vanessa porras

Vanessa is a printmaking artist, art educator, and writer. She trains in relief printing including woodcuts and linocuts. Her artistic practice also includes mixed media and visual journaling. Her body of work explores themes of femininity, nature, and the psyche.

As an educator, Vanessa has worked for various organizations and institutions throughout the Roaring Fork Valley including, Aspen Art Museum, VOICES, The Art Base, Rosybelle Mobile Maker Bus, and Valley Settlement Project, among others. Vanessa served as a gallery committee member of Carbondale Arts R2 Gallery and co-curated the exhibition, Identidad y Libertad and most recently curated, Para mi Madre.

She has served as a board member for the local newspaper, The Sopris Sun, where she was the former Editor for the Spanish Insert, El Sol del Valle, and writes a monthly column titled, Artista existencial.

Vanessa is a bilingual and bicultural artist who is passionate about mental health and environmental advocacy, cultural equity, and art education as a means to create bridges between diverse communities.

Vanessa obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art from Colorado Mesa University in 2018.