HUSARCH Conversations: Art, Advocacy, and the Air We Breathe
A Conversation with our HUSart Resident: Alondra Niño
By Chyanne Husar & Krystal Muñoz
Sustainability isn’t always about heat pumps and R-values; sometimes, it’s about the air we breathe and the stories we tell through a creative journey. Chyanne and Krystal recently sat down with HUSARCH’s first artist in residency, Alondra Nino. She is a first-generation Mexican artist and the self-proclaimed #1 fan of Little Village. We discussed how identity, art, and environment intersects within her work and our practice.
Alondra’s journey is deeply rooted in her community. While some of her earliest memories involve coloring strictly "inside the lines" with her mother, her artistic spirit was truly unlocked when her uncle handed her an airbrush. His tattoo shop, filled with Mayan history and references. Her family demonstrated and nurtured the notion that art is more than a hobby—it’s a way to communicate vision and history.
Environmental Racism impacting Chicago’s South Side
Alondra captured our attention with the phrase ‘environmental racism’ within her submission. "It’s amazing how companies don’t care about exposing people to harmful chemicals," she noted. We discussed how this "environmental racism" is tied to systemic inequalities—communities of color are often forced to endure more truck traffic, worse air quality, and less tree canopy than wealthier neighborhoods.
Alondra's environmental activism was kick started by the 2020 Crawford coal plant demolition, a moment that felt like a betrayal to the community. Amidst a global pandemic with limited clinics and resources, the neighborhood was blanketed in smoke. The concern for the elderly and the unknown chemicals in that dust was palpable. Today, the Crawford plant has been replaced by a Target center, which Alondra describes as a major contributor for local noise and emissions. For Alondra, it felt like one environmental burden had simply been swapped for another.
Art as a Part of Life
To Alondra, art is the bridge between these harsh realities and the future she wants to build. Her teachers have challenged her to see beyond the "classics" and incorporate contemporary influences such as local street artist Sentrock.
While she always sees art as being a part of her life, Alondra is currently considering a path in urban planning or sustainable architecture. She has a passion to help other artists and articulate sustainability issues through different mediums, including sculpture and zines. As she enters her senior year of high school, she’ll be doing just that serving as a teacher’s assistant to two drawing and painting classes.
Krystal and Chyanne shared their own experiences with art throughout their life and careers. Krystal found it difficult to maintain her artwork as she started a master’s program - while she was working with HUSARCH full time. Chyanne remembered turning to art in a fit of passion after starting her first full time position - “there’s a need for the creative outlet and there’s a natural ebb and flow to maintaining an art practice”
The Roadmap: A Year of Collaboration
As our artist in residency, HUSARCH will be working with Alondra, as HUSart, to explore how sustainability issues can be better integrated into artistic expression. Below is an outline of how we will achieve this together. Please be on the lookout for our open-to-all community events, we’d always love to hear what time and where you prefer to engage with us - drop a comment below!
Call to Action
Chyanne finds it pretty clever of Alondra to steer a future towards urban planning or the like. Even within our initial discussion we were brainstorming how to make an impact within Little Village and how to improve the truck hub conditions:
Pay Attention to Art: Be on the lookout for art that can be hiding within your own community and question what message the artist might be trying to convey.
Support Local:Fun fact, Little Village’s 26th street shopping is 2nd only to Chicago’s Mag Mile. This community was severely hit through ICE raids so the campaigns to buy out street vendors has been amazing and are a direct help community.
Advocate for Better Routing: Let’s advocate for trucks to utilize industrial routes and keep them off residential streets - how can we advocate and hold companies accountable for impacting local air control. LVEJO is currently sharing a lot of information and resources on this, check out their social media page and get involved!
Support Clean Transportation: Thankfully we have the support of IL legislation. January’s Clean and Reliable Grid Act (CRGA) will support a conversion of vehicles to electric power beginning 2027. The sooner we can make this transition, the sooner we can improve our local air quality.
We are so inspired by Alondra Niño’s vision and art. We can’t wait to see how her work evolves over the next year in partnership with HUSARCH!
Want to get involved or follow the journey? Connect with us on our socials or reach out to info@husarch.com. Let’s keep the conversation—and the art—flowing.