If you’ve been in the J’s lobby before the holidays over the last several years and enjoyed browsing the Holiday Bazaar Fundraiser for the Pozez JCC’s Inclusion & Disability Services program, you may already be familiar with the vibrant plants and animals that come to life in watercolor artist, Sophia Pineda’s work. Now, see Sophia’s imaginative, delightful images in Joyful Color, on view the J’s Bodzin Art Gallery until March 10, 2025.
Sophia is a talented painter, working in Chinese watercolor and other media. She also happens to have Down Syndrome. She lives life to the fullest. Sophiola is the art business which she enjoys helping to run. As a baby, Sophia faced life-threatening medical conditions, then later, many learning challenges. Today she is a vibrant, healthy 21-year-old artist, dancer, and advocate.
I have enjoyed getting to know Sophia and her family, the talent and heart behind Sophiola. Joyful Color continues the tradition of sharing work by an artist with a disability during the ReelAbilities Film Festival of Greater Washington, which will be screened between Thursday, January 30 – Thursday, March 6, 2025, in venues throughout the region and online. Join us in celebrating 12 years of film, art, and community!
When did you start making visual art and what keeps you going? How did you gravitate to working in watercolor?
Sophia has been creating art since early childhood. Her parents wanted her to have the chance to explore all kinds of activities and she gravitated to studio arts early on. When she was about 11, she showed a strong talent for Chinese watercolor and with the support of her wonderful teacher, HsiMei Yates, she’s been painting lively and vibrant watercolors for the past 10 years. Recently, Sophia has started experimenting with other art forms, especially hand-building/sculpture in clay.
In addition to being a painter, you are also a dancer, swimmer, and equestrian. Do these activities influence your art?
Sophia loves all those activities but she especially loves dancing – it’s probably her favorite thing to do. Dancing and performing on stage definitely enhance her creativity and help her see the world from different viewpoints.
Your art has served as a powerful advocacy tool. Your activism for the arts, people with Down Syndrome, and other topics close to your heart are very inspiring. What is one of your most meaningful advocacy experiences, and which project are you looking forward to?
Sophia accompanied her parents on several kinds of lobbying visits but one of the most memorable was to encourage passage of the ABLE Act, a law that permits people with disabilities to save for their needs without losing crucial government assistance. (She was even in the audience during one of the final votes for passage through Congress!) But just as meaningful has been Sophia’s visibility in and contribution to the community. Over the past few years, while mentored by muralist Gabe Pons, Sophia has been instrumental with Pons in creating several murals in Fredericksburg, including at the city’s public schools and Germanna community college. The mural projects bring her talents and abilities as a person with disabilities to greater public awareness while also contributing beautiful and uplifting art to the community. The goal is to get more people with a disability involved in creating similar public art. Sophia is really looking forward to the next mural which will start in the Spring. That mural will honor two of Fredericksburg’s early educational advocates for the Black community.
Do you have any advice for aspiring artists?
Explore and have fun! Try making lots of different kinds of art, in different styles. Experimenting will help you figure out what type of art you like and what you want to say with your art.