Jessica Lagunas

Founder & Creative Art Director | Toluca, Mexico

Jessica Lagunas is the Founder of IDEAL PDX and serves as a Creative Art Director, Curator, Mixed Media Artist, and Art Educator Advocate. Her work focuses on enhancing spaces, sharing her cultural heritage, and uplifting the Latino artistic community in Oregon. Lagunas has collaborated with Centro Milagro, Cargo, The City of Portland, and many other organizations to curate events and cultural experiences, including Día de Muertos celebrations and community workshops across the city.

As a tireless advocate for artists across all disciplines, she fosters connections, provides professional training, and helps showcase artwork throughout Portland. Her leadership has opened pathways for emerging artists, strengthened community engagement, and supported culturally rooted arts education.

Lagunas has directed several major commissions, including the mural “Frida Kahlo and Diego Are Here” for the Portland Art Museum and the interior art for Las Adelitas Affordable Living, created by Hacienda CDC.

Her most recent works include:

  • Curator and Director of Art for La Plaza Esperanza, Latino Network’s new cultural building, where she led the artistic vision, exhibition design, and cultural programming for its inaugural celebrations.

  • Serving as Art Director and Curator for the Arts and Residence program with Mullowney Printing, where she curated the exhibition Tributo a Mis Muertos, collaborating closely with master printer Paul Mullowney. This exhibition highlighted the work of the IDEAL PDX Collective under her direction.

  • Hosting, coordinating, and supporting the residency of international artist Santiago Savi during his Arts and Residence stay, ensuring his work was meaningfully integrated into the community and the exhibition.

Through her continued leadership of IDEAL PDX and her commitment to community-rooted artistic practice, Lagunas remains a guiding force in Portland’s cultural landscape—ensuring that Latino art, artists, and traditions continue to thrive for generations.