BIO

Jenelle Esparza (American, b. 1985) is an interdisciplinary artist who was born in the coastal city of Corpus Christi, TX. She currently lives and works in San Antonio and is Head of the Education department at the McNay Art Museum.
Esparza examines the lesser-known history of cotton and labor in South Texas through textiles and installation, and incorporates concepts of body+land connection, history, gender, identity, culture, and race. Her recent projects utilize textiles and found objects to explore the parallels between landscape and bodily experiences, and the implications of generational trauma.
Esparza has exhibited nationally in institutions such as The DePaul Art Museum in Chicago, IL; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, AR; and Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. She is the recipient of numerous honors including National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC) Artist Grant (2015), the Artpace International Artist Residency (2018), the US Latinx Artist Fellowship (2024) and the Fountainhead Forum Prize (2025). Her work is also included in the permanent collection of the San Antonio Museum of Art, the Art Museum of South Texas, and the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture.