We Were Never Meant To Disappear | A Solo Exhibition by Liz Ortiz

We Were Never Meant to Disappear is a deeply personal solo exhibition by Liz Ortiz, founder of Mad Hare Press. Spanning 21 years of artistic practice, this retrospective features previously unseen works across printmaking, drawing, painting, and photography. Each piece rooted in memory, resilience, and the reclamation of space as an Indigenous Latina woman in Northern Colorado.

This exhibition is not just an archive of work, it is a living altar. Through visual storytelling and community engagement, Liz invites you into a series of reflections on identity, survival, and visibility.

Celebrate the opening night with light refreshments, music, and an artist talk reflecting on heritage, identity, and survival through art.

Hosted at Cornerstone Gallery inside The Masonic Events Center, the show runs from September 6 to November 15, 2025 and is accompanied by a series of low-cost and free public events, workshops, and dialogues designed to honor cultural heritage and collective creative practice.

Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025 | 6–9 PM
Join us for the debut of this powerful retrospective. Enjoy light refreshments, music, and artist remarks at 7:30 PM.

Workshop 1: Intro to Lino Block Printmaking
Tuesday, Sept. 16 | 5–7 PM
A hands-on session exploring relief printmaking for all skill levels.

Community Art Critique
Sunday, Sept. 21 | 5–7 PM
Bring a work-in-progress for supportive, constructive feedback in a safe and welcoming environment.

Friday, Oct. 10 | 6–9 PM
A deeper dive into the stories, themes, and lived experience behind the exhibition.

Workshop 2: Community Altar Build + Story Offering
Sunday, Oct. 19 | 1–3 PM
Gather to build a Día de Muertos community altar. Share memories, write notes, and add offerings.

Workshop 3: Paper Cempasúchil Flower-Making
Sunday, Oct. 26 | 1–3 PM
Learn how to create traditional marigolds to adorn our altar or your own.

Día de Muertos Gathering & Community Potluck
Sunday, Nov. 2 | 1–4 PM
A celebration of remembrance. Add to the altar, light a flameless candle, share food, and honor loved ones.

Workshop 4: Intro to Tetra Pak Intaglio Printmaking
Sunday, Nov. 9 | 1–4 PM
Transform recycled materials into fine-art prints using intaglio methods. Materials provided.

Gallery Walkthrough + Teatro Latino Performance
Friday, Nov. 14 | 5–8 PM
An immersive evening of art, storytelling, and performance with Teatro Latino.

Closing Reception
Saturday, Nov. 15 | 6–9 PM
Celebrate the final night of this deeply moving exhibition with community and reflection.

Liz Ortiz is a multidisciplinary artist, printmaker, and cultural strategist based in Fort Collins, Colorado. She is the founder of Mad Hare Press, a mobile micro-studio and community arts initiative centered on accessibility, education, and ancestral connection through printmaking.

Drawing from over two decades of creative work, Ortiz’s practice weaves together personal narrative, archival memory, and traditional techniques across media, including lino block and intaglio printmaking, drawing, painting, and analog photography. Her work is grounded in the exploration of identity, cultural survival, and reclaiming space as an Indigenous Latina woman raised on the front range of Colorado.

Ortiz holds a BFA in Printmaking and Photography and an MBA in Marketing Data Analytics, which she uses to inform her art practice, consulting work, and community engagement. Her exhibitions and workshops create spaces where tradition and experimentation meet spaces rooted in story, reflection, and collective healing.

Cornerstone Gallery at The Masonic
225 W Oak Street, Fort Collins, CO 80521

Gallery Hours:

• Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Saturdays | 2–6 PM
• First Fridays | 6–9 PM

www.madharepress.com | www.focomasonic.com/cornerstone-gallery

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Host or Publisher Mad Hare Press LLC