Meet Kristy Sandoval of Prevail Studio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristy Sandoval.

Hi Kristy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey to art was not a defined one. Always knew I wanted to be a creative but wasn’t sure in what medium. It wasn’t until I started college at an Art School in San Francisco that I truly explored it all. Diving into photography, illustration, painting, architecture and even spoken word poetry. I loved it all. It fed my soul. It wasn’t until I came back to Los Angeles that murals came into play. Having the murals of the Mission District in the bay fresh in my mind I began to envision my old neighborhood in a more colorful, culturally vibrant and expressive space – but where would I start? Arts education! In 2008 my search for more artists led me to discover that there weren’t many creative spaces in Pacoima. This initiated my efforts to offer mural design classes with me as the facilitator. I sought to motivate the next generation to paint their stories and history on the walls of their streets. With one class, the demand quickly grew. Soon I was teaching classes six days a week in different locations throughout the city. Each class was filled with brilliant young minds and aspiring artists. We painted walls indoors and eventually moved to outdoor spaces. Then we scored the Myke’s Cafe wall on Van Nuys in Pacoima. This was a defining moment for many reasons. One, it was the biggest wall I would take on at that time. Two, I was specifically sought out because of my approach of working with youth and focusing on social justice issues that impact our communities of color. Three, I met several other muralists and shortly after, we agreed to focus our public art initiative down Van Nuys Blvd, creating a cultural landmark that would put Pacoima on the map and set off our muralist careers. The year was 2012 and I was a new mom with a six months old kiddo.

From here my desire to paint my own murals grew, painting Freedom Fighter with the help of an all-women crew. Later we became the HOODsisters, the first all-womyn mural group in Los Angeles. We painted more murals as a group but I also continued painting murals as a solo artist. ”Decolonized” on Bradley and Van Nuys was the next defining moment. This mural brought great esteem for the unique way I used the awning as a skirt and the window as a cage, using the already existing elements to create a three-dimensional design featuring a woman releasing butterflies and birds out of a cage. It is my most celebrated mural to this day. After this, it was a series of projects and murals, teaching gigs, speaking engagements and momlife. Going international in 2014 with being the first woman muralist for the Mural Istanbul Festival and traveling with Amnesty International as part of their Art for Amnesty campaign. Murals for me are a form of activism. With this platform, I do my best to address social justice issues impacting our communities. Through my current role as Creative Director for Pacoima Beautiful, I am helping lead arts and culture through an environmental justice movement. My work with murals continues and am learning to create more studio art.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road. Learning to become a muralist for one was a challenge. With all the equipment and the scale constantly growing I had to learn techniques that best fit my style. Being a woman in a field that was male-dominated wasn’t easy either. With many folks questioning if I could get the job done, after having several murals under my belt, that became easier. The greatest challenge for me was learning to run my own business and navigating the many bureaucratic processes that came with gaining permission for a public art mural to go up. Finding the funding has become easier with time as well as the city of Los Angeles has really given mural art its place once again after having been banned for so many years.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Prevail Studio?
Prevail Studio started as a way to represent established, aspiring and new artists. Through my mural work, I was exposed to many creative projects including interactive museums and pop-up galleries. Having worked in the curatorial department for one of these, I learned about the back end of it all. This motivated me to create an experience in the valley. With the first project being the Heart Museum, I organized an interactive experience that brought artists of all backgrounds together to transform a local space in Pacoima into an expression of LOVE and all its beauty and heartache. Prevail Studio produces cultural arts events and helps support the growth of creative leaders in our communities. We create a path for a successful artist career by bringing artists together to explore new methods of expression.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
As a kid I was very shy, mostly keeping to myself and soft-spoken. Second born out of four, I am the proud daughter of immigrant parents. Growing up with that feeling of being in an in-between space. Being from neither here nor there, it was a confusion I was not aware of until I moved away. I loved to read, constantly with my nose in a book and hanging out in the poetry section of the library or bookstore. It was here where I first picked up one of Frida Khalo’s diaries and began to learn of her work. My parents kept us busy on weekends with exploring the mountains or taking us to hang out with family in Tijuana.

Contact Info:

• Website: kristysandoval.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ksan.pinta
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristysan/