Active, Artist, Contemporary, Latino, Sculpture

Francisco Salgado

In 1985 I arrived from Mexico to Oregon with a plan to learn English and head to Europe. I soon knew I needed more time in Oregon so I decided to stay and pursue an education in the arts. Starting at Lane Comm. College to learn English I moved on to the Photography Dept. at the University of Oregon where I earned a BFA. I was then invited to pursue a scholarship in the Sculpture Dept. and received a MFA two years later.

While making sculpture at the U of O I was able to incorporate my experiences from my Mexican culture into my work creating a symbiosis with my past and present experiences. After graduation I traveled in Europe with my fiancé and we were exposed to the incredible abundance of European art and history. We eventually returned to Portland to start our dreams of being ‘artists’. I soon found employment teaching photography at Clack Community College in Vancouver, WA and we started a photography studio in Portland.