Finding My Voice Through Art, Nature, and Community

Reflections on a Life Shaped by Creativity

by Nancy Mercado

I have loved art for as long as I can remember.

As a child, I drew on anything I could find. I invented stories, created characters, and brought them to life through drawing. Even then, I was fascinated by colors, shapes, textures, and the small details that many people overlook.

One of the greatest influences in my life was my father. He taught me how to observe the natural world with curiosity. I remember watching ants with him as they discovered a source of food and worked together as a team. What seemed like a simple childhood activity became something much bigger. Through those moments, he introduced me to nature and the idea that there is always more beneath the surface than what we first see.

Looking back, those experiences shaped me more than I realized at the time. They taught me to observe, to ask questions, and to appreciate the complexity of life. They became the foundation of my work as an artist years later.

My path was not always easy. There were challenges and obstacles throughout my education and personal life. But every difficulty taught me something valuable. Over time, I learned that challenges can either stop you or help you grow. I chose to learn from them and keep moving forward.

After high school, I began studying Painting and Graphic Arts. Those years expanded my understanding of art and introduced me to new techniques, ideas, and ways of thinking. More importantly, they helped me discover my own potential.

Among the professors who influenced me was the late Jaime Carrero, who served as Chair of the Department and taught both painting and art history. He encouraged me to take my artistic journey seriously and inspired me to search for my own voice instead of trying to imitate others. Fernando Santiago, Joyce Wlodarcyk, and the late Jaime Asencio also played an important role in my development as an artist. Their guidance and encouragement remain part of my journey today, and I am deeply grateful to each of them.

Shortly after graduating, I began working as a Graphic Arts Editor within the University of Puerto Rico system. Later, I was promoted to the position of Associate Graphic Arts Specialist at the College of Agricultural Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus.

My role was not a traditional classroom teaching position. Instead, I collaborated closely with professors, researchers, and educational specialists in the development of visual communication and educational campaigns. From time to time, I also offered lectures and presentations on design and the visual arts to different groups and organizations.

That experience allowed me to combine two passions: art and nature. I worked with colleagues on educational initiatives designed to communicate scientific and agricultural knowledge through visual language. It was meaningful work that brought me great satisfaction. Along the way, I received recognition from colleagues, artistic organizations, and educational institutions, including honors presented by the President of the University of Puerto Rico, Dr. Norman Maldonado, and by Puerto Rico’s First Lady at the time, Mrs. Maga Nevares.

I later completed a Master’s Degree in Education. Education has always been an essential part of my life because learning never truly ends. It continues to shape the way I see the world and the way I create.

One of the greatest blessings of my life has been motherhood.

Both of my children showed artistic talent from a very young age. My son received national recognition for his artwork when he was only nine years old, winning a drawing competition among thousands of participants. Today, he works as a creative director, producing content for multiple companies.

My daughter also began participating in art competitions at a very young age. She possessed remarkable talent, and seeing her enthusiasm, I did everything I could to help her gain artistic experience and exposure. In two consecutive years, she became one of only twenty-three children selected worldwide for the Lions Clubs International Peace Poster Contest, representing Puerto Rico among more than 425,000 participants.

Those recognitions were only the beginning. What has made me most proud is not any single award, but her determination and perseverance. She never stopped growing, learning, and pursuing new artistic goals. Throughout the years, she continued to achieve important milestones in her artistic career, turning talent into dedication and dedication into accomplishment. Her passion for art remained constant, and each achievement became a stepping stone toward the next. She eventually earned a university degree in a specialized art field and today is an accomplished artist known for her portraiture and still-life paintings, while also working as a kitchen designer for an international company.

Watching my children develop their talents reinforced something I had already begun to understand: art flourishes when people are given opportunities.

That realization eventually led to one of the most important projects of my life.

After retiring, I finally had the time to reflect deeply on my experiences and the direction I wanted my life to take. I thought about everything art had given me, and I felt a responsibility to give something back.

I wanted to create opportunities for others, especially for emerging artists, students, and children who needed a place to share their work and gain experience.

That vision became ParguerARTE, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the visual arts, culture, and arts education in Puerto Rico. What began as a simple idea grew into a community movement supported by volunteers who believed in the same mission.

In 2026, ParguerARTE celebrates its tenth anniversary. Looking back, I am proud of what we have accomplished together. Through exhibitions, educational programs, cultural events, and community outreach, we have helped create spaces where creativity can thrive.

As for my own work, nature remains a constant source of inspiration. Many of my landscapes are connected to Puerto Rico’s coastlines and natural environments. I have also created works that celebrate our traditions, music, memories, and cultural identity.

At the same time, another thread runs through my work: a search for meaning.

Pieces such as The Awakening of Creation, The Conquest of Paradise, Transcendence, The Return to the Origin, The Promise of the Cosmic Womb, and Orpheus and Eurydice… in aeternvm, explore questions about existence, consciousness, transformation, and our connection to something larger than ourselves.

I do not create art simply to decorate a wall.

For me, art is an invitation. It is a doorway into reflection, wonder, and self-discovery. Every painting contains layers that reveal themselves differently to each person who encounters it. What one viewer sees may be completely different from what another discovers.

It never finishes speaking. We simply keep finding new ways to listen.

Sometimes I think back to those afternoons watching ants with my father. Each one moved with purpose, working as part of something larger than itself.

In many ways, my artistic journey has followed a similar path. My thoughts remain free to wander, explore, and discover new forms of expression, always searching for harmony within creation and a deeper understanding of the life that connects us all.

After all these years, I am still searching with the same curiosity that first led me to observe the world around me. The questions have become deeper, but the wonder remains the same. Art has become the language through which I continue that journey and the path through which I explore that mystery.

Nancy Mercado

Artist and Founder

ParguerARTE, Inc.

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