jessica fuentes

author, artist, art educator

Jessica Fuentes is an artist, arts professional, and arts writer. She holds an MA in Art Education with a Museum Certification from the University of North Texas and a BA in Art & Performance from the University of Texas at Dallas.

As an educator, she has over fifteen years of experience working in museums, higher education, and public schools. She has spearheaded initiatives connecting artists and communities at the Dallas Museum of Art, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, and Kinfolk House.

As a writer, her work spans art criticism, art education, and culture, appearing in Glasstire, Hyperallergic, The Brooklyn Rail, Southwest Contemporary, and scholarly journals, including the Journal of Museum Education and Art Education Journal. In 2023, she received the Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant to support a series of articles highlighting Texas art spaces founded by and for artists of color.

For over a decade, Fuentes has exhibited her artwork across North Texas. She is a former member of F6 Gallery Collective and 500X Gallery. In 2023, she and Dallas-based performance artist Christian Cruz received a grant from the U.S. Latinx Art Forum’s Artist Mentorship Program.

In addition to her role as Artist Engagement Manager at ACLU of Texas, Fuentes serves on the Fort Worth Art Commission, the DFW Airport's public art advisory panel, and the boards of Kinfolk House and Make Art with Purpose (MAP).

Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Fuentes finds inspiration in nature, art museums, and time spent creating in her home studio with her family.