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@ Flo Montoya
2025-05-25 22:22:11
Hey everyone – I have some sad news to share. I won’t be at the conference this year, and neither will my artwork.
It’s incredibly frustrating and heartbreaking after so many months of preparation.
Last Friday, at the airport, a staff member pulled me aside and informed me that my ESTA visa status had changed. Without any prior notice, I was told I could no longer enter the U.S. using the same visa I traveled with last year — which was supposed to be valid until 2026.
They said the only way I could now enter the U.S. is by applying for a full visa — the kind that gets stamped into your passport. That process takes time and isn’t guaranteed.
There was nothing I could do. I lost my flight, and all my travel plans collapsed.
More than the logistics, it’s the emotional weight that’s hardest to carry. I won’t be able to see the show come together, to install my pieces, to share this moment with all of you in person.
After months of hard work, it’s a painful ending to this journey.
But the Art of Freedom Wall will still happen — and it’s in the best possible hands. @GusGrillasca, @ryrstudio & @zetra_art will lead the project on-site. They’ve been there since the beginning and know exactly what we envisioned.
If you’re attending the event in Vegas, please take a deep look at the gallery, talk to the artists, get to know them, to feel the art. Find what you feel connected to. Appreciate the work and love. Enjoy it.
Even though I can’t be there physically, I’ll try to share as much as I can online — including the ideas behind my pieces and the vision that shaped this project. I still believe art can travel, even when we can’t.
My piece Hidden Tax — a hand-made screen print, bigger than anything I’ve done before — won’t be there physically. But I’d love to share it with you. If you’re interested in close-up videos or learning more about what inspired it, I’m happy to talk.
To all the artists and friends showing at the conference: I’m wishing you a beautiful, meaningful experience. May you connect with your audience, find collectors, and enjoy the celebration of what we’ve all built together.
🫂🧡
https://blossom.primal.net/7d61ff74983b52a7e47002e1e2b3762e3088166716319a0e65168ae367ce334c.jpg
https://blossom.primal.net/e3fe17083ff7a7885b07cb78e0331b6096f7a1715efe288f8a28fea8903b907c