Ashley Perez

Ashley Perez is a San Antonio artist whose painting and drawing practice explores themes of memory, identity, and mental health, often weaving together imagery from the natural world with playful, expressive language. She earned her B.F.A. in Painting from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2010.

With more than 15 years of experience as an arts educator, Perez has worked extensively in schools and nonprofit organizations, nurturing creativity and access to the arts for young people across the city. Her artwork has been featured in exhibitions at Centro de Artes, The Contemporary at Blue Star, the McNay Art Museum, Presa House, Ruiz-Healy Art, and the Cultural Commons Gallery.

Perez has received multiple honors for her artistic contributions, including the 2019 National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures Fund for the Arts Grant and the 2023 City of San Antonio Individual Artist Grant. In 2024, she was selected for the UTSA PaCE Artist Residency, where she created murals and mosaics to beautify Mark Twain Dual Academy. She also participated in the New York Foundation for the Arts Immigrant Artist Program.

A proud 2003 alumna of SAY Sí, Perez served as the organization’s Visual Arts Director for 15 years and is a founding member of the SAY Sí Union. She now brings her passion for community-centered art to the San Antonio River Foundation, collaborating on creative projects that deepen connections between the river, local artists, and the surrounding community.