Alex Ramirez (he/him) is an award-winning Mexican-American filmmaker, playwright, and educator based in San Antonio, Texas. He is the head of his own film production company, Mala Bruja Pictures. In 2021, he was named “Best Local Filmmaker” by San Antonio Current Magazine. He has been featured in many other publications for his film work such as KLRN The Beat, UTSA’s The Paisano, CultureSA Magazine, VoyageDallas, La Prensa Texas, and the San Antonio Express-News. He has served as a panelist for ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Festival, a judge for the San Antonio Film Festival, and formerly as the Education Coordinator on the Board of the San Antonio Film Society. He has been with the Media Arts Studio and SAY Sí since 2018. View some of his work here!

Amalia Ortiz is an actor, playwright, and performance poet. She was awarded the 2020 American Book Award for Oral Literature and appeared on three seasons of Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry on HBO. She also starred in the indie film, Speeder Kills. NBC Latino named her book of poetry, Rant. Chant. Chisme. one of “10 Great Latino Books of 2015,” It was also awarded the 2015 Writers' League of Texas Poetry Discovery Prize. She was chosen to speak at TEDx McAllen 2015. She was awarded the Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Foundation Grant, a writing residency at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, and the 2018 NALAC Fund for the Arts Grant to film videos for her book The Canción Cannibal Cabaret & Other Songs. She won a 2021 City of San Antonio Individual Artist Grant to create poetry inspired by women in punk. She is a CantoMundo Fellow and a Hedgebrook writer-in-residence alumna. Amalia received her MFA in Creative Writing from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Ashley Perez is a proud SAY Sí alum and artist who works in various mediums centered around painting and drawing. Her work explores memory, identity, mental health, wordplay, and personifying elements of the natural world. She received her B.F.A. from the University of Texas at San Antonio in painting in 2010. Her work has been featured at Centro de Artes, Blue Star Contemporary, the McNay Art Museum, and Presa House Gallery.

Emmanuelle Taylor Maher (they/them) is a Queer Filipino artist and academic. They are currently working on their thesis, and anticipate graduating with their Masters in Urban and Regional Planning later this year. On paper, Emmanuelle juggles many things, ranging from mentoring kids to conducting graduate research— to posting silly comics online. In practice, their modus operandi is to connect concepts that, on the surface, are seemingly-unconnectable. Regardless of the setting, Emmanuelle is always observing, asking questions, and devising new methods of teaching others. Ultimately, their actions and interactions with others are governed by the following question: “What good is any knowledge if it can only be understood by a few?”

Jessica Beall is an artist and graphic designer from San Antonio, Texas. She graduated from the SAY Sí Visual Arts program in 2016 and got her BFA in Graphic Design at the University of the Incarnate Word in 2021. With experience in both traditional and digital art, she often finds herself exploring many mediums when creating. A true Libra, Jessica acts with balance and harmony in mind, making sure everyone is heard and respected. When she isn't enveloped in the world of Adobe apps, you can find her playing video games or roller skating.

Jesús is an integral part of our organization and has worked with SAY Sí since 2007. The building is maintained by Jesús, as he helps with things like builds, carpentry, and much more. Every exhibit we have is brought to life by his REFINED skill and dedication. You can usually find him tinkering away with a power tool or hanging out with his church group.

Jon is an artist masquerading as an arts administrator. He is active in professional: local, regional and national creative youth development initiatives and has presented and facilitated learning at numerous conferences and symposia on the value, tangible evidence, and the transformative power the arts have on urban youth. He also serves as a board member of Texans for the Arts. Jon has prioritized youth voice throughout the organization's timeline, empowering SAY Sí's artists to drive the growth of the organization and take ownership of the internationally recognized programs. He hopes his legacy will be inspiring and educating the next generation of our nation's creative leaders.

Michael is a local artist from San Antonio. He earned a BFA with a concentration in ceramics from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2018, has studied at Haystack and Penland Schools of Crafts, and has exhibited work both locally and nationally, including creating temporary and permanent public art pieces in San Antonio. Michael’s work finds its roots in his subconscious and explores ideas of intimacy, separation, grief and memory. For more info on Michael, visit his website or instagram.

A native from Bolivia, Ned Meneses completed his high school education in the US and received a BA in Art from the University of the Incarnate Word in 1996. He has shown digital art at various galleries locally and internationally. As a media arts instructor he has participated in the evolution of the Media Arts Studio into a high performance film program. Ned has worked with SAY Sí since 2002, and is currently on a much-deserved sabbatical. We miss you, Ned!

Stevan Živadinović (b. 1983, Belgrade, Yugoslavia) is a new media artist and educator working in web comics, robots, paper, paint, installations, and performance. He studied painting at the University of Texas in San Antonio. Since 2014 he has been the director of the HIVE New Media Studio at SAY Sí, where he has had the freedom and responsibility to define what "new media" means to a generation of young San Antonio artists.