Favianna Rodriguez

Favianna Rodriguez is an artist, entrepreneur, and organizer who has helped foster resurgence in political arts both locally and internationally. Named in 2008 by UTNE Magazine as one of the country's leading visionary artists, Rodriguez is renown for her art work dealing with social issues such as war, immigration, globalization, and social movements, as well as for her leadership in establishing innovative institutions that promote education and engage new audiences in the arts.

In 2001, Rodriguez co-founded the EastSide Arts Alliance (ESAA) and Visual Element in Oakland, California, to train young artists in the tradition of muralism. In 2003, she helped established the Taller Tupac Amaru print studio to promote the practice of screenprinting among California-based artists. Additionally, Rodriguez is co-founder and president of Tumis Inc., a bilingual design studio. She is co-editor of Reproduce and Revolt!, an unprecedented collection of 600 political images for royalty-free creative use, and her artwork has been featured in a variety of publications.

In 2009, Rodriguez she helped found Presente.org and its sister organization Presente Action after recognizing the need for Latino communities to make better use of technology-based organizing techniques. Since April 2009, Presente's campaigns have brought national attention to hate crimes against Latinos, anti-immigrant violence, and most recently, the historic nomination of Sonia Sotomayor.