Laura Quintero Anton BFA’25 finds community while illustrating the immigrant experience

At PNCA, Laura Quintero Anton BFA’25 has focused on telling stories about migration and migrant rights. Inspired by her own experiences as an immigrant from Mexico, Laura’s illustrations render the complexities of migration — from the loneliness of dislocation to the joys of community — in vivid and dramatic detail.

For her thesis project, Laura created a visual essay entitled “El Camino Del Quetzal” based on the true story of a Guatemalan immigrant she met through her work mentoring students in a community college GED program. Using inked textures and bright colors, the book depicts harrowing scenes such as the protagonist crossing the Rio Grande into the United States and being held in an ICE Detention Camp. Flying over the story is a colorful and majestic quetzal, the national bird of Guatemala and a symbol of resilience.

The project reached an emotional conclusion when the book’s anonymous subject surprised Laura by attending her public thesis defense. “She stood up in front of the audience and started speaking in English, saying ‘this is my story, this is my story,” Laura recalls. “Everyone was crying.”

Honing her artistic voice

Laura honed her artistic voice with the help of faculty member and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Molly Mendoza BFA’14. Mendoza’s use of rich textures and colors helped inspire Laura’s artistic approach.

“Molly’s advice and support go far beyond academics,” Laura says. “Molly has supported me in my development to become a professional artist. They have also encouraged me during difficult emotional times, and I greatly admire my mentor’s humanity.”

Laura also felt embraced by the PNCA community when she participated in her first-ever group exhibition.