TCC Alum Builds Career in Tulsa’s Art Scene

Tulsa Community College alum Zadith Rodriguez is building a career as a working artist in Tulsa, creating murals and public art shaped by her cultural background and experiences.

Tulsa Community College alumna Zadith Rodriguez has built a career as a working artist in Tulsa, creating murals that bring natural elements to industrial structures and public spaces. Her work can be seen in neighborhoods and at festivals across the Tulsa area.

Rodriguez graduated from TCC’s Art program in 2022 after deciding to leave her career in healthcare. She explored different academic paths in business and psychology before she ultimately found her path in art.

“I just decided to go ahead and take the leap of quitting and pursue my art,” she says. “You have to be very vulnerable with your art and yourself.”

While at TCC, Rodriguez explored different forms of art and discovered printmaking, working with most notably, linoleum prints. Printmaking involves carving away a design from a surface, applying ink, and pressing the design onto paper to create a relief print of the design. She says she was drawn to the hands-on nature of the work.

“I learned early on that I really like working with my hands. I like building and I’d never carved anything before, so I wondered what it would feel like,” she says. “Once I started carving, having that motion in my work and carving negative spaces –– I was hooked.”

Printmaking helped shape Rodriguez’s artistic style and is a discipline she continues to use today, even as she has expanded to large-scale murals and mosaics. She still makes time for printmaking in her studio, using it to explore more detailed pieces.

Art Rooted in Nature

Rodriguez’s artwork is influenced by her early life in Perú where she was born and lived until she was seven years old. 

“I grew up in the jungle of Perú. Plants were everywhere. So, I try to do whatever I can to incorporate the theme of nature in my work,” she says.

Her work also reflects her cultural identity, drawing inspiration from the people and experiences that influenced her upbringing. Through printmaking and studio work, Rodriguez has created pieces that feature women and everyday life in Perú including market scenes and traditional dress.

“Everything I create is connecting me to my being a Peruvian woman,” says Rodriguez.

Her connection to art was also reinforced at home. Rodriguez says creativity runs in her family, with her mother as an active artist and her nephew, an aspiring one.

A Creative Career

Rodriguez supported herself by waiting tables while she applied to art festivals and was eventually accepted into a mural festival that helped launch her career. Today, she works full time as an artist, building her career through commissioned work and community partnerships in Tulsa’s growing arts scene.

Her current work includes a large-scale mural in north Tulsa near East Pine Street and North Yale Avenue, called "Caught in Space." It measures around 500 square feet –– the largest project she has taken on to date.

One of her most notable murals can be seen at the Brut Hotel pool, featuring brightly colored leaves and nature-inspired imagery in reds, blues, and greens.

Rodriguez is also involved in a public art initiative in the Kendall Whittier district, where she was one of the selected artists to create traffic control box vinyl murals, helping beautify the neighborhood. The work is part of broader revitalization efforts led by Kendall Whittier Main Street.

Rodriguez says building a career in Tulsa has been intentional. She is thrilled to be part of a strong and collaborative arts community at home.

“You just knock on someone’s door, and I’m sure you’ll find an artist inside,” she says.

Rodriguez encourages young artists to pursue their interests and emphasizes the importance of persistence.

“I think anything is possible. Pursue your passions and don’t be scared,” she advises. “And you have to value your work. If you don’t value your work, who is going to?”

You can find Zadith Rodriguez’s artworks and latest updates on her Instagram.