Seattle Artist Marisol Ortega Celebrates Cultural Food Heritage for Northwest Harvest’s March #ArtistsForFoodJustice Collaboration

Mexican-American Artist’s Vibrant Work Interprets “Food Is Renewal” Through Personal Cultural Lens

SEATTLE, Wash. (March 11, 2025)—This Week, Northwest Harvest announced Seattle-based artist Marisol Ortega as March’s featured collaborator for #ArtistsForFoodJustice, a yearlong initiative amplifying diverse voices in conversations about hunger and food justice. Ortega’s vibrant illustration interprets the March theme “Food Is Renewal” through personal cultural connections to seasonal growing cycles and community nourishment. 

A first-generation Mexican-American designer and illustrator, Ortega draws inspiration from her family’s agricultural roots in Michoacán, Mexico, to explore renewal through food’s connection to land and community. 

“My interpretation of the sun takes the form of a sunflower, alongside a monarch butterfly, tamarind fruit, flor de calabaza, sapote negro, maíz, anise, and other botanicals,” Ortega explains. “I like the idea of this feeling like a movement from the ground to the sky, a sense of growth through food—like a tight hug.” 

Ortega’s artwork emerges as spring begins, a season that naturally evokes themes of renewal and regeneration. Her piece visually connects personal cultural heritage with broader themes of sustainable food systems. 

“Renewal is not just about the growth of our food but also about the importance of tending to our earth, which in turn is an act of caring for our communities,” says Ortega. “I truly believe that food justice starts with recognizing our symbiotic relationship with the land, tending and caring for nourishment, and ensuring that food doesn’t go to waste.” 

 “Marisol’s work beautifully illustrates how food renewal connects personal heritage with community care,” says Natasha Dworkin, Director of Communications at Northwest Harvest. “Her art celebrates the cyclical nature of growing, sharing, and renewing food traditions while highlighting our responsibility to nurture both land and community.” 

The artwork debuts as part of Northwest Harvest’s broader “Meaning of Food” campaign, which explores food’s significance in building just, healthy communities. Twelve Washington artists from BIPOC communities and marginalized identities will contribute throughout 2025, each interpreting a monthly theme that illuminates different aspects of food justice. 

Learn more and get involved: 

View Ortega’s interpretation of “Food Is Renewal” at Food is Renewal: Marisol Ortega – Northwest Harvest. Community members can also record and share their own “Food is Renewal” stories at northwestharvest.org/meaning-of-food 

Media requests: 

Media interested in following this yearlong community dialogue or partnering on sustained coverage can contact Zomi Anderson at ZomiA@northwestharvest.org or 772-924-8555. High-resolution artwork and artist interviews available upon request. 

About Marisol Ortega 

Marisol Ortega (@marisol.ortega on Instagram) is a first-generation Mexican-American designer, illustrator, and letterer living and working in Seattle, Washington. She is best known for her vibrant flora and fauna illustrations that play with texture, linework, bold color palettes, and organic shapes—reflecting an exploration of her cultures. She pulls inspiration from childhood memories of visiting her abuela’s home in Michoacán, Mexico. 

About Northwest Harvest

Northwest Harvest is an anti-racist, anti-oppression organization committed to transforming an unjust food system into one that is more responsive and accountable to the communities most impacted by discrimination. In addition to distributing food to more than 350 partners throughout Washington state, Northwest Harvest aims to shift public opinion, as well as impact institutional policies and societal practices that perpetuate hunger, poverty, and disparities in our state. www.northwestharvest.org

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