Kristy Sandoval

Kristy is a self-taught muralist who grew up in the Northeast San Fernando Valley, a first-generation Latine Artivist whose work touches on social justice, womyn empowerment, and sustainability. Her brushstrokes have been dedicated to social practices through public art murals, deriving from her development of art education curriculum. Through the healing power of creativity, she, along with other artists, transformed the reputation of the neighborhood through the uprising of mural culture in Pacoima. This recognition went international with becoming the first woman participant in the 2015 Mural Istanbul Festival. Shortly after Sandoval was presented with the 2016 Phenomenal Woman Award by the Department of Gender & Women's Studies from Cal State University Northridge amongst other awards from the City of Los Angeles for her continued practice. For most of 2017, Sandoval worked with Amnesty International in their Art for Amnesty campaign creating art pieces representing individual political prisoner cases from around the world. Having experienced it firsthand, she believes in the healing power of art and keeps green space and sustainability in mind when designing new projects. Her time spent at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco exposed her to formal art training, but she is not afraid to mix and explore new mediums. She's picked up the artist name kSan and a distinct and unique style with her sarape-like dripping texture that is representative of her culture and is ever-changing in its color schemes. Through her current role as Creative Director for Pacoima Beautiful, she is helping lead arts & culture through an environmental justice movement.