Ariana Enriquez, a Chandler artist, described her solo exhibition Con cariño siempre (With Love Always) at the Chandler Center for the Arts as a “love letter” to her family that transforms private stories into public art.

Enriquez said the show grew from ordinary family conversations — “stories that my family shares, around the dinner table or in the living room with cups of coffee” — and that she selected species and imagery to represent relatives. She explained that two broad‑billed hummingbirds in a painting represent her great‑grandparents and carry spiritual meaning for her grandmother, and that sunflowers reference her mother and the metaphor of deep roots. “I knew that I wanted the hummingbirds to be featured and to represent my great grandparents,” she said.

The exhibition at the Chandler Center for the Arts is Enriquez’s first solo gallery show; she described it as a full‑circle moment because she previously exhibited at the venue as a student and performed there in high school. Enriquez also described how she adapts work across formats — murals, traffic box wraps and gallery pieces — by asking who the audience is and selecting species or motifs that reflect neighborhood values. “Is it a mural that’s out in the public…or is it a more intimate piece in a gallery? I always like to clarify that for myself in the beginning,” she said.

Enriquez credited the Chandler arts community for issuing calls for art and commissioning local artists, noting the city’s willingness to trust emerging artists without prior public‑art experience. She said those opportunities helped her pursue public art and described the Commonwealth mural as a project that gave her permission to pursue that path, even during the quieter pandemic period when the work was completed.

She closed with advice for young creatives: share your personal story despite vulnerability because it creates points of connection. The host ended the episode by highlighting Chandler’s creative community and encouraging residents to support local artists.

Why it matters: Enriquez’s exhibit demonstrates how municipal arts programming, public‑art commissions and gallery opportunities can elevate local stories, create career pathways for emerging artists and connect cultural symbolism to neighborhood identity.