Sheena Garcia is a Philadelphia-born artist, curator, educator, creative director, publisher, and arts advisor whose work bridges visual art, public engagement, education, and community development. With more than two decades of experience leading exhibitions, public art initiatives, and cultural programming, she is recognized for creating projects that transform neighborhoods into accessible spaces for creativity, dialogue, and cultural preservation.
Sheena studied Painting and Art Education at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She completed Executive Education in Leadership and Management through Yale School of Management and earned a certificate in Art Business Management Essentials from Sotheby's Institute of Art in London. She is currently completing an MBA in Innovation Leadership and Management at York St John University.
Her artistic practice has been shaped by extensive travels throughout Europe and North Africa, where she immersed herself in the art, architecture, and cultural traditions of cities including Madrid, Lisbon, and Tangier. Her exploration of contemporary textile arts in Morocco continues to influence her distinctive visual language, resulting in work that blends layered narratives, cultural memory, and abstraction.
Her artwork has been exhibited throughout Philadelphia and New York, including Dizyners Gallery, the Painted Bride Art Center, Gallery 54 in Soho, and RUSH Arts Philadelphia, founded by Danny Simmons, Russell Simmons, and Joseph Simmons of Run-DMC. Her painting Valentine was acquired for the permanent collection of The Colored Girls Museum.
She is also a founding member of the Philadelphia women's artist collective WOMEN HOLLER! and co-founder of 1040 Creative Gallery, Northern Liberties' first dedicated community art center and gallery, helping establish one of the neighborhood's earliest creative spaces for artists and the public.
As a curator, Sheena has developed exhibitions that merge contemporary art with public space and civic engagement. She co-curated Girard Nights, a monthly series of exhibitions and performances that transformed Philadelphia's Girard Avenue corridor into a vibrant destination for the arts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she curated Dream Cycles: Between Hope and Reality, a multi-site public exhibition that activated the storefront windows of Chestnut Walk in Center City Philadelphia, bringing art safely into public view during a time of social isolation.
Sheena also partnered with Branded Cities New York to introduce artwork onto Market Street's iconic digital billboards, the first public art presentation of its kind on the corridor, bringing contemporary Philadelphia artists to thousands of residents and visitors each day. She later partnered with Intersection Media as a volunteer curator for digital exhibitions displayed on Philadelphia's LINKPHL kiosks and across a network of more than 1,700 digital kiosks throughout New York City, expanding access to public art through innovative technology.
A passionate advocate for community arts, Sheena has dedicated years to working with older adults throughout Philadelphia, using creativity to foster confidence, connection, and lifelong learning. Her work with senior artists has been featured by 6ABC's The Art of Aging, PBS's Fast Forward, and Milestones newspaper and CBS News. Through exhibitions such as What We Hold Sacred and numerous neighborhood-based projects, she has helped amplify the voices and lived experiences of Philadelphia's older adult community.
Sheena is the founder, curator, and publisher of the Philadelphia Art and Urban Literary Review (PAUL) Magazine, an independent publication celebrating Philadelphia's visual artists, writers, and cultural leaders. Through PAUL, she has documented hundreds of artists while creating opportunities for collaboration, storytelling, and community engagement.
Her commitment to neighborhood revitalization through the arts continues through Flourish on 52nd, a creative initiative she founded to celebrate the history, businesses, artists, and residents of West Philadelphia's historic 52nd Street corridor. Sheena's background in animation also led her to create the animated short film Miracle on South 52nd Street, a community storytelling project inspired by the people and spirit of the corridor.
Building upon the Flourish on 52 initiative, Sheena developed the vision for A-Frame Row on 52nd Street in partnership with Urban Art Gallery. The proposed public art initiative transforms the corridor into a permanent, evolving outdoor gallery featuring artist-designed exhibition frames, rotating art, and community storytelling while celebrating the people, history, and cultural identity of one of Philadelphia's most significant commercial corridors.
Throughout her career, Sheena has consistently worked at the intersection of art, education, technology, and community. Whether creating exhibitions, mentoring artists, publishing cultural stories, or transforming public spaces into open-air galleries, her work is driven by a belief that art should be accessible, rooted in place, and capable of strengthening neighborhoods. Her collaborative approach and commitment to cultural preservation continue to make her a respected leader within Philadelphia's arts community.
Art belongs where people are.