05/20/2026
Congratulations to artist and muralist Venazir Martinez for winning the 2026 USA National Mural Awards with her piece "Between Memory and Bloom," bagging the Gold prize in her region and the Bronze across the country!
Venazir previously collaborated with our very own Alain Pascua for our Lahing Makulay Exhibit during the 2019 Green and Wild Expo. Venazir intricately painted snippets of Gaddang textiles with Alain Pascua's original canvas photograph of the Luzon Water Redstart (Phoenicurus bicolor) for their piece "Hila-bana: Luzon Water Redstart".
Many years have passed since our 2019 Green and Wild Expo, but it's been awe-inspiring to see Venazir share and express her Filipina roots through her murals, many of which showcase the colorful indigenous peoples, textiles, and patterns of the Philippines and the experience of the Filipino diaspora. Much like the highland Redstart paired with her original piece, we can't wait to see Venazir take her works to new heights for Filipinos abroad!
Congratulations and Padayon, Venazir!