Honoring Aida Mancillas: A Legacy of Art and Advocacy
By Nicole Verdes
Latinx Heritage Month provides us with an opportunity to celebrate the rich contributions of Latinx communities to American culture, history, and social progress. Among the voices that championed this recognition was “La Voz Latina,” a groundbreaking Spanish-language column in the Gay and Lesbian Times that sought to bring news and information about the Latinx LGBTQ+ community from a uniquely Latinx perspective while sharing lesser-known stories of Latino contributions in the United States.
In January 2008, “La Voz Latina” honored Aida Mancillas as their “Adelita of the Month,” recognizing her as a revolutionary figure who fought for social justice within both Latina and LGBTQ+ communities. This recognition proved prophetic, as Mancillas embodied the very spirit the column sought to celebrate. She was a lesbian Chicana artist who seamlessly wove together her identities as an advocate, community leader, and creative visionary.
Mancillas was a masterful practitioner of what she called “citizen artistry,” believing fervently that art should be a vital part of community planning and development rather than existing in isolation. Her philosophy was beautifully articulated in her own words: “The artist is an important contributor to society because we help people find the feast… We are meaning shapers in a world that desperately needs us.” This belief guided her work across multiple mediums, from painting and sculpture to large-scale public art projects that transformed community spaces into places of connection and belonging.
In one example, Mancillas collaborated with Gwen Gomez and Lynn Susholtz to paint the Vermont Street pedestrian bridge, creating something far more meaningful than mere infrastructure. The cobalt-blue bridge, which physically and symbolically unites University Heights and Hillcrest, features carefully selected quotations about walking from notable figures and architectural elements that honor both neighborhoods’ distinct character. This project earned prestigious recognition from the American Institute of Architects and the American Planners Association, but more importantly, it embodied Mancillas’ belief that public art could create spaces where communities truly connect.
From her leadership roles with the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture and Centro Cultural de la Raza to her advocacy work with Marriage Equality USA and the San Diego LGBT Community Center, Mancillas understood that her multiple identities were sources of strength rather than division. She co-founded Public Address, a public-art advocacy group, and Las Comadres, a multinational women’s collective, creating networks that supported artists while advancing social justice.
Today, as we reflect during Latinx Heritage Month, we honor Aida Mancillas as an ancestor of both our Latinx and LGBTQ+ communities. She was a visionary who showed us that art and activism are not separate pursuits but complementary forces for creating the more just and beautiful world she helped us imagine. Her legacy lives on not only in the physical spaces she transformed but in the expanded understanding she gave us of what it means to be a citizen artist committed to community, justice, and the belief that we all deserve to find the feast.