ChangeMakers 2026 Honorees

Featured Speaker and Honoree

Amanda Ekery
GRAMMY® Nominated Multi-Instrumentalist, Vocalist, and Composer

Amanda Ekery creates music filled with imagery and strong narratives. Her work has earned support from the Jerome Foundation, Chamber Music America, and New Music USA, has been featured at the Portland Jazz Festival, Panama Jazz Festival, and The Kennedy Center, and spans Off-Broadway theater, film, and multiple studio recordings.

Árabe is Amanda’s latest release about Syrian and Mexican shared history and culture in El Paso, featuring 12 original songs and accompanying essays in an art book with the history and stories behind each track. Árabe was nominated for “Best Album Notes” for the 2026 GRAMMY® Awards.

She is on faculty at The New School and Fordham University, and was awarded the 2022 Jazz Hero Award from the national Jazz Journalist Association for her dedication to gender equity work with El Paso Jazz Girls, a nonprofit organization Amanda founded and runs in her hometown. Learn more at aekerymusic.com.

Christin Apodaca

Visual Artist

  • Christin Apodaca is a visual artist born and raised in El Paso, Texas, whose work is rooted in storytelling and community connection. Through murals and digital illustration, she creates artwork that reflects the people who live alongside it, centering relationships between past and present, individual and collective memory, and the spaces we move through every day.

    Christin specializes in large-scale exterior murals and interior artworks for community-centered environments. Her work is guided by intuition, empathy, and a deep respect for the stories held within a place.

    Christin sees mural-making as a collaborative act rooted in listening, care, and shared experience. She is especially passionate about uplifting narratives that have been overlooked and creating space for women, culture-bearers, and community voices to be seen and celebrated. Through color, symbolism, and layered storytelling, she creates artwork that feels welcoming, powerful, and deeply connected to lived experience.

Lee Merrill Byrd

Novelist and Publisher

  • Lee Merrill Byrd, novelist and publisher, was born and raised in New Jersey but has spent most of her life in the Southwest. Besides being an award-winning author, Lee is known as a pioneer in publishing children's bilingual books. She and her husband, poet Bobby Byrd, founded Cinco Puntos Press (now a Lee & Low imprint) in 1985. For their work, they received Cultural Freedom Fellowships for Excellence in Publishing from the Lannan Foundation; an Excellence in Publishing Award from the Border Regional Library Association; and Lifetime Achievement Awards from PubWest and the Latino Family Literacy Project. Lee's children’s books include The Treasure on Gold Street, A Neighborhood Story; Juanito Counts to Ten; and Birdie’s Beauty Parlor. She also wrote My Sister Disappears (SMU Press), a collection of short stories; and Riley's Fire (Algonquin), a novel. Lee lives in El Paso, Texas, and has three children and seven grandchildren.

Valeria Contreras

Filmmaker and Founder of Apis Mellifera Productions

  • Valeria Contreras is an award-winning filmmaker from the U.S.-Mexico border whose work elevates underrepresented global stories rooted in resilience, identity, and love. She is a Producers Guild of America Create Fellow, Film Independent Producing Lab Fellow and Fast Track Fellow.

    Her recent short film, “Oranges,” filmed in El Paso, was selected for the National Association of Latino Independent Producers Director Incubator, sponsored by Netflix, and incubated through the El Paso Community Foundation Border Art Residency and Cine Qua Non Storylines Lab in Mexico.

    As a producer, Valeria has championed short films including the acclaimed Colombian film “Not My Name,” recipient of the Focus Features Award for Social and Cultural Impact. Through her company, Apis Mellifera Productions, she is developing international feature films with emerging directors across the U.S., Colombia, Nigeria, and Canada. A graduate of the University of Chicago and Columbia University’s MFA Film Program, she serves as Adjunct Faculty at UTEP and Chair of MCAD.

Kerry Doyle

Director, Rubin Center for the Visual Arts at The University of Texas at El Paso

  • Kerry Doyle is the outgoing Director of the Rubin Center for the Visual Arts at The University of Texas at El Paso.  She specializes in curatorial projects that are interdisciplinary, participatory and performative, with a special focus on the border as subject and site.  Doyle regularly collaborates with individuals and institutions from both El Paso and Ciudad Juarez in the execution of a wide range of interdisciplinary and community-engaged programming. She has curated and organized original exhibitions, commissions and performances by international artists including Tomás Saraceno, Tania Candiani, Regina Jose Galindo, Teresa Margolles, Máximo Gonzalez, Jose Antonio Vega Macotela, Fiamma Montezemolo, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Minerva Cuevas and many others. She was a fellow at the Smithsonian Latino Institute (2009) and the Getty Institute for Museum Leadership (2014). She holds a BA in Political Science from De Paul University, Chicago; a BA in Drawing and Printmaking and an MA in Border Studies from UTEP.

Yvonne Enriquez

Co-Founder, Texas Culinary Institute

  • Yvonne Enriquez, co-founder of Texas Culinary Institute, is an educator, nonprofit leader, and community advocate based in the El Paso–Ciudad Juárez region. Through Texas Culinary Institute, she has created an educational space where cooking is not only taught as a life skill, but practiced as a form of therapy, creative expression, and human connection. Her work centers on supporting emotional well-being, confidence, and personal growth for children, adults, caregivers, and underserved communities through hands-on culinary education.

    In addition to her educational work, Yvonne leads nonprofit initiatives including Feeding Wisdom, which provides scholarships and community-based culinary programs, and Hearts to Be Healed, an organization focused on supporting caregivers through creative and therapeutic experiences. Rooted in the belief that food, art, and education can heal and empower, Yvonne’s work strives to create meaningful, lasting impact by fostering resilience, creativity, and community through the therapeutic power of cooking.

Soila Hernández Fierro

Artist

  • Soila Hernández Fierro grew up in the heart of segundo barrio on 9th street, as close to our sister city Juarez as one can get.  Raised by a single mom, Soila and her 4 siblings attended  south side schools and Sacred Heart church. Soila’s mom Magdalena  was a hard working activist  for her beloved community as well. It’s no wonder that Soila naturally followed suit, passing on these endearing qualities to her 4 children. 

    At a young age Soila discovered a love for art which gave her purpose and an identity especially during difficult times. 

    As Soila continued to unfold as an artist, her creative side evolved as well.  From paper and pen to exquisite clay designs, murals and work on the farm at La Semilla, Soila has taken her gifts back to the community by sharing her knowledge through workshops at the MACC and Segundo Barrio. 

    It all seems to come full circle as Soila’s roots take hold and encounter  the true beauty in art begins w nature!

Maria Garcia

Writer & Executive Editor of Futuro Studios

  • Maria Garcia is the Executive Editor of Futuro Studios, a podcast studio based in New York City, where she oversees documentary and long-form narrative podcasts. She is also the host and creator of the critically acclaimed podcast, Anything for Selena, which was named one of the best podcasts of the year by The Atlantic, Vulture, Time, Vogue and many more. Anything for Selena was also named a series essential by Apple Podcasts, a distinction awarded to the most impactful podcasts in the history of the form. Maria was also named podcast newcomer of the year by Apple Podcasts in 2021. In 2024, Maria created and hosted My Divo, an Apple Original podcast about Mexican icon Juan Gabriel and Maria’s own queer and Mexican roots. My Divo was the first Apple Original podcast released in both English and Spanish and reached #1 in the global charts in its category one day after debut. She has edited and helmed other award-winning podcasts, like Stars and Stars, The Sum of Us, and La Brega, the latter of which the New York Times and The New Yorker named one of the best podcasts of the year. Maria began her career in El Paso as an investigative television reporter.

Andrea Gates-Ingle

Executive Director & Co-Founder, Creative Kids + oLo Gallery

  • Andrea Gates-Ingle is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Creative Kids and the oLo Gallery, a nationally recognized creative youth development program that has spent three decades championing the transformative power of the arts. A graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso with a degree in Special Education, Andrea has dedicated her career to building a sanctuary for youth across the El Paso and Southern New Mexico border region.

    Under her leadership, Creative Kids provides vital creative healing for pediatric oncology patients, under-resourced and incarcerated youth, as well as families navigating the aftermath of the August 3rd tragedy. Her lifelong commitment to turning adversity into possibility will be honored next month with the prestigious Open Hearts Award, presented by Jane Seymour in Malibu, California recognizing Andrea's lifelong work of unwavering compassion and service.

Salathia M. Graham

Chief Executive Officer, The Graham Agency for Process Improvement and Brand Development, LLC and The Face Architect Makeup Artistry and More LLC.

  • Georgia native and Army veteran Salathia M. Graham is the Chief Executive Officer of The Graham Agency, LLC. After relocating to the Sun City in 2020, she quickly established herself as one of El Paso’s most recognized professional makeup artists, earning the Fan Favorite Award from Black Excellence El Paso. A graduate of the Effingham County, Georgia School System, Graham holds a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Management and has successfully launched three limited liability companies, including her newest venture, The Graham Agency.


    Committed to continuous growth, she is currently pursuing her MBA while expanding her expertise through Lean Six Sigma training. Despite the many influential relationships formed through military service and higher education, Graham credits her mother as her greatest inspiration. She often reflects on her mother’s unmatched work ethic and encouragement, sharing that her guidance provides motivation and strength whenever challenges arise.

Rosa Ramirez Guerrero

Artist, Educator, Dance Historian, and Humanitarian

  • Rosa Ramirez Guerrero of El Paso, Texas, is an artist, educator, dance historian, and humanitarian.  Her efforts have enhanced her commitment in promoting cultural awareness around the United States. She has also taught for EPISD, The El Paso Community College and at The University of Texas at El Paso.  Mrs. Guerrero was the first of seven children in her family to graduate and earn her BA and MA from Texas Western College, now the University of Texas at El Paso.

    Mrs. Guerrero founded and became the artistic director of the International Folklorico Dance Group.  Her film “Tapestry,” based upon creating cultural harmony and understanding, was honored with a national award for documentary filmmaking.  She was awarded a lifetime membership with the Texas PTA and was the first Hispanic woman in El Paso to have a school, Rosa Guerrero Elementary, named in her honor.

    She has been honored with many local, national, and international honors for her efforts as a humanitarian, which includes being a Distinguished Alumni of The University of Texas at El Paso, Inductee into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame, the Valley Forge Freedoms Foundation Award, the LULAC Arts and Humanities Award, the NEA Human Civil Rights George T. Sanchez Award, and the Mexican Consulate OHTLI Award for her work with Mexican Americans and other minorities.

    Rosa Guerrero wanted to be a teacher since the third grade.  Her own teachers in the early 1940’s and 1950’s were not kind and did not understand her cultural background.  She, like thousands of others, was punished for speaking Spanish in school.  This was the reason she became an educator and swore to never punish her students for their racial and cultural differences.

    Rosa Guerrero has been called “a tapestry of many cultures whose mission is to share this tapestry of cultural diversity, and how it is woven, with all people.”  She continues her mission of love, peace, and cultural understanding to this day as an educational consultant giving presentations and lectures.

Abeni Janae

Musician, Educator, Public Speaker

  • Abeni Janae is a singer-songwriter, keyboardist, composer, producer, and public speaker from El Paso, Texas. A UTEP alumna, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Commercial Music in Voice and a Master of Music Composition degree, earned with honors in May 2025.

    Abeni Janae is the youngest composer signed to the internationally renowned publisher Carl Fischer Music and has had her works premiered at Carnegie Hall and in Leeds, England. She serves as bandleader of the AJM Collective and has performed at notable events including the El Paso Black Hall of Fame and the 2024 and 2025 Juneteenth Celebrations.

    Named one of UTEP’s Top Ten Seniors for the Class of 2024, she was also featured on the Amazon Prime series The College Tour. Janae currently serves as an adjunct professor at UTEP, a music editor for various publications, and a music consultant. She is launching a multidisciplinary arts project in 2026.

Marta Katz

Founder and Executive Director, El Paso Ballet Theatre

  • Ballet has been the defining pursuit of my life, serving as both a rigorous discipline and a profound medium for expression. The art form represents a unique intersection of physical strength and emotional expression. My dedication to it stems from a deep-seated love for the storytelling, and beauty inherent in every movement. Dance has been present in my life since the age of nine, dancing in many ballets while in the National Company in Mexico City. I have a degree from UTEP where I taught for three years in the gifted program under Ingeborg Heuser. I taught ballet at EPCC for twelve years for their Associate of Dance degree program and was Kids Excel El Paso’s first director. I founded El Paso Youth Ballet, now El Paso Ballet Theatre, in 2009 and have presented varied performances, including classical, contemporary works, and original choreography. I am currently Executive Director of EPBT.

Monica Lozano

Photographer

  • Monica Lozano is a Mexican-American photographer born in El Paso, Texas, and raised in Ciudad Juárez. With more than two decades of experience, her work investigates transnational migration through socially engaged portraiture, foregrounding questions of human rights, belonging, and dignity. In 2008, she earned a Master’s degree in Fine Art Photography in Madrid, Spain. Her work has since been exhibited internationally and featured in major publications, including Portrait of Humanity by the British Journal of Photography and Magnum Photos, Witness by World Press Photo, and The New York Times. In 2011, she completed the Photo Global residency at the School of Visual Arts in New York, receiving the Presidential Scholarship. Based in El Paso, Texas, Lozano continues to examine themes of migration and the construction of belonging across borders. Her latest collaborative project, What Remains, merges art, research, and education to explore the intimate dimensions of migration and human connection.

Adair Margo

Founder, Tom Lea Institute & Arts Advocate

  • As an El Paso native, it’s been natural for Adair Margo to cross international borders.  Her life’s mission, in fact, is to connect people of good will across boundaries.  

    She’s done it through the arts and the humanities, owning Adair Margo Gallery (1985-2010) where she exhibited 400 artists from 12 countries.  She’s done it through chairing the Texas Commission on the Arts and the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities – and by serving on the US National Commission for UNESCO.  After 9-11, she strengthened U.S. relationships with Mexico, bringing- in the words of Laura Bush- “a little bit of El Paso into the White House.”  

    Adair founded the Tom Lea Institute in 2009.  She’s been recognized by a U.S. and two Mexican presidents, and by the mayors of El Paso and Juarez.  Adair is married to former mayor Dee Margo, has two children and five grandchildren.  

Erica Marin

Director, El Paso Museum of History

  • Erica Marin is the first born and raised El Pasoan, Chicana/Latina to be appointed as a director of the El Paso Museum of History earning a written resolution in The State of Texas House of Representatives under former State Congressman Art Fierro. During her time at the museum, Marin has been a critical driver in pivoting the museum’s direction to community-driven exhibitions that celebrate cultural and civic contributions by more diverse communities. The approach, which resulted in exhibitions like “Low & Slow: Lowrider Culture on the Border” and “Chicano Power: A Force for Change and Progress in El Paso.” Marin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts/Museum Conservation from New Mexico State University and a Master’s in Public History from The University of Texas at El Paso - UTEP. Before joining the El Paso Museum of History, Marin served as an independent curator. She also teaches part-time at UTEP under the Chicano Studies program. When time allows, she focuses her creative work on identity and memory.

Gris Muñoz

Poet & Author

  • Gris Muñoz is an Indigenous Chicana poet, writer, and leather craftsman from El Paso, Texas. She is the author of Coatlicue Girl, a bilingual collection of poetry and short stories named a finalist for the John A. Robertson Award for Best First Book of Poetry by the Texas Institute of Letters. Described as a work rooted in Xicana experience and cultural memory, the collection explores spirituality, identity, indigeneity, and the politicized body. Her writing has appeared in The Rumpus, Huizache, Tasteful Rude, and The Smithsonian Latino Center, and she has been featured by the Texas Book Festival and The Big Read New Mexico. Her work most recently appears in We Are Nature Defending Itself, an Anthology of Women on Bodies, Borders, and Place, published by Texas A&M University Press. Gris is of Northern Chihuahuan Apache and Yaqui descent and writes of the border, Curanderismo, ceremony, and survival.

Rebecca Ann Muñoz

Director, El Paso Mexican American Cultural Center

  • Tracy J. Yellen is the Chief Executive Officer of the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, Paso del Norte Community Foundation and a growing community of philanthropy leading the strategic direction, board governance, investment management, grantmaking, development, communications and administration to advance health, education, social services, economic development, and quality of life in the binational, tri-state region. Tracy has more than 30 years of experience working with nonprofit and governmental organizations. She is active in the El Paso community currently serving on the boards of the PHIX Health Information Exchange, Fundacion Paso del Norte, and ROICOM. She is past chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas-El Paso Branch Board and University Medical Center of El Paso. She has additionally served on the boards of the Borderplex Alliance, YWCA El Paso, Women’s Fund of El Paso, Mesita, Wiggs, and El Paso High School PTAs, and The Johns Hopkins University. Tracy earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Studies from The Johns Hopkins University and Masters in Public Administration from the University of Texas at El Paso. Tracy is married and has two young adult children.

Josey Pickett, Ph.D.

Fine Arts Facilitator, Socorro ISD & Artistic Director, Somos Performance Group

  • Josey Pickett, Ph. D. is a native El Pasoan, mother, interdisciplinary artist, researcher, and educator. She is a proud UTEP alum with a Ph.D. in Teaching, Learning, & Culture, M.Ed., and B.F.A. in Dance Performance. She is a Fine Arts Facilitator for Socorro ISD where she has worked to earn the designation as a District of Distinction from the Texas Educational Theater Association, Texas Thespians, and the Educational Theater Association as well as expand educational opportunities in dance through the Breaking Ground Dance Festival and Convention. As Artistic Director of Somos Performance Group, she works with the community to expand offerings of local, diverse, and inclusive performing arts experiences. As a freelance stage director, choreographer, and performer she is honored to have worked with: El Paso Opera, Opera UTEP, UTEP Dinner Theatre, UTEP Department of Theatre and Dance, NMSU Department of Theatre Arts, Abilene Christian University, Mountain Movement Dance Company, Zilker Theatrical Productions, and Broadway by the Bay. Somos más fuertes juntos.

Candace Printz

Assistant Director of Fine Arts, Socorro ISD & President, Green Hope Project

  • Candace Printz taught high school art for fifteen years and is now the Assistant Director of Fine Arts for Socorro ISD. She received a BA in art education from the University of Texas at El Paso and a MAE from Texas Tech, University in Lubbock.


    She has won recognition for promoting environmental awareness through the Arts, including receiving the Texas Environmental Educator of the Year Award. She was the recipient of the $10,000 Be More Grant, founded by the Nobel family, was the winner of the It’s Your World contest, which resulted in Chelsea Clinton recognizing her. She was the Socorro ISD Teacher of the Year and was a finalist for the H.E.B. Excellence in Education Award two years in a row. 


    In 2019, Candace created the non-profit Green Hope Project, which focuses on art, education, and environmentalism. In 2022, Printz spearheaded the creation of a 64' recycled plastic mural, depicting a mountain lion in downtown El Paso. Candace aims to bring inspiration, art education, innovation, and positive change to the world.

Yasmín Ramírez

Author & Professor of English and Creative Writing, El Paso Community College

  • Yasmín Ramírez is an author and Professor of English and Creative Writing at El Paso Community College. She is the author of ¡Ándale, Prieta!: A Love Letter to My Family, an award-winning memoir that explores grief, identity, and the strength of matriarchal lineage along the U.S.–Mexico border. A recipient of the International Latino Book Award and the Southwest Book Award, Ramírez’s work centers bilingual storytelling, cultural memory, and the lived realities of border communities. Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, her writing reflects the richness of life between cultures and languages, challenging dominant narratives while honoring family, resilience, and voice. In addition to her creative work, she is a dedicated educator and mentor committed to empowering emerging writers to tell their stories with authenticity and intention.

Judy Robison

Community Leader and Philanthropist

  • A lifelong community leader and philanthropist, Judy Robison has dedicated decades to strengthening El Paso through education, arts, and civic engagement. Her leadership has supported organizations including the El Paso Symphony, Paso del Norte Community Foundation, Texas Cultural Trust, and the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence Foundation. Recognized with numerous honors including El Paso Inc. Woman of Impact and the El Paso Opera Maestro Award, Judy’s work continues to shape the cultural and philanthropic landscape of the region.

DJ Rodriga Rockmore

Vinyl DJ

  • Rodriga Rockmore is a vinyl DJ born and raised in the El Paso, Texas – Cd. Juárez, Chih. region. Raised in a family that instilled a love for music early on, the borderland’s rhythms of cumbias, rancheras, and Mexican folklore, soon became a lifelong passion that turned into collecting and spinning vinyl records. Rodriga made her DJ debut in 2004, and has since performed across El Paso, Cd. Juárez, and Las Cruces.

    As a pioneer for aspiring DJs in the Frontera, Rodriga has created and led workshops for women and youth, fostering safe spaces to explore and master the art of vinyl. With over two decades of experience, she has been at defining moments in El Paso’s cultural history.  Her sets honor the intersection that define the borderland and openly celebrate the proud identity of all Fronterizos.  Rodriga’s sets have reached international stages through her work on Twitch, NTS, YouTube, and Mixcloud.

Rubí Orozco Santos

Borderland Poet and Cultural Organizer

  • Rubí Orozco Santos (she/they) is a borderland poet, parent, and cultural organizer. She strives to understand place with a courageous heart—facing fuller histories, naming harms, uplifting undervalued traditions, and shaping a reparative future story.

    Her documentary poetry book, Inventos Míos, received the 2019 Tejas Poetry Book Award from the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies. Her work has been featured in podcasts and public radio programs including Proof (from America’s Test Kitchen), Toasted Sister, and State of the Arts.

    Rubí currently serves as Director of Storytelling and Development at La Semilla Food Center, where she leads regional cultural organizing and narrative change initiatives including the Chihuahuan Desert Cultural Fellowship and the zine Food, Land, and Us: A Look at the Farm Bill from the Paso del Norte Region. She is also the editor of the anthology The First Year of Life: Recipes of Care from the Frontera.

Stacey Hunt Spier

Community Advocate and Volunteer

  • Stacey Hunt Spier is a dedicated community advocate and volunteer. As a representative of the Hunt Family Foundation, she works closely with community funders. Since 2002, Stacey has been actively involved in various civic, charitable, and educational organizations. Some of these include Kid Excel, The Paso Del Norte Children’s Development Center, Amor Por Juarez, the Lydia Patterson Institute, and the Junior League of El Paso. Currently, she serves on the board of directors for the El Paso Art Museum Foundation, Paso Del Norte Community Foundation, and the El Paso Opera, where she previously served as Chairman of the Board for three terms. Additionally, Stacey is a founding leadership cabinet member for the Paso del Norte Center at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute.

    In recognition of her exceptional leadership, support, and efforts to engage the community, Stacey received the National Trustee Recognition Award in 2019 from the El Paso Opera. Furthermore, in 2022, she received the prestigious Maestro Award, which honors individuals who have made remarkable contributions to the arts.

    Stacey holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Southern Methodist University and a post-graduate degree in Occupational Therapy from The University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. For ten years, she practiced as an Occupational Therapist specializing in adult brain injury, working in San Francisco and El Paso.

Rachelle Thiewes

Jewelry Artist and Metalsmith

  • Rachelle’s jewelry is in the permanent collections of many US and European museums including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The National Museums of Scotland, Victoria & Albert Museum, and the Art Institute of Chicago. In 2009 Rachelle was named Texas Master by the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and in 2014 The Stanlee & Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts honored her with the Access & Excellence in the Arts Award.  Rachelle is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Visual Artist Fellowship and designated the 2023 Master Metalsmith by the Metal Museum. Rachelle received the University of Texas Regents Outstanding Award for Teaching, and Distinguished Achievement Awards for Research and Teaching at the University of Texas El Paso where she is Professor Emerita in the Department of Art.

Janace Walker

CEO/Founder of JunkApproved Clothing
Founder of the El Paso Black Arts Association
President of the El Paso Black Chamber of Commerce

  • JunkDredz is a multidisciplinary creative rooted in bold self-expression, cultural pride, and unapologetic individuality. Known for blending visual art, storytelling, and community engagement, JunkDredz moves fluidly between canvas, digital spaces, and live experiences. With a style that fuses Afrocentric influence, street aesthetic, and contemporary edge, their work speaks to resilience, identity, and elevation. Beyond artistry, JunkDredz is a connector building platforms that spotlight emerging talent while honoring legacy voices. As a curator and cultural advocate, they have helped bring immersive art experiences to life, creating spaces where creativity and community intersect. Whether through curated exhibitions, collaborative projects, or personal pieces, JunkDredz’s mission remains clear: inspire authenticity, empower others to own their narrative, and transform pain into power. With every project, the brand continues to grow not just as an artist, but as a movement grounded in vision, voice, and vibrant impact.

Bobbie Welch

Vice-President, El Paso International Music Foundation

  • From her start working with bands during the inception of the first punk rock era to booking the first major concert in the U.T.E.P. Sun Bowl after its closure for decades – U2’s Zoo TV Tour -  as well as the hundreds of concerts booked at the Don Haskins Center, the NMSU Pan American Center, and the local music venue Tricky Falls, Bobbie Welch has been thoroughly entwined with the El Paso area music scene for almost fifty years.  Throughout this time, Bobbie has always been aware of the incredible talent of our local musicians and has promoted them whenever possible.  Now in her role at the El Paso International Music Foundation, she is more involved with advocating for local talent, as well as working with area musicians to educate them on safe practices for touring, including the critical importance of taking care of physical and mental health for longevity in the business.

Thank you to 2026’s Event Sponsors

The Curators of Change