Free First Thursdays March

Fabiola Méndez is a Puerto Rican cuatro player, educator, and composer that has taken part in a musical movement, crossing over the lines of genres such as folkloric, jazz & Latin. Her musicality and original compositions take the listener on a journey through her identities and culture, while celebrating and exploring the versatility of the cuatro puertorriqueño. Recognized for being the first student to graduate from Berklee College of Music with the cuatro as principal instrument (2018), Fabiola performs nationally and internationally and works as a composer for children's shows Alma's Way (PBS Kids) and Sesame Street's Mecha Builders (HBO Max). She has received numerous awards, including the Quincy Jones Award, the Brother Thomas Fellowship, the Lucille and Jack Yellen award from ASCAP, the Whippoorwill Arts Fellowship, and a motion from the Puerto Rican House of Representatives for her work and accomplishments as a cuatrista.

Fabiola Méndez Trio Photo by Herminio Rodriguez Photography

Yara Liceaga Rojas, M.A., is a Queer, Afro-Caribbean mother, writer/poet, performer, cultural manager, and educator, born in Puerto Rico, who currently resides in the Greater Boston area. Founder of Poetry Is Busy Studio, Yara is a Letras Boricuas Fellow (2021, Mellon Foundation + Flamboyán Foundation); Boston Neighborhood Fellow (2021-2023, The Boston Foundation); and Brother Thomas Fellow (2019, The Boston Foundation). She has been developing her consulting career in arts management and grant writing in Massachusetts and Puerto Rico, servicing artists, collectives, art businesses, and other entities. Yara has authored 5 books and has been the lead artist/curator of the ongoing projects: Poetry Is Busy; El Despojo Project; Acentos espesos/Thick Accents, and most recently Encarnar/Embody. These projects have received support from the Mass Cultural Council, Cambridge Arts, the New England Foundation for the Arts, Boston Center for the Arts, Kindle Projects, Midas Collaborative, Assets for Artists, the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation, Boston Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, and The City of Boston. She holds a Master’s Degree in Arts Administration from the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras.

Yara Liceaga Rojas Photo By Nuttymar Photography

Yuko Okabe (she/they) is an illustrator and cultural worker playing at the intersection of youthful whimsy and community engagement. Okabe's practice as a multifaceted creative encompasses experience as a teacher, facilitator, illustrator, and co-creator of projects exploring narratives of journey and the future. In all of their work, Okabe champions themes of inclusivity and future-building narratives. As an illustrator, their depiction of people and architecture establishes a world with boundless potential for different bodies, languages, and philosophies to flourish. Okabe holds a BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design. Fellowships include RISD’s Maharam STEAM Fellowship with the Boston Children’s Hospital, RISD’s Leadership and Community Engagement Fellowship with DownCity Design, Enterprise Community Partners Rose Fellowship with North Shore Community Development Coalition, and the Walter Feldman Fellowship for Emerging Artists. They have been awarded residencies from the Vermont Studio Center, Walkaway House, Pao Arts Center, and Urbano Project. For children’s books, they're represented by Andrea Morrison of Writer’s House. Okabe is a proud auntie and an amateur oatmeal influencer @yukoats.

Yuko Okabe Photo courtesy of the artist.