MEZTLI PROJECTS

Meztli Projects supports the creative development of Native and Indigenous artists.

We were founded with the intent to address the severe lack of artistic opportunities for Native and Indigenous Artists as-well-as systems-impacted youth living and creating in Los Angeles County (Tovaangar). This work takes shape in several forms such as for-hire opportunities, advocating for truly equitable resources such as but not limited to funding and culturally authentic (not just relevant) programming, and training future and emerging cultural workers. 

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Rihanna and Antonio Barrera:
Product of Our Environment

Product of Our Environment is a collaboration by siblings Antonio and Rihanna
Barrera honoring their childhood in South Central Los Angeles. 
To learn more about the images in the exhibition, please use this dialogue guide.

Meztli Projects and Quiet Please Pop-Up Present: Product of Our Environment
By Rihanna and Antonio Barrera

Quiet Please: 4932 Whittier Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90022

On View: July 21- August 3, 2024
Opening Reception: July 21, 2024 | 12:30 pm - 6:00 pm


Product of Our Environment is a collaboration by siblings Antonio and Rihanna Barrera honoring their childhood in South Central Los Angeles. Under the direction of Rihanna, they trace personal landmarks revisiting grief and time with an eye toward younger family members' interactions with street life in the present. Through Antonio’s photography and Rihanna’s installation work, they mirror to others what it’s like to grow up in South Central Los Angeles and experience so much heaviness firsthand. This project hopes to break the cycles of intergenerational trauma and honor the resiliency of family members.




About Rihanna Marie Barrera

Rihanna Marie Barrera is a Chicana mixed-media artist born and raised in Los Angeles. She is also an emerging Art Director and Curator currently pursuing an art degree at Cal State University Los Angeles. Her creative practice incorporates the struggles and beauty of her city and the street artists and family ties that make it home. Rihanna recently showcased, “Greetings From South Central,” at the iconic exhibition pop-up Los Angeles Nights. 


About Antonio Barrera Jr


Antonio Barrera Jr is a 22-year-old Mexican American photographer born & raised in Los Angeles. He specializes in street photography, portraits, and creative concepts. He's inspired by the different parts of the city he's lived in and his childhood home of South Central. Antonio's work has been exhibited at Los Angeles Nights, Super Chief Gallery, 2 Live and Die in L.A., and more. As part of the East LA arts scene, he has also curated the solo exhibitions Axbshots Birthday Show in Feb. 2023 and Art on the Blvd in Sept 2023 at Lowlow Streetwear. Antonio’s goal is to shed light on the parts of the city that he knows best.

This exhibition and the Cultural Worker Apprentice (CWA) program is supported by the Care First Community Investment (CFCI) through the Amity Foundation and Los Angeles’ County Justice, Care and Opportunities Department (JCOD).
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Waning Crescent: 
a meztli projects group show


On view: June 12 to July 19, 2025
OXY ARTS: 4757 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042





Exhibition Photos by Miranda Aquino and OXY Arts    
                                                                                    
Waning Crescent, a meztli projects group show        

This group show celebrates the journey of meztli projects in supporting Native and Indigenous artists. The exhibition features works created between 2024 and today by artists engaged in their collaborative ecosystem. These pieces signify a new phase for the artists, showcasing growth into new creative realms. For instance, River Garza and Emilia Cruz have evolved toward sculptural work, Kimberly Robertson's intricate beadwork creations into large beaded tapestries, and Kenneth Lopez's documentary photography blended into woven visions.

Meztli is the Nahuatl word for "moon." For this collective, the moon and its phases symbolize their approach to cultivating relationships with young Indigenous artists, culture bearers, and the general public. Taking time to reflect on important values such as stewardship, the meaning of reindigenizing spaces and technologies, and the deep connection between ceremony and artmaking. Their work mirrors the changing seasons and is responsive to the moment.

A waning crescent represents the small sliver of the moon visible just before it enters the New Moon phase. This exhibition symbolizes what comes next for meztli projects and highlights their partnership with OXY ARTS, which has hosted various creative efforts and exemplifies a nurturing, reciprocal relationship for Indigenous artists and institutional spaces.

Exhibiting artists include:

Rihanna Barrera
CJ Calica
Emilia Cruz
Joel Garcia
River Garza
Skyler Green
Kenneth Lopez
Kimberly Robertson
Aanii Tate
Alexandria Ybarra
Isaac Michael Ybarra.




Exhibition Photos by Miranda Aquino and OXY Arts 


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