Iaritza Menjivar is a photographer based in Somerville, MA and is available for assignments anywhere. Iaritza graduated from Lesley University with a BFA in photography. In 2016 through 2019, she was awarded the presidential scholarship for the “Advanced Mentorship Program in Documentary Projects” at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado. In 2016, iaritza was awarded the St. Botolph Emerging Artist award. In 2022, Iaritza was nominated and selected as WBUR’s The Makers: 15 artists of color leaving an imprint on Massachusetts. She also was featured in a documentary film We Are Here Too, about women artist in Somerville.

Iaritza’s long term projects aim to empower and represent her immigrant family and community. Her work can be viewed in the New York Times publication, Honoring a Debt to Immigrant Parents, Groundtruth Project, Lenscratch, and Issue 147: Reconstructed in Fraction Magazine. Her work has been part of a number national and international exhibits. Most recently in 2022, she has exhibited in a number of group shows: Reconstructed at FPAC, Sanctuary City at the Somerville Museum, Displacement at Hopkinton Arts Center and had a solo exhibit for First Generation: Raíces at the Griffin @Wincam. You can view an interview about this exhibit here.

Iaritza is also an active freelance photographer, curator and arts administrator. Her collaborations include: judge panelist for the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Photography Fellowships, a guest curator for The Fence competition, and participated as a panelist on “Photographing Family: the Personal Becomes Political” at the AIPAD Talk series, “The Photography Show” in New York. Her clients include the Washington Post, Maine Media Workshops + College, and LISC among others.