Cecilia Arana (she/her) grew up in South Central, Los Angeles. She found her passion for the arts and education when she was 12 years old and taught 2nd graders alongside her mother for many years until she graduated high school. This passion for all things art and education led her to graduate from Otis College of Art and Design with a BFA in Fine Art Photography and a double minor in Illustration and Community Arts Engagement. Ceci has worked with schools and their student body to paint murals, she has also helped artists and churches archive and digitize their work, and has been a part of the arts education nonprofit space for over 7 years working with students ages 8-24 and providing them with scholarships, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, creative career support, and cultivating community partnerships. Coming from an underrepresented community where arts education is often the first to be cut, Ceci made it her mission to help bridge the gap and bring opportunity to under-resourced schools and neighborhoods. Ceci believes everyone should be given the opportunity to experience the power that comes with expressing themselves and telling their unique stories through art. She is currently working on expanding MISSY FOO, a platform she created in 2020 that combines her passions of food, photography, and fashion with empowerment and self-love! Ceci is known for always having a disposable film camera with her – get ready for some candids!
