Biography

Jacqueline Valenzuela (b. 1997 East Los Angeles, CA) received a BFA in Drawing and Painting from California State University, Long Beach (2019). Valenzuela has a forthcoming MFA in Drawing and Painting from University of California, Los Angeles (2027). Her work has been exhibited nationally, including the South Gate Museum, Mexic-Arte Museum, Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, The Mexican Center for Culture and Cinematic Arts of the Mexican Consulate, The Cheech—Riverside Art Museum, the Brand Library & Art Center, Muzeo Museum, and Elverhøj Museum. Valenzuela’s work has been highlighted in both online and printed publications of LAist, Remezcla, a special re-issue of Lowrider Magazine, Juxtapoz and Gata Magazine. In 2023 she participated in the inaugural cohort for the Ellsworth Residency at ArtShare L.A.. Valenzuela has now served on the judges panel for the third and fourth residency cohorts. She was a 2023-2024 CAC Individual Artist Fellow for Los Angeles County. And is currently one of the 2024-2025 Professional Artists Fellows for Long Beach City Arts Council. Valenzuela was the Spring 2024 artist-in-residence for A Room of One's Own at Blue Roof Arts. She was recently one of the fourteen artist-in-residence for Sound System:An Experimental Residency, with the Torrance Art Museum, June 2024. In Fall of 2024 Jacqueline will have her debut museum solo exhibition, “Con Safos, Con Fuerzas”, with the Bakersfield Museum of Art (BMoA). 

Valenzuela’s art practice expands beyond an exhibition career into the curator sector. An ongoing project of Jacqueline’s is coming up on its third iteration. “L.A. to S.A.”, has been a collaborative exchange between Los Angeles and San Antonio artists and galleries. In Winter of 2025, Valenzuela will be partnering with her representative gallery, Munzón Gallery, and Presa House to bring together a group of 20 artists.

At the heart of Valenzuela’s artistic pedagogy is a necessity for community outreach to historically underprivileged communities such as the one she is a part of. She has facilitated lowrider inspired workshops with the Ontario Museum of History & Art. Jacqueline’s “Build Your Own Lowrider” workshop will be integrated into Summer 2024’s OC Fair for Chicano History Month. The workshop will also be included as educational programming with the Petersen Automotive Museum during their exhibition, “Best in Low”. As well as permanently included by the Petersen as a Post-Visit activity for visiting LAUSD schools. Valenzuela is currently working on expanding this workshop with other local museums, schools and governments. Jacqueline has also served twice on the judges panel for the annual student art exhibition at her Alma Mater, Whittier High School. Before becoming a full-time artist she was working as a teaching artist in the non-profit sector in the greater Los Angeles area.

Valenzuela is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice is centered around depicting her personal experiences as well as the storytelling of other women who like her are in the Chicano world of lowriding.  Her art practice reflects the deep roots she has planted in the lowrider community by bridging the gap between fine art and this underrepresented community.

Photo by Argel Rojo, Courtesy of Los Angeles Performance Practice