ITHACA, N.Y. (WENY) -- Yen Ospina, a Colombian American artist, curator, and newly appointed president of the Latino Civic Association experienced a detour in her journey during the pandemic.  

In a period marked by self-isolation and introspection, she discovered a renewed sense of purpose through her roots.  

The self-taught artist started her artistic endeavors back in 2013 when she began to dive into digital art. In 2020, she had been a full-time furniture appraiser in an antique shop that she described as fueling her passion before shortly losing her job due to the pandemic.  When one door closed, another opened, bringing back a sense of purpose in her life. The first-generation queer artist openly admits it took much trial and error before she returned to traditional painting.  

“Now I have my two new series with all this abstract work. So, it's a different relationship that I have with color in this aspect of like, there is so much more emotion than more of the storytelling I do with my digital works.”  

The most recent series uncovers the relationships we humans have with dreams – Ospina says to connect with her dream state, she would fall asleep to specific songs that she would loop on repeat for one to two weeks.  

“I started to paint just really getting lost in all these different sounds that made me feel all these different things. So that was my favorite series.”  

Nonetheless, it was the start of her first series that catapulted her career, exploring the deep-rooted experiences of her family. This emerging concept of generational trauma among Hispanic Americans is starting to reshape discussions surrounding mental health in our households.  

“The first one was about my relationship with my own culture, which had to deal with generational trauma and breaking that trauma. So, it's been really great having every year give myself a goal on what I would like to show people with the subjects that I'm working through myself in art.”  

Now, Ospina has made it her mission to lend a hand to other BIPOC artists through her nomadic gallery, titled “Orozco Gallery,” inspired by her mother’s maiden name.  

“That was a really big inspiration for me to connect with other BIPOC artists and give them the opportunity to showcase their work because in the art world specifically, it's sometimes hard to find those connections or opportunities easily.”  

Serving as a point of contact in Tompkins County for rising artists, she is now able to offer the guidance she once wished she had received. 

“I remember really struggling when I first came here, trying to figure out how to make it and now, since I've gone through trial and error, I've been wanting to pass on information to help other artists make this their whole lives.”  

During the 2020 election, Ospina had the chance to work on a project that still deeply resonates with her today in our current election cycle. During this time, Ithaca Hummus partnered with local artists through Ithaca Murals by giving grants to artists  to paint around the city. Near Press Bay Alley, visitors can spot a mural featuring Lady Liberty with a megaphone, depicting her shouting “VOTE” in bold letters.  

“Throughout the time that this was painted, there was a lot of talk about immigration which made me a little bit scared about my parents. So, it definitely held a place for me because my parents worked so hard to get here that being a Colombian American born here gives me all of these opportunities to give back in a way where I can put my vote and hopefully make a change.” 

When observing the color palette of her pieces, one can notice much of her culture seeping through the artwork. Colombia, known for its’ tropical and vibrant colors throughout the streets and architectural designs, are transmuted in her work.  

“I always was attracted to these colors ever since I was a child and having this a part of me in my artwork feels so much more at home than anything else. So yeah, I love my color palette.”  

On Oct. 13, 2023, Ospina visited WENY for a sit-down interview to talk about the second annual Hispanic Heritage Fiesta. At the time, she was only a volunteer pitching this idea to the Latino Civic Association. Now a year later, she has taken a new role as president. Ospina shares the profound sense of legacy that prompted her to take on the role. 

 

“It's important for people to just make sure it keeps going. The past president Patricia Fernandez really wanted to step down. She was doing it for a very long time, and everything just happened all very quickly, and I wasn't fully prepared to take on as much responsibility,” adding, “but I decided that I was going to do it.” 

The Latino Civic Association is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to serving the Latine community of Tompkins County. The purpose of the organization is to help create civic engagement while guiding members of the community to resources ranging from health to education, and more recently, helping immigrant farm workers.  

“We do work with immigrant farm workers, specifically, this past year, we have been working with CSA West Haven Farm to make sure that there are some urban and rural families that do get significant produce a week to make sure that they're surviving.”  

Since taking over, she’s realized just how difficult it can be to persuade people to dedicate their time to a nonprofit organization.  

“I've been trying to recruit more people that are younger to the Latino Civic Association, and I mean, overall, with everything that's going on in the world, I think it's difficult to keep people a part of things because everybody's exhausted so everybody's going through a lot of stuff.”  

Still, she remains hopeful that in the future more volunteers will be open to carving out time from their day to contribute to the organization.  

Despite low turnout in volunteers, Ospina has been able to receive positive feedback from her community that inspires her to continue to host family-friendly events to bring more attention to LCA. Many attendees express a feeling of gratitude and trust when they find someone of similar background to connect to; whether that be a new friend, a mentor to help with English as a first language, or a local nanny. 

“These community events are a great way to get people together and find what they need just by having conversations.”  

In the events that Ospina organizes, not only does she get the chance to connect with the community, but also experiences a feeling of belonging.  

“It feels like home, really. It feels nostalgic. It feels like I'm around my Colombian family, and my whole family except my mom and my dad, and my brother live in Colombia, so I really wanted to prioritize that in Ithaca, just making sure that when we are going to these events, we know familiar faces, and then by that, we nurture and foster friendships and relationships.”

If you or anyone is interested in becoming a volunteer, the organization is always looking for more hands on deck. For inquiries on how to get involved email [email protected] or visit their website here.