Latine Contemporary Art Conversation at Anderson Ranch, 2025

Artists and educators Steven Molina Contreras and Carla Fernández joined Anderson Ranch Arts Center President Peter Waanders for a public conversation on the evolving landscape of Latine contemporary art. Together, they explored the role of cultural memory, tradition, and creative innovation in shaping new narratives within the Latine community—both in Colorado and beyond.

Steven Molina Contreras shared insights into his photographic practice, which reimagines domestic spaces and personal histories as acts of resilience and transformation. Carla Fernández spoke to her collaborative design approach, rooted in Mexican textile traditions and indigenous knowledge, reframing fashion as a living archive of culture and resistance.

The conversation highlighted the urgency and depth of Latine artistic voices today, and the importance of sustaining community through art, dialogue, and education.

Visiting Artist Lecture at Anderson Ranch Arts Center, 2023

As part of Anderson Ranch Arts Center’s Summer Lecture Series, Steven Molina Contreras delivered a public talk exploring the themes of migration, memory, and family that inform his photographic practice. He was joined by fellow Visiting Artist Arthur Simms, a sculptor and educator whose internationally recognized work draws on cultural history and personal narrative. The lecture was part of the Ranch’s ongoing commitment to fostering dialogue between artists, educators, and the wider creative community.

Aperture Panel: The Legacy of Louis Carlos Bernal, 2024

On the occasion of the publication of Louis Carlos Bernal: Monografía, photographer Steven Molina Contreras joined author and curator Elizabeth Ferrer and artist Rubén Ortiz-Torres for an intergenerational panel discussion on the life, work, and enduring influence of Louis Carlos Bernal.

Moderated by Nadiah Rivera Fellah and introduced by Rebecca Senf of the Center for Creative Photography, the conversation explored Bernal’s contributions to American photography and the ways contemporary artists continue to expand on his legacy. The dialogue touched on themes of cultural memory, identity, and visibility within Chicanx and Latine communities.

Aperture Magazine: “Latinx” Panel Discussion, 2022

As part of Aperture’s public programming for the Latinx issue (Winter 2022), Steven Molina Contreras joined photographers Genesis Báez and Joiri Minaya in a conversation moderated by writer Karla Cornejo Villavicencio.

The panel explored themes of identity, family, diaspora, and representation in contemporary Latinx photography. Contreras spoke about his tender, ongoing documentation of family life in both the United States and El Salvador, contributing to a larger dialogue on personal and collective histories in the Latinx experience.

Presented by Aperture Foundation.