Douglas Padilla is a self-taught visual artist based in Minneapolis. He is also a certified welder, yoga instructor and arts activist- all of which inform his work. In 2002, “dougieland.com” (a web show) was launched in Minneapolis, with subsequent gallery incarnations as “dougieland minnetonka” and “dougieland Paris” (July, 2004, Musee Halle Saint Pierre, Paris, France). They reflect the broad range of Padilla’s interests in painting, works on paper and altars / ofrendas. His organization “Art Jones” has been responsible for innovative projects and diverse collaborations. Recent exhibitions include ongoing studio shows and group shows at the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts, the Highpoint Print Center/ Grupo Soap del Corazon, the Rochester Art Center, the Plains Museum of Art in Fargo, the Speedboat Gallery in Saint Paul and the CreArte Chicano Latino Art Center and Museum in Minneapolis. Padilla has served on the Latino Community Outreach Committees for both the Weisman and Walker Museums and on several roundtables that address arts and politics. Doug will serve as one of the jurors of this year’s annual student exhibition at UMD.