Tandem Press is pleased to host Grabando Historias, a Master of Fine Arts Qualifier Exhibition by Christie Tirado, University of Wisconsin-Madison MFA Candidate and 2024-2025 Tandem Press Studio Project Assistant. Drawing from her own experience as the daughter of Mexican immigrants, Christie Tirado uses relief block printing to bring visibility to often overlooked narratives of immigrant families. Her work preserves personal and collective histories, capturing transnational migration stories while honoring the labor and sacrifices of those who have shaped communities across borders.

Artist Biography

Christie Tirado is a Mexican American interdisciplinary artist and educator from Yakima, WA, currently residing in Madison, WI. As the daughter of immigrants, she navigates the complexities of her heritage, drawing inspiration from the rich tradition of relief block printing. Her work explores the impact of migration on culture, identity, traditions, memories, and histories, with a particular focus on labor-related migration within Mexican diasporas. Deeply rooted in personal familial histories, her practice reflects the resilience and lived experiences of her own family while also grabando both personal and collective narratives. Through cultural exploration and artistic practice, she sheds light on the layered narratives of migration and cultural (in)visibility.

Tirado earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington in Seattle, WA, and her Master’s in Teaching from Heritage University in Toppenish, WA. She is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Printmaking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Her accolades include the 2020 Larry Sommers Fellowship through Seattle Print Arts and the 2020 Golden Apple Award for innovative teaching in Washington State. She is also an Education Graduate Research Scholar at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her artwork has been exhibited and collected nationally in museums and galleries such as Davidson Galleries in Seattle, WA; San Francisco State University, CA; Sonoma State University, CA; The Sun Valley Museum of Art, ID; and La Productora Gráfica del Bosque in Oaxaca, Mexico, among others. Additionally, her work has been featured in prominent news outlets and magazines nationwide, including High Country News, ProPublica, and Crosscut.

Previously, Tirado worked as an elementary and middle school art teacher in the Yakima Valley, WA, for eight years. She is currently a project assistant at Tandem Press.

This exhibition is supported by the Anonymous Fund.