tylinski (Perú)
Nohelia Vargas Bolivar (Venezuela)
Melissa Rose Tylinski (Perú)
I am deeply interested in the inner worlds we carry and how creativity gives them form. My background in psychology and shapes my belief that when we immerse ourselves in art, we can touch the deepest parts of ourselves and, through understanding ourselves, begin to understand and heal the world around us.
Working primarily in painting, I
I am deeply interested in the inner worlds we carry and how creativity gives them form. My background in psychology and shapes my belief that when we immerse ourselves in art, we can touch the deepest parts of ourselves and, through understanding ourselves, begin to understand and heal the world around us.
Working primarily in painting, I explore memory, identity, heritage, and the ways our inner and outer worlds meet. At the core of my practice is the belief that creativity preserves the way we see and experience the world before it can be erased, forgotten, or muddled with time.
Through both my artwork and curatorial practice, I hope to create spaces where those parts of us can remain visible, be celebrated, and live on.
Michelle Andrea (Venezuela)
Nohelia Vargas Bolivar (Venezuela)
Nohelia Vargas Bolivar (Venezuela)
Conga Line is inspired by el trencito, a joyful, unspoken tradition that brings people together through music, movement, and celebration. Through faceless figures, my work explores heritage, hope, and belonging, creating an alternate reality through bold color and expressive forms.
In Conga Line, the figures move together, reflecting the j
Conga Line is inspired by el trencito, a joyful, unspoken tradition that brings people together through music, movement, and celebration. Through faceless figures, my work explores heritage, hope, and belonging, creating an alternate reality through bold color and expressive forms.
In Conga Line, the figures move together, reflecting the joy of Latin American culture and the shared experiences that connect us across generations. I believe in the celebration of culture, while recognizing that culture is never singular; it is layered, evolving, and shaped by the circumstances and experiences that influence who we are.
Nohelia Vargas Bolivar (Venezuela)
Nohelia Vargas Bolivar (Venezuela)
Nohelia Vargas Bolivar (Venezuela)
Sandra de la Rosa (México)
Susana Lewandowski (El Salvador)
Sandra de la Rosa (México)
Sandra de la Rosa (b. 1991) is an artist from San Luis Potosí, Mexico. She earned her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Florida and her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Houston. Sandra has exhibited her work in the United States and Mexico, including exhibitions focused on creating visibility for underrepresented com
Sandra de la Rosa (b. 1991) is an artist from San Luis Potosí, Mexico. She earned her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Florida and her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Houston. Sandra has exhibited her work in the United States and Mexico, including exhibitions focused on creating visibility for underrepresented communities and migrant experiences. Her work and research explore themes of immigration, migration, identity, belonging, and the ways personal and collective histories are shaped by movement across places and borders.
Silvia Felizia (Argentina)
Susana Lewandowski (El Salvador)
Sandra de la Rosa (México)
These works are part of an exploration of home as a sanctuary.
My grandfather was an immigrant in my homeland. He gave me the gift of infinite curiosity and taught me to have big dreams. Carrying that legacy, I became an immigrant myself.
Contrasting my childhood in Argentina with my later experience moving around the world has brought me
These works are part of an exploration of home as a sanctuary.
My grandfather was an immigrant in my homeland. He gave me the gift of infinite curiosity and taught me to have big dreams. Carrying that legacy, I became an immigrant myself.
Contrasting my childhood in Argentina with my later experience moving around the world has brought me an awareness I didn't have in my younger years, making me realize how lives are deeply connected beyond time and borders.
As a Latina living in Houston, I often find myself navigating dualities between senses of identity and the ways memories, language, and inherited culture leave their marks, even in spaces where I feel in-between.
Through the canvas, soft pinks symbolize the warmth and tenderness of childhood memories, interacting with greens and blues that evoke the land and sky of the countryside where I grew up. Within this softness, bold shapes emerge, unapologetically vivid and grounded, representing the strength I summon to carve out space for myself and my family to feel safe, seen, and held while remaining loyal to my Latino origins.
These paintings are maps of belonging, a visual echo of personal refuges, and an act of preservation.
Susana Lewandowski (El Salvador)
Susana Lewandowski (El Salvador)
Susana Lewandowski (El Salvador)
The selected artwork for the Soñadores exhibit honors the memory of two powerful women in my family—my grandmother and aunt. These women provided guidance and support while carrying forward traditions rooted in their love of community, family, and culture. Through these portraits, I hope to capture their kindness, compassion, and the bea
The selected artwork for the Soñadores exhibit honors the memory of two powerful women in my family—my grandmother and aunt. These women provided guidance and support while carrying forward traditions rooted in their love of community, family, and culture. Through these portraits, I hope to capture their kindness, compassion, and the beauty they carried throughout their lives.
Each portrait incorporates the symbolism of the butterfly, representing the journeys of migration that impacted my family during the civil war in El Salvador in the 1980s. Despite the challenges and loss endured during this period of conflict, both women continued to serve their families and community with compassion, strength, and joy.
These women represent my roots, anchors, and compass, guiding me through times of challenge and reminding me to navigate life with authenticity and purpose. Through this exhibit and the sharing of their stories, I hope to keep their memory, love for community, culture, and joy alive. Art brings healing and connection, and through these pieces, I hope to honor and share the stories of two remarkable women.
Sylvia Blanco (México)
Susana Lewandowski (El Salvador)
Susana Lewandowski (El Salvador)
Snakes have appeared in my imagination for as long as I can remember. As a child living in Mexico, I regularly dreamed about them. Growing up, I was taught to associate snakes with danger, negativity, and bad luck. Still, I felt deeply drawn to them. By middle school, I was already sketching two intertwined snakes transforming into flowe
Snakes have appeared in my imagination for as long as I can remember. As a child living in Mexico, I regularly dreamed about them. Growing up, I was taught to associate snakes with danger, negativity, and bad luck. Still, I felt deeply drawn to them. By middle school, I was already sketching two intertwined snakes transforming into flowers.
As I grew older, I discovered different meanings within the snake: intuition, independence, resilience, and self-trust. Most importantly, a snake must shed its skin to continue growing. I recognized myself in that process. Growing up, I often viewed myself negatively because I did not yet understand many parts of who I was. Healing has required releasing old beliefs, experiences, and versions of myself I have outgrown.
Bare branches have also appeared throughout my work. Recently, leaves have begun emerging in my paintings, an evolution that feels connected to my own healing. The flowers represent the beauty that can grow from transformation.
When I paint, I allow intuition and emotion to guide me. Enigmatic Bloom developed naturally in that space. It reflects my journey of shedding, healing, trusting myself, and continually becoming more fully who I am with courage.
