Meet Vania Soto of West Bottoms

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vania Soto. They and their team shared their story with us below:

Kansas City-based artist, muralist, and art instructor, she is a full-time artist who has focused her career on storytelling by creating murals and commission pieces. She has been an art instructor for 7 years in Kansas City, Kansas, for students ages 10-16. It started as a community After School Class free of charge for the kids and is now grown into entrepreneurial development and created MAS (Monarch Art Space). This organization focuses on creating affordable spaces for artists seeking studio space. MAS is a gallery space with retail opportunities for artists as well.

Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
Being one of the only female muralists has been pretty challenging, especially when men can hire the artist to do the work. Even with an extensive portfolio, they don’t believe that a female could also be capable of getting the job done. This is something that I have learned through applying for big mural jobs. And if it is another female hiring, I almost always get the job. It’s exciting that even in the arts, females still find themselves unable to have their work speak for itself.

Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Inspired by proud cultural icons like Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, she connects with her heritage by maintaining influential traditions from this rich past. Building on this theme, Day of the Dead symbolism is prevalent in her work, again as a way of connecting to the longstanding customs of her family and community and expressing its beauty through art. Her primary media is acrylics, and she also works in mixed media. She describes her work as realism with a pop of surrealism. As a full-time commission artist, she has worked in all media, including murals, portraits, leather painting, and glass painting.

What were you like growing up?
I have always been a creative thinker and a problem solver with an entrepreneurial mindset. My parents instilled that in me. They supported my 13-year-old out-spoken mind. That kind of support helped me in the future. To be an entrepreneur, you have to have a lot of self-confidence that it can be done. I thank my parents for that.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.vaniasoto.com and www.Monarcaartspace.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artista_vaniasoto/?hl=en and https://www.instagram.com/monarca.artspace/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vaniasot0/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/vaniasoto?lang=en