Every artist needs a body of work. One painting, or one song, or one role, on stage or the big screen, won’t lead to fame and a successful career. (Don’t tell that to Harper Lee.) Of course, a body of work is necessary but not sufficient. The art has to be good. Engaging. Significant.
For a 22-year-old, Citlali Delgado has amassed a significant body of work. After graduating from New Mexico State University in 2025, Ms. Delgado has been awarded 5 art residencies. A celebration of Citlali Delgado’s Border Art Residency Exhibition, will take place on Thursday, August 13, 2026, from 6:00–8:00 PM at the Foundation Room, 333 N. Oregon St. Border Art Residencies are sponsored by the El Paso Community Foundation.
Ms. Delgado is prolific. She completes some paintings in just two days. Some art takes weeks, depending on the size and subject of the pieces.
But Citali Delgado is already big in the art world.
She sold a piece to the permanent collection at Mexic-Arte, the museum in Austin that ended up with Juan Sandoval’s extensive collection of art by Latino artists.
Ms. Delgado’s father is Fransisco Delgado, an El Paso printmaker, painter, and muralist.
Her name means star in Nahuatl, the language of the old ones. And she’s an emerging star in the art world.
Much of her work is politically charged with themes of immigration and borderland culture.
You can see more of her art at her website.
When I paint, I am reevaluating the many nuances and fantasies others have of the desert, of Mexico, of the United States, and of the border. . . . Trying to take care of the people I paint knowing the artistic agency my work does and does not have, I am to uncover ways in which my communities and I can live with, against, and past the border.
El Paso is culturally unique. Nowhere else on earth offers the contrast and cultural juxtaposition of our borderlands. In a world that’s becoming inexorably homogeneous, our singular culture is our greatest asset. Yet some paseños claim our unique culture is holding us back. How often do you hear our planners comparing us to other cities? We need to celebrate who we are instead of trying to be like every one else.
Citlali Delgado is a fantastic ambassador to show the world who we are.
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