Maria Tavarez aka Moonchild_liv_lov is an abstract expressionist self-taught acrylic artist using art to capture current and past emotions in a series of works that provoke thought and conversations around depression, anxiety, and loss. Maria sees art as a means to dialogue around topics that would otherwise go unmentioned in Hispanic and Black communities. Maria is currently a fellow in the DALI leadership institute of the Diamante Cultural Arts Center, she is part of the planning committee for the Drinking Gourd Gallery and she is the lead liaison for Art for All-NC a non-profit organization that brings art to communities through pop-up art events, community art installations and art workshops. Maria was born in Santiago, Dominican Republic and was raised in New York City. She completed her undergraduate degree from Monroe College in Hospitality Management and then went on to complete a Master of Science in Health Administration from Saint Joseph’s University. Maria is a proud mother of three children and a very loving grandmother. When she is not painting, volunteering or...