About

Iaritza Menjivar is a Boston-based photographer whose work explores themes of identity, community, and resilience. In 2024, Iaritza was honored with a Commonwealth Heroine Award from the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women for her impactful contributions to the community through the Museo Inmigrante project. She was nominated by State Representatives Erika Uyterhoeven and Christine Barber and State Senator Patricia Jehlen. The project also earned a Rising Star Award from the Massachusetts History Alliance for its outstanding contribution to the interpretation of Massachusetts history. Additionally, the Museo Inmigrante team presented their work at the annual Massachusetts History Conference.

In 2023, Iaritza received a Sustaining Practice Grant from the Collective Futures Fund, further supporting her creative work. The year prior, she was recognized as one of WBUR’s “The Makers: 15 Artists of Color Leaving an Imprint on Massachusetts.” Her pandemic-era photography projects were featured in the short documentary film “We Are Here Too,” which highlights her commitment to documenting local communities.

Iaritza's photography has been published in The Washington Post and The New York Times, with her piece “Honoring a Debt to Immigrant Parents” featured as part of her First Generation photo series.

Her work has been exhibited nationally in galleries and festivals, including:

Museo Inmigrante: Stories of Resilience from Somerville’s Padres Latinos, funded by Mass Humanities and the Leonian Foundation
"Reconstructed" at Fort Point Arts Community (FPAC)
"Modern Families" at ArtsWestchester
Photoville Festival in New York

Her solo exhibit, “First Generation: Raíces,” was showcased at the Griffin Museum of Photography.

Iaritza was awarded the Presidential Scholarship for the Advanced Mentorship Program in Documentary Projects at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado, where she studied under James Estrin and Ed Kashi from 2016 to 2019. She is also a recipient of the St. Botolph Emerging Artist Award and holds a BFA in Photography from Lesley University.

Beyond her own artistic practice, Iaritza has curated exhibits like “Las Chicas Artistas” for the Somerville Arts Council. She has contributed to numerous artist talks and panel discussions, including “Photographing Family: The Personal Becomes Political” at the AIPAD Talk Series during The Photography Show in New York. For five years, she co-taught photography workshops alongside the renowned Stella Johnson in Oaxaca, Mexico.

As a dedicated freelance photographer, Iaritza is available for headshots, creative collaborations and event photography including any kind of celebrations.