Verónica Castillo is an internationally acclaimed artist from Izúcar de Matamoros, Puebla, México, and now based in San Antonio, Texas. At a very young age, under the tutelage of her parents, renowned artists Don Alfonso Castillo Orta and Doña Soledad Martha Hernández Báez, she was exposed to the artistic technique of working in polychromatic ceramics, a tradition passed on from generation to generation. Verónica continues to build upon these traditions, while focusing on contemporary issues of injustice and inequality. Her exhibits have achieved national and international recognition, from the Smithsonian in Washington DC to the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago to the Museo Amparo in Puebla, Mexico. In 2013, Verónica Castillo received the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship Award. In 2023, Veronica received the Catalyst for a Change Fellowship Award from NALAC and the UTSA Democratizing Racial Justice Artist Residency. She is the owner of E.V.A. (Ecos y Voces de Arte), a gallery on the Southside of San Antonio. Together with an international network of artists, E.V.A. offers the space and support for various forms of cultural art to thrive.

I have deep gratitude for my work with art and with the community surrounding me. I work with the elements of life: water, earth, fire and air. I wouldn’t be my quality as a human being if I had not appreciated all that life has given me to be a steward in shaping and giving voice through the earth. Were I not capable of sharing this legacy that my ancestors have given me through this art, if I did not share it with others, I would be falling into a contradiction. That I would be seeking justice for Mother Earth and not have the ability to share it — that would be a true contradiction to my work and love of Mother Earth. The gift of Taproot gives me the opportunity to continue giving.

I learned traditional ash and sweetgrass basketry on the Penobscot Nation reservation, when I was living and working there for my tribe as the staff geologist in the 1980’s. I became a basket maker in my 30’s apprenticing with the late Madeline Tomer Shay for 5 years. My great-grandmother was a renowned basket maker in our tribe and I watched her weaving baskets as I was growing up.

I have mentored as many as a dozen basket makers and a number of my apprentices have gone on to teach their own apprentices. Some of those apprentices’ apprentices now have apprentices. My long term work as an arts advocate, as co-founder and inaugural director of the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance, has resulted in a number of new basket makers in the four, federally-recognized tribes in Maine; Maliseet, Mi’makq, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot.

My art practice reflects a quintessential Penobscot style and approach drawing upon ancestral designs and the natural world through the traditional hand-harvested ash wood and sweet grass. Most recently, my work is centered upon bringing awareness to environmental and climate change crises in our territory in my basket designs. Since 2021, I have been including the use of the endangered Wabanaki languages in my work and teaching language use in traditional basketry in tribal immersion camps.

Being a Taproot artist fills me with pride as a culture bearer and validates 3 and 1/2 decades of work dedicated to our traditional basketry practice. I believe this will bring more attention to our once again endangered basketry and the ways we can work together as a community to re-cultivate our practice together. In my own art, I will be able to continue to expand my investigation and ideas of using our basketry to highlight important issues of our times, such as ecological issues and climate change, language revitalization. These ideas also reflect our own Wabanaki community values.

Shaka Zulu, a 2022 National Endowment for the Arts Folk Heritage Fellow, is a master of New Orleans Indigenous Masking Society suit design, an art form rooted in the city’s Indigenous and African culture. Trained under Chief Darryl Montana, son of Chief Tootie Montana, Zulu excels in the “downtown” suit-making tradition, known for its three-dimensional designs. As Big Chief of the Golden Feather Hunters, his intricate suits, requiring a year of sewing and design, are showcased during Mardi Gras, St. Joseph’s Night, and Super Sunday.

In addition to suit design, Zulu preserves the West African tradition of stilt dancing, which symbolizes balance and success. Initiated into this sacred art over 40 years ago, he innovatively adapted it to include women by creating a stilt dancing entity for his daughter, Free Spirit. This adaptation underscores his commitment to cultural preservation and modern inclusivity.

Zulu’s work extends beyond performance; he deconstructs his masking suits to create limited edition framed artworks sold in galleries and at festivals. His dedication to teaching ensures that the rich traditions of the New Orleans Indigenous Masking Society and stilt dancing continue to thrive across generations.

Being a Taproot artist means receiving profound recognition for my dedication to preserving and promoting the New Orleans Indigenous Masking Society traditions and stiltdancing. This award empowers me to continue my practices with enhanced resources and support, allowing for greater community engagement and cultural transmission. It signifies a validation of my role as a cultural leader and a bridge between generations, ensuring that our rich heritage is sustained and celebrated. The fellowship provides the opportunity to amplify my impact, foster intergenerational collaboration, and promote cultural resilience within my community. This honor strengthens my commitment to cultural preservation.

Founder and Artistic Director of Agua, Sol y Sereno (ASYS), Pedro Adorno Irizarry is a film and theater director, actor, visual artist and arts manager based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He began his career in the 1980s with the group Los Teatreros Ambulantes de Cayey (The Traveling Theater-makers of Cayey), directed by Rosa Luisa Márquez and Antonio Martorell. In 1989 he relocated to Nicaragua to work with the cultural group MECATE and offer theater workshops in rural communities. Later he moved to Vermont where he worked for three years with Bread and Puppet Theatre. Back in Puerto Rico in 1993, he founded Agua, Sol y Sereno together with Cathy Vigo, where he engages with art through the creation of masks, sculptures and visual arts. Adorno has directed ASYS repertoire works, including “Una de cal y una de arena.” He has also directed educational workshops and artistic residencies at the national and international level, and has participated in theater festivals in Europe, Latin America and the United States.

In 2004, together with Emilio Rodríguez, he wrote and directed the feature film “El Clown,” which won two awards for directorial début at the Chicago Latino Film Festival 2007. As a visual artist he has created exhibitions and participated in artistic residencies. He has received various prizes for his cultural work. Adorno completed his Master’s in Art Education from Goddard College in Vermont and Seattle. Apart from holding his position as artistic director of Agua, Sol y Sereno, he works as a professor in the Master of Arts Management program at Puerto Rico University, Recinto de Río Piedras.

To reaffirm our commitment to approach artistic creation from Puerto Rican knowledge, elevating our Afro-Caribbeanness and reconnecting to the ancestry of our earth. We are glad that through our work, our artists working in theater, carnaval and our musical tradition can receive this deserved recognition that our people have fought for while conserving their identity. I am grateful for this support of our artistic, cultural, and community operations with which we continue to investigate our work so that each story we tell becomes a place where we combine the celebration of what we are with a critical thinking that helps us to defend our cultural rights.

Ofelia Esparza, and her daughter Rosanna Esparza Ahrens, represent six and seven generations of altar makers, or “altristas” from their maternal lineage, who were all born and raised in the same town called, Huanimaro, Guanajuato, Mexico. The grandmothers are Martina Rodriguez (b.1784), Anastacia Morado (b.1800), Luz Mendoza (b.1832), Hipolita Tinoco “Mama Pola”(b.1857), Matilde Tinoco (b.1869), Maria Salud Garcia (b.1886), and, Guadalupe Salazar “Mama Lupe” (b.1904).

Mama Pola, Ofelia’s great great grandmother was the culture bearer who imparted her knowledge of food-making, ancestor-honoring and indigenous feast day observances with three generations of her granddaughters, the last one being Mama Lupe, who in turn brought her culture with her to the U.S. via Chicago, IL. (1921), then East Los Angeles, CA (1930). Mama Lupe became the culture bearer for subsequent generations and although she never called herself an artist, her devotion to her family and culture was her art form, demonstrated by her resourceful “making,” from la cocina to la ofrenda (the kitchen to the altar). She taught her daughter, Ofelia (b.1932), that her practice went beyond devotion; it was an obligation to remember the ancestors. Mama Lupe taught through her storytelling, during food prep or paper-crafting for different feast days, while giving meticulous instructions on how to plan, assemble, and declare a space as sacred.

Ofelia was a curious student who absorbed everything she was taught and passed on her knowledge, to her family and beyond – her beloved East L. A. community. Rosanna was also a first hand witness of Mama Lupe’s energy and teachings. She has already taken on the mantle of altar maker, carrying forward the tradition to future generations. The duo have been collaborating together for the last 20 years and Rosanna is now a Master altar maker as designated by her community.

Being Taproot Fellows acknowledges that the work we do as altar makers has created a groundswell of connection and curiosity regarding ancestor and nature honoring in the community and beyond. This recognition acknowledges that collective remembering and collective grieving is an essential practice that deepens to our understanding of our diverse indigenous identities which have universal significance because our kinship with the cosmos.

Bill Harris is a master Catawba potter. Catawba pottery is an indigenous art form that dates back at least 4,000 years and has survived without a generational stop. What began as a tradition of function has extended to a true form of art. Bill was a student of his grandmother, renowned master Catawba potter, Georgia Harris. She taught him how to find the clay needed to make Catawba pottery at the tribal clay hole that has been used for over 500 years. She showed him how to process the clay and how to form the clay using coils. She also showed him how to use river rocks to rub the pots and create the smooth surface of Catawba pottery. Lastly, she showed him the final step of tempering the pots in an open fire, creating the black, gray, and earthy brown colors of the completed product.

After his grandmother died, Bill inherited a box of seashells, broken spoons, and other primitive tools that she used for over 75 years to make her art. When Bill watches his hands making Catawba pottery, he sees his grandmother’s hands. The tradition connects Bill to his grandmother. While he enjoys creating Catawba pottery, the thing that Bill finds most important is to teach others just as my grandmother taught him.

It is an honor to be recognized by an organization of the caliber of ACTA and to have resources that will contribute to the preservation of Catawba Pottery. It is important to receive recognition beyond our community of our over 4,000-year tradition and the art made with our clay. Accredited, outside recognition reminds citizens of Catawba of the significance and value of our art. It acknowledges the past, current, and future artists of Catawba clay. I hope this recognition by ACTA sparks a passion within our community that lights a fire that burns for the next 4,000 plus years.

Carolyn Mazloomi is a well-known artist, curator, and writer who has emerged as a trailblazer, advocate, and visionary in the field, championing the recognition of African American quilts and artists. One of Carolyn Mazloomi’s most notable contributions to the art world is her pivotal role in highlighting the rich heritage and artistic traditions of African American quiltmakers. As the founder of the Women of Color Quilters Network, Mazloomi has worked tirelessly to promote the work of African American quilters, providing a platform for their voices to be heard and their stories to be celebrated. Through exhibitions, publications, and educational initiatives, Mazloomi has helped to elevate the status of African American quilts from craft to fine art, shedding light on the cultural significance and artistic excellence of these often-overlooked works. Through her leadership and mentorship, Mazloomi has fostered a vibrant community of African American quilters, creating a space for dialogue, collaboration, and innovation within the field. She has not only elevated the status of quilting as an art form but also opened doors for underrepresented artists to share their stories and creativity with the world.

In addition to her advocacy for African American quiltmakers, Mazloomi is a prolific artist in her own right, known for her stunning and innovative narrative quilts. Her work, which often explores themes of identity, heritage, social justice, and the African American experience, has been exhibited in museums around the world. Inducted into the Quilters Hall of Fame Museum, Mazloomi is also a 2014 NEA National Heritage Fellow.

Receiving the Taproot Fellowship is validation the work I’ve done in the African American quilt community is meaningful. The funds from the fellowship will allow me to complete works for an exhibition of narrative quilts which focus on racism, class and gender in America. Since many states have laws which prohibit the teaching of these subjects, art has become more important than ever. My narrative quilts are a soft way to tell very difficult stories of our nation’s history.