Conversations with Artists: Reimagining the Art Ecosystem

Join us for insightful conversations with visual artists as we explore the challenges and opportunities facing the contemporary art world. This podcast delves deep into the creative process, examining the unique relationships artists have with their materials, the struggles with waste and reuse, and the impact of sustainability on artistic practice.

We'll discuss how the current art ecosystem, often driven by market forces, can hinder artistic expression and disconnect artists from their communities. Together, we'll reimagine a more equitable and sustainable future for the arts, where creativity thrives and artists have the freedom to flourish.

Raquel da Silva is an Afro-Latina multimedia artist from Denver, Colorado who specializes in printmaking, sculpture, and the fiber arts. At a very young age they learned how to crochet and sew from their grandmother, which was initially what got them into exploring and creating with textiles. They are currently in college as a visual arts and environmental sciences focus with a minor focus in American and Italian literature.

Their experiences with textiles began at a young age when their grandmother started to teach them to sew and crochet. Since then, they have branched out to other forms of fiber art and are practicing their skills in needle felting, rug tufting, embroidery, weaving, and mending. They find that working with textiles can often serve as a way of storytelling in a world where it can be difficult to find your voice and have your voice be heard by those around you. 

Next to their work in textiles, they found their passion in printmaking later in life at the age of 21. While Raquel was studying abroad in Florence, Italy for a semester, they hoped to take classes in either sculpting or drawing. Though, funny enough, they didn’t take either. Instead, Raquel took an etching class which was completely out of their comfort zone. However once they got into it, they were immediately hooked and have continued to practice and learn new forms of it.

Instagram: @textilesoup.co