The Emerging Artist Residencies in Visual and Performing Arts at Arts District Liberty Station are designed to help artists in both categories, develop their work, build their career in the San Diego/Baja region, engage with other artists, and grow their client base for future success. This multifaceted residency program aligns with Arts District’s goal of elevating emerging artists in our local transborder region by offering access to rent-free studio space and other resources in the dynamic cultural environment Arts District Liberty Station.
In addition to providing studio space, Arts District staff further supports artists-in-residence with the opportunity to showcase original work, as well as provide promotional support, business mentorship, and engagement with the wider creative community.
Visual Arts 2025/2026
July- December 2025
Eden DeLaVara (she/her) Eden DeLaVara is a mixed media artist based in San Diego, CA. She dissects the importance of belonging, comfort, and intercultural exchange through the lens of her Mexican-American and Black identities. Her body of work, primarily centered around figurative painting and drawing, champions vibrant colors and textures to cast a joyful and celebratory light on the otherwise mundane. Raised in Vista, Eden began exploring portraiture in middle school and discovered a delight for draftsmanship. Through her academic career, her two fields of study– International Development and Studio Art– significantly informed her artistic voice. She draws much inspiration from contemporary art movements within the Black community and artistic movements along la frontera. As an emerging artist in San Diego, Eden is developing a new body of work synthesizing the legacy of African American quilting with contemporary painting and fiber art practices. As an Emerging Artist in Residence with Arts District Liberty Station she is excited to connect with other artists who have been offering their work to San Diego long before her and hosting communal events throughout her residency.
Marcela Alarcon Lopez (she/her)
Tijuana based artist, M.A.L. has been practicing her skills in the visual arts since 2019. Originally a psychotherapist, M.A.L. blended artistic curiosity with her clinical experience and psychological interests. Growing up across different states and countries, M.A.L. developed a wavering interest in plastic arts influenced by her fluctuating background. Her pictoric and sculptural work is characterized by playfully borderline dramatic motifs, experimental contrasts between the figurative and conceptual, as well as the use of diverse supports such as cement, acrylics, transparencies and food. As an Emerging Artist in Residence Marcela is excited to have a space to create, giving her the opportunity to expand her artistic practice, learn from other artists, and continue developing a more deliberate and visually coherent body of work.
January-June 2026
Ana Saad (they/them)
Based in San Diego, Ana Saad a.k.a. it (b. 2004) is a multimedia artist working in primarily ceramic and fiber mediums to create sculptural works which speak to queer identities, human nature, and communal interactions. Through the materiality of ceramic and fiber, they use a visual vocabulary of uncanny nature-like motifs to explore and dismantle gender binaries, exploiting the often uncomfortable realities of queer existence. It creates work which offers insight into aspects of queer existence: the all-encompassing discomforts, resistance, anger, and love which intertwine into the queer experience. Within their time as an Emerging Artist in Residence it is looking forward to connecting to others in the community and explore Arts District Liberty Station more intimately, inviting the greater San Diego art community through workshops and open studio events.
Audrey Gingras (she/her)
Audrey Gingras uses sculpture and installation as a language to interpret the space between the physical world and that of spirit, based on histories of religious and craft traditions. Through stained glass, fused glass, ceramics, and steel welding, she explores themes of memory, transience, and ritual. Her sculptures exist in a state of accumulation and evolution, illuminated by ephemeral light filtering through glass objects or wax pooling and dripping down ceramic facades. In her time as an Emerging Artist in Residence with Arts District Liberty Station she is excited to collaborate within a vibrant and supportive creative community and expanding on communal practice work in a setting that encourages experimentation, dialogue, and artistic exchange.
Dance Arts 2025/2026
Miguel Galvan (he/him)
Miguel Angel Galvan is a San Diego-based movement artist, educator, and choreographer with over a decade of teaching experience across street and contemporary forms. He began his dance journey with breaking in high school, later gaining exposure to contemporary, modern, and jazz. While studying dance at UC San Diego, he deepened his choreographic voice and trained in studios throughout San Diego and Los Angeles. Miguel’s work bridges freestyle and formal technique, and he continues to teach and create throughout Southern California. As an Artist in Residence with Arts District Liberty Station Miguel is excited by the chance to create in a space that values experimentation, collaboration, and community. He views the residency as a unique opportunity to develop meaningful connections while contributing to an inclusive and dynamic artistic environment.
Giovanna Francisco (she/her)
Giovanna is a movement artist originally from Palm Springs, CA. Her creative practice draws inspiration from plants and wildlife, vulnerability, and authentic human expression. Embracing community and collective presence are integral to her practice. She studied dance and sociology at UCSD where she expanded upon her formal dance training in ballet, contemporary and modern techniques. Her first artist’s residency took place in the garden space of Art Produce (gallery and nonprofit) where she cultivated an evening-length work inspired by the insects she observed there. Giovanna has performed and created work in San Diego as both an independent artist and community dancer. As an Artist in Residence with Arts District Liberty Station Giovanna is excited to explore her artistry and creative process in a versatile, gorgeous setting where she hopes to collaborate with artists across different mediums.
Lilian Ibarra Pantoja (she/her)
With a family tree rooted in art, Lilian is a multidisciplinary artist who draws inspiration from her heritage to create dynamic works. Beginning her dance journey at a very early age (1995) in Tijuana, Baja California, she focused in Folklorico before discovering Contemporary Ballet at eleven (2002). Throughout her teenage years Lilian participated in several dance productions by Susana Lopez Reyes at Casa de La Cultura. She continued her formal training in Lux Boreals Modern Dance and Stage Production Education program (2010-2012). In 2014 her Ballet Teacher Rafael Oseguera encouraged her to pursue a career in early childhood dance education. Her first choreographic work “III” was showcased at Live Arts Fest 2019. In 2022 she was selected to present her piece “diverting” at the Emerging Choreographers Showcase and Prize. Now with the opportunity to be an Emerging Artist in Residence with Arts District Liberty Station, Lilian is looking to expand her identity and showcase her skills as a dance maker.
Rachel Torres (she/her)
Rachel Torres graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a BA in Literature with Honors and a minor in Dance, performing in works by Liam Clancy, Allyson Green, and Yolande Snaith during her time there. Upon graduation, Rachel began taking classes and working with independent artists in the San Diego community. She has had the pleasure of performing works by several local choreographers including John Malashock, Jean Isaacs, Debi Toth, Sadie Weinberg, Lara Segura, Erica Buechner, Brianna Pilkinton, and Lavina Rich. Rachel has performed as a guest artist with San Diego Dance Theater and was a company dancer with the Malashock Dance Company from 2016-2020. She currently teaches youth and adult modern classes at Malashock Dance. As an Artist in Residence with Arts District Liberty Station, she is excited to have a dedicated space and time to create work and focus on her artistic voice and vision. She is also looking forward to the possibilities for collaboration with her cohort and tenants within Arts District.