Vanezza Cruz

Born and raised in the Bronx to Dominican parents, Vanezza's upbringing was always rich in color, pattern and imagination. A mixed media artist, graphic designer and with an early education in fine arts and music (cello), she graduated Cum Laude from FIT with a BFA in Graphic Design; and thereafter with an MFA in printmaking and painting at Lehman College. Working as a teaching artist, muralist and mixed media artist, she has exhibited her work in group and solo exhibits throughout New York City. Her work explores ideas of body image and beauty, cultural identity, colorism, representations of women of color via her experiences in being a dark skinned AfroLatina. Vanezza's preferred methods of work range from printmaking, painting, illustration, murals, collages, installations and graphic design.

Ray Arcadio

Ray Arcadio is a New Jersey artist, born in the Dominican Republic. He is known for his InShapeUniverse and Poprox styles. Arcadio's work is about the immigrant mind, identity and the human struggle to truly understand oneself. Ray’s work encompasses masks, symbols, urban and Indigenous markings as well as socio political messages. Whether in the form of superheroes or through his urban stylization referencing his Caribbean roots, Arcadio's work is playful and thought provoking. Ray Arcadio obtained a B.F.A from New Jersey City University in 1991. His background is in graphic design and street art with numerous murals around the east coast accredited to him. He is a founding member of Jersey City's own culture jamming collaborative group Artfux, who were pioneers in street art. Arcadio has exhibited extensively around the United States and has appeared in various newspapers, magazines and television shows. Among his solo shows he has also participated in numerous group shows throughout New York and New Jersey, and was chosen one of 30 artists to represent the state in the "The Visual Imaginary of Latinas/os in New Jersey," sponsored by Rutgers University’s Center for Latinos Arts and Culture. Arcadio’s work is in various private collections including the Jersey City Museum in Jersey City, NJ,The Museum of Modern Religious Art at the University of St. Louis in St. Louis, MO and the Museo Moderno de Arte, Santo Domingo, RD. 

João (Juno) Zago

João (Juno) Zago is a queer visual artist working in Newark, NJ. Born in Brazil, Zago came to the US in 2005 where he’s since lived in and around Newark. In 2016 he obtained his BA in Visual Art from Ramapo College of New Jersey. He’s been an artist in residence at Gallery Aferro in Newark, NJ since 2017, and has exhibited at Gallery Aferro, Index Art Center, Equal Space and Akwaaba Gallery all in Newark, NJ, and Catalyst Gallery in Beacon, NY. He has also exhibited at the Newark Museum of Art, Morris Museum in Morris Township, NJ, and the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton, NJ. In 2020 he was one of 45 grantees of the Newark Artist Accelerator Fund. In 2023 he stepped into the role of Creative Director at Gallery Aferro.