Joaquin Lopez is a performing artist, musician, and mental health counselor whose work is grounded in community healing, personal transformation, and self-expression. He served as the Arts & Culture Manager and the Manager of Leadership Development during his time at Latino Network (2015-2020). In 2009, he founded, VOZ ALTA, a storytelling project that features the stories of Latino community members, performed live on stage by actors and musicians. Joaquin has served on the board of The Hollywood Theatre, and was the Mayoral Appointee for Open Signal (2016-2018); currently, he serves on the board of Existential-Humanistic Northwest and Gather:Make:Shelter. In June of 2021, he was appointed by city council as Creative Laureate for the City of Portland alongside Leila Haile, and in the year 2023, he was re-appointed as Creative Laureate alongside Jason Margolis. In his Creative Laureate role, he has produced two storytelling events, Pentimento | Community Stories: Memoir, Music & Poetry featuring elder Linda Jaramillo, and VOZ ALTA: Ahí Vamos! The Story of David Martinez. He is a founder of the Spanish language writing and reading group Caminos de Crecimiento which published its first book Historias de Crecimiento in January 2023. Joaquin received his B.F.A. in Theatre Arts from Southern Oregon University and holds a Master’s in Counseling from Portland State University. As a Licensed Professional Counselor, he runs a counseling private practice in Beaverton, Oregon. For more information you may visit joaquinlopezmusic.com and affectuscounseling.com.
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Jason Margolis is a testament to the region's rich musical heritage. A proud graduate of Seattle's Roosevelt High School, Jason furthered his passion for music at the University of Oregon, where he honed his skills and expanded his musical repertoire. Given a bit of time, Jason can master almost any instrument, showcasing his innate talent and dedication to the craft. While he is proficient in playing the trumpet, drums, and guitar, Jason's insatiable curiosity for music doesn't stop there. Jason built Portland’s Roosevelt High School Music program from the ground up where no program existed since 2001. Just last year, the Roosevelt Jazz Band won the 6A Oregon Music Education Association State Jazz Band Championship.
Former Creative Laureates have included:
- Leila Haile (2021-2023)
- Subashini Ganesan-Forbes (2018-2021)
- Julie Keefe (2012-2018)
Media Coverage:
Leila Haile and Joaquin Lopez are Portland's New Creative Laureates (Portland Monthly)
Portland names new creative laureates (OPB)
Chatting with the new creative laureates (Oregon ArtsWatch)