Jonathan Herrera Soto

Where are you originally from and how did you hear about MCAD?

I am originally from Chicago, Illinois. I heard about MCAD through the portfolio reviews they made at my high school back in 2013 or 2012. 

What kind of work do you do?

I am a print-based studio artist. 

What was your major and how did you choose it?

Although I started my BFA at MCAD as a drawing and painting major, I ended up graduating with a major in print paper book. I painted as a high school student and figured it would be the path I'd pursue as a college student. I remember taking a painting course with John Gaunt, and my final project manifested in a series of forty-three paintings dedicated to the students who were made to disappear in Iguala, Mexico in 2014. Because of its quantity, he recommended I take a print course to expand the vocabulary of multiples that was developing in my work. After taking a couple of courses in the print department at MCAD I knew it would be the path I would follow for the remainder of my undergraduate career.

Who was your favorite teacher and why?

I have many favorite teachers that influenced me at MCAD. My academic advisor Natasha Pestich was and continues to be a mentor of mine in regards to my practice. As a student, she helped nurture the communal and societal aspects of my practice as an activist, as well as helped me prioritize and set boundaries around the time spent on my individual work in the studio. 

How do you feel about the Twin Cities?

I miss it often when I'm away, and it'll always have a spot in my heart and my practice. 

Where are you located now?

I move around a lot these days, but my studio home base is Minneapolis, Minnesota.

What advice do you have for current MCAD students?

Find the balance between work and the rest of your life. MCAD helps prioritize your practice, but you are not the work you make. Do not export your feeling of affirmation as a human being in the success you find in your career. I am now learning how to find happiness outside of my work, and I would advise starting this process as a student. 

What led to your current work as a studio artist?

After graduating in 2017 with my BFA, I taught textiles and screenprinting at Juxtaposition Arts for a year. It was the best job I have ever had, with various nurturing and energizing aspects to the work I did with youth. During the summer of 2018, I made the difficult decision not to renew my teaching contract for the following year because I decided to focus my time on my artwork for a while. I now keep myself busy with participating in artist residencies, putting together exhibitions of my work, curating projects, and financially supporting my studio practice with artist grants, stipends, and fellowships. 

How do you network yourself and your art?

Initially, I used business cards and networked very intentionally at artist receptions in-person. Later on, this becomes less and less necessary, but I think it is important in the beginning. 

Current obsession?

I have taken up jogging recently!

Biggest takeaway from MCAD?

One of the most fruitful qualities MCAD offers, or at least what greatly molded my experience, is the small size of the institution. Professors, staff, administration, and other students all are so much more proximate on campus, which makes collaboration and the exchange of ideas more fluid and direct. 

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