Artists in Residence

Jose R. Mendez is a self-taught artist, educator, gallery coordinator, curator, and community cultural leader. He is the co-founder of Day of the Dead Lake Worth Beach, Taco Fiesta, and Hanal Pixan 2026, initiatives that celebrate culture, community, and creative expression. Jose works closely with nonprofits, government agencies, and private organizations to coordinate and promote arts programming, cultural events, and community-based activities.

His collaborations include leading cultural institutions such as the Norton Museum of Art, Cultural Council for Palm Beach County, Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, Arts4All Florida, Village of Palm Springs, Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, and the City of Lake Worth Beach, among others. Across these partnerships, Jose serves primarily as a facilitator, advisor, teaching artist, and community liaison for both children and adults.

In addition to his work in arts education and programming, Jose is an experienced event, family, and landscape photographer, serving as lead photographer for numerous community and cultural events. With over 20 years of experience working with historically underrepresented and less-accessible communities, he has built trusted relationships that strengthen participation, visibility, and cultural pride.

Jose has been a guest speaker for Palm Beach State College and the Palm Beach County School District, sharing his research and knowledge of the traditional Mexican holiday Day of the Dead. His cultural festivals continue to grow, with Day of the Dead Lake Worth Beach welcoming over 6,000 attendees in 2024 and Taco Fiesta attracting more than 4,000 attendees in its inaugural year.

From 2017 to 2024, Jose served as Gallery Coordinator for Hatch 1121, where he assisted with daily gallery operations, coordinated exhibitions and opening events, supported marketing efforts, installed and deinstalled artwork, and managed art storage and display. This role significantly expanded his regional artist network and curatorial experience.

 Inspired by his extensive work across arts, education, and community engagement, Jose plans to open an afterschool art program by 2027 and, by the age of 55, establish a South Florida museum dedicated to highlighting the Hispanic subcultures of the tri-county region.

Jessica Kirby is a multidisciplinary artist based in South Florida. Her work centers on traditional mediums such as acrylic and watercolor, layered with subtle digital and animated elements. The result is vibrant, surreal imagery shaped by movement, rhythm, and atmosphere.

She holds a degree in Motion Picture Arts with an emphasis in 2D animation. This background continues to influence her approach to composition and visual storytelling. While her paintings are grounded in physical materials, they often feel suspended between moments, informed by the logic of animation rather than a static frame.

In addition to her studio practice, Jessica curates exhibitions and creative experiences for artists in the community. Her curatorial work focuses on immersive environments that encourage presence and exploration. Alongside this, she takes on select creative and design projects, though her primary devotion remains painting and the tactile rhythm of working with a brush.

My work exists in the space where language falls short. I paint what my words can’t communicate and give form to the dreams, emotions, and thoughts my mind can’t practically share. Through surreal imagery, vibrant color, and layered worlds, I invite viewers into a realm that feels both familiar and otherworldly. In increasingly tumultuous times, my paintings are meant to function as an escape, offering peace, softness, and quiet wonder. They are places to rest the mind and step away from the noise of the waking world into something gentler. Much of my work is rooted in transcendence, processing grief, memory, and emotion and transforming them into beauty. By softening the boundary between reality and surrealism, I invite viewers to pause, to feel, and to step into a space where healing can quietly unfold.