Oil Painter Leslye Villaseñor Awarded Studio Space At ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station By NTC Foundation Through Emerging Artist Program

NTC Foundation, the non-profit organization that oversees the development of 26 buildings in ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station, has announced oil painter Leslye Villaseñor as the 2023 Emerging Artist. Now in its fourth year, the Emerging Artist program awards studio space to emerging talent for one year at ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station.

“The Emerging Artist Studio Program provides up-and-coming artists with the opportunity to grow their skillsets in an awarded studio space right in the heart of ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station,” said Lisa Johnson, President and CEO of NTC Foundation.

Oil Painter Leslye Villaseñor: 2023 Emerging Artist Studio Program awardee

“This year we are honored to present the studio space to Leslye Villaseñor, an oil painting artist who captures the essence of human emotion through a personalized philosophical lens. The space will allow her to build her career in San Diego and strengthen her ties to San Diego’s arts community.”

A recent Studio Arts graduate from UCSD, Leslye Villaseñor has exhibited as part of several exhibitions throughout San Diego including South Central Library in Chula Vista, the Student Gallery at Southwestern College, the Adam D. Kamil Gallery at UCSD, and most recently at the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library in La Jolla.

Primarily focused on oil painting, Leslye’s creations delve into the essence of human consciousness, memory, perception, and the rawness of human emotion based upon her own personal experience, direct observation, and philosophical underpinnings.

Most of her work, which features melancholic and haunting themes, aims to capture a moment in time allowing audience members to feel connected with and insert themselves into these dream-like scenarios. More recently, during her work with the New Native Narratives Apprenticeship Program, Leslye explored the idea of imperfection in discarded materials where the shadow of a material’s past purpose remains.

Now at the precipice of her budding professional career, Leslye is eager to dedicate herself completely to experimentation, research and creation. The studio space will allow Leslye to immerse herself in the arts community located at ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station allowing her to find greater inspiration from her surroundings. Oil Painter Leslye Villaseñor will be moving into the new space at the beginning of January.

The 2023 Emerging Artist selections were made by a panel of NTCF Art in Public Places committee members, Josemar Gonzales (artist), Armando Nunez (artist), and Perry Vasquez (artist and Southwestern College professor), well-known individuals from San Diego’s arts and culture scene each with a unique and culturally diverse perspective.

More info

For continued updates from NTC Foundation or more info on the Emerging Artist program, visit the website here and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.

See you there, San Diego!