Borrowed Light: Homage to My Father

Margaret Vega is a Professor Emerita of Kendall College of Art and Design, where she taught painting, drawing, color theory, and concept design. Her work has been shown widely across the United States and abroad, including exhibitions in Rome, Shanghai, Munich, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. Vega is also the Founding Director of SiteStudio, an organization that brings maker experiences to children within their own communities.

In 2022, Vega created an ofrenda at the Grand Rapids Public Museum to honor her late father, Francisco Miguel Lopez Tapia Nava Vega, an activist who fought for Latinos’ civil rights alongside Cesar Chavez, advised U.S. presidents from John F. Kennedy to George H. W. Bush, and created the first National Scholarship Association for Latino Students. During this ARTbreak, Vega shares insights into the design and selection process involved in making an ofrenda with traditional and historical artifacts.