The Orange County Arts Commission (OCAC) and the Orange County Arts Alliance are excited to announce Kathy Burnside and Neysa Rojas as the 2025 Eno Arts Mill BIPOC Artists in Residence.
Burnside has always had a lifelong love affair with art, beginning as a student at the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology. Though her career path took a turn, leading her to the Rockefeller Foundation, her artistic spirit wouldn’t be contained. It was there that she held my her solo exhibition, showcasing her intricate pen and ink line art within their gallery.
Rojas started pursuing an art career after she graduated college in 1997. She attended School of Visual Arts for a semester where she took a Hallmark class and introductory courses in photoshop and illustrator. She realized then she was not a digital person but used those new skills in various marketing jobs. She did enjoy making cards using gouache, collage and doodle drawings, and she focused on making cards with the emotions that Hallmark avoided. She went on to create some collage pieces for friends that they used for their professional use and continued to find my place in the art scene in NYC.
Together, Burnside and Rojas founded Blue Wagon Studios, along with being regular attendees of the Eno Arts Mill’s Junk Journal Artisans Meet-up.
Burnside explains the story of its creation, “In recent years, I’ve dedicated myself to sharing my passion with others through workshops in junk journaling, bookbinding, collage creation, and more. It’s in these workshops that I’ve had the privilege of meeting incredibly talented individuals. One such encounter led me to meet my business partner and friend, Neysa Rojas, which has led to the formation of Blue Wagon Studios, where we’re working together to combine our love of art and share it with a community of like-minded artists. I’m excited to continue exploring new creative avenues and inspiring others to do the same.”
“Kathy and Neysa have already created a creative and welcoming space at the Mill with their weekly Junk Journal Drop-in; I’m so excited to see how our community will be further enhanced with their presence,” states OCAC director, Katie Murray.
The residency will be throughout the 2025 calendar year and will provide Burnside and Rojas one year of free, private, studio space, a $500 one-time stipend, promotional support, and a featured exhibit in the Eno Arts Mill Gallery during February, 2026.
To learn more about Blue Wagon Studios, visit https://www.bluewagonstudios.com/ or follow them on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thebluewagonstudios/.
To learn more about the Eno Arts Mill, visit https://artsorange.org/enomill/.
