CURRENT COHORT - CLASS 13
Katherine Tolentino
Katherine Tolentino is a mixed-race Filmmaker & Producer. As a hybrid of several different cultures, she strives to break down stereotypes and bridge cultural divides through her film work. She is Founder and EP at BorderWoman Pictures, a production company focused on narrative storytelling from underrepresented voices. She is also a Co-Founder of Bay Made, a quarterly film screening series that showcases new works by emerging Bay Area filmmakers.
WEBSITE: katherinetolentino.com
LINKEDIN: LinkedIn.com/in/katherinetolentino
MAylea saito
Maylea Saito is a queer Chinese and Japanese American artist and filmmaker from San Jose, California. With an additional background in journalism, community organizing, plus a decade in the food & bev industry, Maylea’s jack-of-all-trades skillset heavily informs her dual creative career today as an emerging muralist and cinematographer. Through her visual art work, Maylea explores the themes of identity, cultural memories, and the intimacy of shared experiences. Behind the camera, she straddles between the two realms of live music and documentary filmmaking, with a love for crewing on film sets of all kinds. Outside of her creative passions, Maylea is an avid solo traveler and outdoor recreationist.
IG: @mayleasaito
Website: http://maylea.co
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/maylea
EMMA VALENTINE
Emma Valentine (she/her) is a queer Korean adoptee raised in the Twin Cities in Minnesota before moving out to San Jose, CA. She is a taiko community organizer and multidisciplinary artist. She graduated from the University of MN with a BA in Theater Arts and has worked on theater and taiko performances in a variety of roles: as a performer, stage manager, teacher, playwright, director, sound/light board op, crew, social media manager/consultant, and communications. Emma brings her knowledge of taiko and theater to enhance both artistic areas.
LIHONG ZHANG
Lihong Zhang is the executive director of Chinese Performing Arts of America (CPAA), a performing arts group. CPAA also hosts a community center for art education and culture exchange. Lihong came to the art community with a solid management background from high tech and non-profit. She believes a community unites us. It is important for all of us to have a sense of community. Art is a universal language. She would like to build a stronger community by showcasing Chinese and other ethnic arts and culture, to speak, to heal and to unite. She also looks forward to opportunities to connect and collaborate with other artists and art organizations to further this mission together.
RAYOS MAGOS
Rayos Magos is a local Chicano artist born and raised in San Jose, CA. In Spanish, “Rayos” translates as rays as well as Mexican slang for (damn, darn, shoot). “Magos” signifies magic, magician, and religious prophet. Therefore, the combination of words is taken to represent the artist's personality and drive to create art as a form of magic. Rayos Magos takes his inspiration from spirituality, psychology, and philosophy. Rayos has a background in Psychology with a specialization in Expressive Arts Therapy. Rayos has worked with youth, families, and adult populations as a community mental health therapist, teacher, and educator for over a decade. Rayos utilizes his deeper understanding of the human psyche as a way to explore personal and universal narratives in his artwork. Rayos combines his interests in mixed media, collage, printmaking, and painting to capture his subject matter.
IG: @rayos_magos
WEBSITE: rayosmagos.com
Edgar Ochoa
Born and raised in San Jose, Edgar Ochoa is an optimistic individual who is passionate about meeting new people and building relationships with folks from all walks of life. Currently, he is the Community Engagement Program Manager at the School of Arts and Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza. Within his role, he oversees the planning of relevant, multicultural programming that celebrates the diverse communities around us. He works closely with a plethora of community partners and artists, in order to activate the East San Jose community hub known as La Plaza.
Edgar is an illustrator and muralist who has led the painting of local community murals with the help of hundreds of South Bay residents of all ages. During his spare time, Edgar enjoys painting and spending time outdoors with his wife and two dogs.
IG: @edgarxochoa
WEBSITE: https://www.facebook.com/EdgarX8a/
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edgarxochoa/
ABI del carmen
Abi Del Carmen is a Mexican-American Aztec dancer and arts administrator based in San Jose, CA. Born in Mexico City, Mexico, her family migrated to San Jose in 1998. At the young age of 10, her father began bringing her along to “danza” where she fell in love with the ceremonial practice. Aztec dancing has been an integral part of her life, as it has allowed her to remain close to her roots. Through dance and her work with Calpulli Tonalequeh, she has worked with several performing arts groups and performed in Teatro Vision’s production of La Llorona. Abi has been a part of the School of Arts and Culture at MHP team for 10 years – she began as a summer camp student and is currently serving as their Administrative and Operations Coordinator. She enjoys being able to support the SOAC’s mission & vision, along with the East Side arts sector. She is able to combine her passion for “danza” and her professional work at La Plaza through the support she provides during their cultural festivals. Abi hopes to continue her education in accounting as a way to continue growing in the nonprofit arts sector.
mILLIE DEL CARMEN
Millie Del Carmen is a first-generation Mexican Aztec dancer and events coordinator. Born and raised in San Jose, CA, she is proud of her ancestral roots and enjoys giving back to her community. Millie became involved with Aztec dancing as a six year-old when she started accompanying her family to “danza.” She is very passionate about animals and their care, which pushed her to earn her veterinary assistant certification in 2019. Millie is currently working at the School of Arts and Culture at MHP. She first became involved in 2011 as a summer camp student. Slowly, she began to help with administrative tasks and eventually was brought on as the Student Services Coordinator. In this role, she was responsible for assisting the Arts Education program and worked with students and low-income families looking for affordable arts classes. She was recently promoted to events coordinator. She is excited to begin working with the events team and ensure the community and arts groups have access to subsidized venues. In her free time, Millie enjoys drawing and painting, watching movies, and reading books.