Cocopah Tribal member Wilana Ortega is the first Yuma County resident and first tribal member to serve as a representative for the Arizona Commission of the Arts.
Cocopah Tribal member Wilana Ortega is the first Yuma County resident and first tribal member to serve as a representative for the Arizona Commission of the Arts.
“I’m honored to serve as a representative for both the county and my tribe. My main goal is to promote and advocate for the arts which has been my passion for many years,” Ortega said.
The Commission, which was established in 1967, “provides grants, programs, services and leadership in support of arts and arts education programs,” according to the Commission’s website.
Commissioners serve three years terms and “are chosen for their demonstrated ability, good judgment and experience in arts-related fields. In addition, they are selected to ensure geographic and ethnic representation of all areas of the state.”
Ortega earned a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Theater from Arizona State University in 2008. During her time at ASU, she polished her skills on-stage and behind the scenes---writing and producing her own plays, designing costumes, and serving as a director and researcher on many plays and performances, as well as working with students and artists.
She also served as Vice-President for Theatre In My Basement, a Phoenix-based theatrical company that specialized in experimental productions.
Ortega credits her artistic abilities to her late parents who were accomplished in the arts with her late father being a painter, storyteller, and her late mother a traditional beaded cape maker.
“Because of them, they showed me the many different types of art forms that are deeply rooted in who we are as a people,” she said.
Ortega is now the 16th person to serve on the Arizona Commission on the Arts.
She took her oath of office in October. The ceremony was officiated by Cocopah Tribal Court Judge Heather Vinci.
She currently works as a substance abuse counselor for Cocopah’s Alcohol Drug Abuse Prevention Program. Wilana is also a certified Full Spectrum Indigenous Doula, meaning she assists families with child birth services.
She also serves as Chair for the First Things First Cocopah Regional Partnership Council.
Ortega says beyond her experiences as an artist, her greatest accomplishment is being a mother to her 10-year-old son.
