Nitza Tufiño, born in 1949 in Mexico City, raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is a recognized muralist, public artist, printmaker and painter based in New York City and resides in South Orange, New Jersey. She obtained her B.F.A at the Academia San Carlos from the Universidad Autonoma in Mexico City and holds an M.S. in Urban Affairs from Hunter College, CUNY, having received a HUD Scholarship and considered an Urban Affairs HUD Fellow.

As a community activist and art educator she has helped found established community-based organizations and art institutions in New York City such as Loisaida, Inc. Taller Boricua, El Museo del Barrio, Friends of Puerto Rico dba Cayman Gallery, Museum of Contemporary Hispanic Art (MOCHA) and saved MOCHA’s collection now at CUNY-Hostos Community College.

She has served as a consultant on Puerto Rican and Caribbean Art at the Brooklyn Museum and the Metropolitan Museum. As a public artist/muralist she has been commissioned by the East 3rd Street Music School in Manhattan, the NYC Board of Education, New York Metropolitan Transit Authority, New York City Health and Hospital Corporations, La Guardia Community College, Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut and the Hospital for Special Care to develop and create murals for their institutions. She established the Muralism Program at Central Connecticut State University. She holds the distinction of being the first artist/muralist of color to receive two commissions from the MTA for the train stations on the #1 West 86th Street and the #6 East 103rd Street, paving the way for other artists/muralists of color.

She is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions that include grants from the National Endowment for the Art, the Donald G. Sullivan Award from the Department of Urban Planning, Hunter College; Hans Spiegel Award for Urban Affairs, Hunter College; National Endowment in the Arts 1982 , the Mid-Atlantic Endowment for the Arts Regional Award, from the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation; the New York’s Foundation for the Arts Artist Fellowship; the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts Award in collaboration with Mayor David Dinkins of New York; New York City Council’s “Excellence in Arts” Award given by Council President, Andrew Stein and the Manhattan Borough President’s Excellence and Outstanding Achievement Award given by Manhattan Borough President Ruth Messinger, Proclamation from the New York City Council and Hon. Rosie Mendez for Outstanding Public Artist and Outstanding Artist bestowed by the State of New York and Governor Andrew Cuomo in celebration of Puerto Rican Heritage Month with Comite Noviembre, and most recently “Outstanding Leadership in Art Community” from the Hispanic 100 Men” organization. She was the first female founding artist of Taller Boricua since 1969; and is presently the Director of the Rafael Tufino Printmaking Workshop (RTPW) at Taller Boricua.

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"I am humbled that the National Puerto Rican Day Parade have selected me as one of the honorees with a prestigious "Lifetime Achievement Award". I am bursting with Boricua Pride. My art and activism is deeply rooted in my cultural heritage, drawing inspiration from our Puerto Rican traditions.

Our culture's vibrancy, folklore and iconic visual aesthetics have inspired me to to explore themes such as identity, community, and the power of storytelling. I am so honored that you have connected with my visual language and the richness of our culture. That's what our celebration is about!

Thank you again. Que viva Puerto Rico!"