Who Am I? Quien Soy Yo?

An exhibition of original paintings by Tony Ortega

November 14th, 2025 - May 24th, 2026

The Millicent Rogers Museum is proud to present the work of artist Tony Ortega, who weaves an autobiographical story of a young boy’s exploration of identity through twelve pastel paintings. The works exhibited in this show are the original artworks from the children’s book, “Who Am I? Quien Soy Yo?”, collaboratively written by Ortega and writer George Rivera.

“Each summer in Pecos, I stayed with my grandmother — a deeply creative woman and a gifted storyteller. She sewed, crocheted, embroidered, and quilted, her hands moving with a rhythm that seemed to echo the pulse of the land itself. Through her, I learned the beauty of patience and care, and how creativity could transform the ordinary into something meaningful. She taught me Spanish, Catholic prayers, and the folkways of the land — how to plant, harvest, and honor the earth that sustained us. Her stories and her sewing were both acts of creation, stitching together memory, faith, and imagination. Those summers became my compass, guiding me toward an understanding of who I was and where I came from.

Who Am I, the children’s story, reflects that journey of discovery. It speaks to the experience of navigating between cultures and languages; between the place of birth and the place we call home. The twelve pastel drawings in this exhibition bring that story to life — through color, light, and the imagery of memory. Each illustration carries a fragment of that question: Who am I? It is both a child’s question and an artist’s lifelong search — a story rooted in New Mexico soil, told through the eyes of a boy finding his way home.”

-Tony Ortega