Meet Our Current Gallery Artists
Karina M. Torres - class of 2025
Meet this young artist who has way too many pictures on her phone that she uses as painting references. Anything that catches Karina’s eye, whether color, lighting, or how an object is arranged, will be part of her reference folder.
Karina was born and raised in Brownsville, Texas, and has aspired to be an artist for most of her life. She has dabbled in many types of media, such as printmaking, watercolor, and graphic design but nothing has compared to her love for acrylic painting and digital illustration. Her art style is ever-changing and growing with all that inspires her. As an acrylic painter, Karina displays her love and admiration for the local environment and wildlife.
Karina believes that is is important for others to get invested in knowing about the world around them, which is often unnoticed. Knowing the different types of fauna and flora in the region that a person lives is a part of living in the moment. Having a favorite bird and recognizing its call, having a favorite flower, and knowing many of the native species of the Rio Grande Valley have inspired Karina’s artistic journey. With a background in graphic design, this artist has learned how to place her subjects in a striking manner. Her artwork demonstrates her regard for the beautiful moments in life, from landscapes and nature to the shadow of a tree on a cracked wall. Enjoying and romanticizing the smaller things in life has shaped her body of work into what it is today. Now, as a resident artist at the Art Business Incubator SPI, she will continue her mission of inspiring people to get invested in the natural world of this very unique region.
Follow Karina on:
Instagram: @kiwiestkarina
Email: tor.karina10@gmail.com
Stacey Welchley - Class of 2025
Stacey Welchley is a South Padre Island–based artist with a passion for storytelling through reclaimed materials and ocean-inspired color. As a U.S. veteran and PMP certified project manager, Stacey brings discipline, humor, and heart to every creative endeavor.
Her current work combines layered resin techniques with unconventional canvases—like retired skimboards, surfboards, and swim fins—to capture the magic and fragility of marine life. By blending bold color with repurposed gear, Stacey’s pieces celebrate the intersection of adventure, art, and environmental awareness.
As part of the 2025 Art Business Incubator cohort, Stacey is developing a community-focused art business that invites others to explore creativity in hands-on, joy-filled ways. When she’s not elbow-deep in paint or resin, she’s teaching workshops, connecting with other creatives, or hunting down the next fin in need of a glow-up.
Follow Stacey on:
Instagram: @W3.ArtHaus
Web: https://StaceyWelchley.com
Email: Stacey_Welchley@yahoo.com
SARAH SMITH - class of 2025
Solesito Ceramics
Sarah Smith is the artist and founder behind Solesito Ceramics. The name “Solesito,” meaning “little sun,” was given to her by her mother, who always called her the light of her day. While traditionally spelled solecito, her mother chose the “s” to match Sarah’s name, and it has become the heart of her brand. Her motto, bringing sunshine to your day, reflects her intention to create work that brings warmth, joy, and connection into everyday moments. Sarah enjoys creating functional and decorative ceramics including mugs, bowls, and sculptural pieces. Working in both wheel throwing and hand building projects, she blends techniques to create pieces that feel playful, thoughtful, and made to be lived with.
Her creative practice extends beyond clay into photography and watercolor, where she continues to explore light, color, and storytelling across mediums. She first discovered ceramics in college, where a class sparked a lasting curiosity. After graduating, she returned to clay years later at Annebrije Pottery Studio in Brownsville, where she reconnected with the medium and realized it was more than a passion, it was her calling.
Through the Art Business Incubator, Sarah is nurturing Solesito Ceramics in a way that feels deeply personal, sharing her work at markets, exhibitions, and workshops not just to sell, but to connect. Each piece, each interaction, is an extension of her heart, rooted in ikigai, the joy of being alive. She hopes to keep growing a creative life that feels joyful and full of sunshine for everyone.
Follow Sarah on:
Instagram: @solesitoceramics
Email: solesitoceramics@gmail.com
valerie enriquez - class of 2026
Valerie is an artist born and raised in Brownsville, TX. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Art’s Technology and Emerging Communications from UT Dallas where she discovered she prefers physical mediums like painting and printmaking over graphic and game design. After moving back to Brownsville and changing her career to veterinary medicine, she found her ultimate love for ceramics through Annebrije Pottery Studio. Her work is typically highly detailed, reflects her love for nature and she produces artwork that lasts long enough to become heirlooms for centuries in your family.
She has a strong passion for animal and environmental conservation, enjoys walks through Rio Grande Valley’s natural land, and can give you an entire lecture on the anatomy of an octopus. As part of the Art Business Incubator 2026 cohort, she continues to experiment with ceramics and paintings, finding new obsessions like donut flutes. Yes, ceramic flutes that look like a donut and make sounds like a flute. Come by, say hi and take a look at her new works of art.
Follow Valerie on:
Instagram: @venriquez_art
Email: valeriejenriquez@gmail.com
Maya hardnett - class of 2026
my many faces
Maya Hardnett's artistic journey is rooted in curiosity, discipline, and a deep desire to create work that connects people across cultures. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Smyrna and Sandy Springs, Maya discovered early on that art would become more than a passion — it would become her voice. After graduating from Riverwood High School, Maya began working in her aunt's face painting business. What started as a practical job quickly became an important stepping stone, giving her both financial support and the flexibility to continue developing her artistic practice while staying connected to real-world creative work.
Eager to refine her skills, Maya enrolled at the Didomizio Art Center in Alpharetta, Georgia, where she studied under a master artist and strengthened her technical foundation. She continued her education through New Masters Academy, studying color theory with industry professional Bill Perkins, cast drawing with Leo Mancini-Hresko of the Florence Academy of Art, and perspective with renowned artist Marshall Vandruff. These experiences shaped both her technical precision and personal style. Since joining the Art Business Incubator, Maya has been energized by the opportunity to grow creatively and professionally.
Today, Maya creates murals for businesses, transforming public spaces into visual stories that are bold, thoughtful, and deeply human. She recently completed her Inner Child project and is currently developing a new body of work focused on raising awareness of lived experiences from diverse cultures.
We invite you to stop in, meet Maya, and experience her work in person. Follow along as her residency unfolds throughout 2026 — this is just the beginning of her story with the Art Business Incubator.
Follow Maya on:
Instagram: @mayahardnett
Website: my-many-faces.com
Email: 1037maya@gmail.com
April Doyal - Class of 2026
April Doyal is a multivariate artist whose creative practice defies singular categorization, weaving together visual art, sculpture, poetry, music, writing, and conceptual exploration into a cohesive, ever-evolving expression of self.
Working across mediums—from clay sculptures that bring whimsical worlds to life and trash-inspired social commentary pieces, to experimental soundscapes, poetic reflections on consciousness, science, and the interconnectedness of disciplines—April embraces the wholeness of creativity. She views poetry as science, science as art, and art as history, rejecting rigid boundaries in favor of fluid, interdisciplinary innovation.
Her work often carries a bold, introspective edge: critiquing societal models, navigating personal depth, and experimenting with visibility while fiercely guarding privacy.
Self-described as entirely a creation of her own—like Schrödinger's cat—April radiates authenticity, resilience, and unapologetic individuality. She is a ride-or-die spirit with high standards for connection, purpose, and energetic compatibility, while sustaining herself through diverse pursuits (including housekeeping) amid the practical challenges artists face.
Her posts reveal a woman who values lasting impressions, telepathic-like bonds, directness, and big-hearted rebellion against half-measures.
Whether installing evocative installations, crafting soundtracks in multiple voices, or sharing stickers and stars as adult joys, April Doyal creates with intention: to live vividly, question deeply, and remind us that every moment is a first, full of possibility.
Follow April on:
Instagram: @unfilteredhearts
Email: likenootherapril@gmail.com