Ariza, who also teaches at Minneapolis College of Art and Design, is reimagining elements of the traditional Latin American game Lotería. 

Ariza grew up playing Lotería with her family. In the game, a caller known as el gritón recites dichos, similar to riddles or clues, to announce each card. The dichos add humor and playfulness.

Many contemporary U.S. versions of the game no longer include the dichos, which come from an oral tradition.

Before her grandmother died, she documented 40 traditional riddles. Ariza selected 10 of them for this project.

Artist-in-Residence Nancy Ariza carves designs into a wood block during her residency at Cellar Press. (Photo by Olivia Norquist)

She is creating wood-type letterpress prints of the riddles using bright fluorescent gradients. Ariza is also making companion woodcut prints that show the objects or animals in the riddles. 

One riddle reads, “It leaves the living room, it enters the kitchen, wagging its tail like a hen.”

The answer is a broom.

Another says, “I have leaves, but I’m not a tree. I speak to you, but I don’t have a voice. If you open me, I don’t mind. Guess who I am?” The answer is a book.

Ariza said she is following the versions her grandmother documented. 

Nancy Ariza mixes neon oil inks in preparation for printing the vibrant fluorescent gradients in her Lotería series at Cellar Press. (Photo by Amy Zents)

“I recognize that there are multiple versions of riddles and I am specifically honoring the ones that were passed down to me,” she said.

Ariza was born in Los Angeles and moved to Minnesota at age nine. Her family first lived in Shakopee after leaving Venice as the area gentrified. Her work draws from her Mexican heritage, family migration story, and craft traditions. 

She blends traditional techniques with contemporary approaches. The gradients in her prints reference the Colby Poster Printing Company in Los Angeles and similar Latin American letterpress shops.

Ariza said she thought about this project for about seven years. She studied printmaking at Minnesota State University, Mankato, graduating in 2013. 

This residency has given her time to focus on letterpress, a medium she does not always have access to while teaching. She began her residency by teaching a woodcut class at The Grand.

Woodtype set up on the Vandercook press at Cellar Press, ready to print one of Nancy Ariza’s Lotería riddles. (Photo by Amy Zents)

“Participants made some wonderful prints and embraced the process,” Ariza said. “Teaching always reminds me of why I enjoy printmaking.”

Ariza said the project helps preserve oral storytelling. Her grandmother documented the riddles because she saw them fading across generations.

“Society has become very media heavy so it’s even more important to continue these traditions so that future generations can enjoy them,” Ariza said.

The residency has allowed Ariza, who lives in Richfield, to connect with the New Ulm community. 

She appreciates the arts funding and opportunities in Minnesota.

“I have really good community here,” Ariza said. “This is my home.”

After the residency, Ariza will travel to El Paso, Texas, for a panel discussion at the Mexican American Cultural Center as part of the El Paso Print Pechanga printmaking festival. 

She will participate in the group exhibition “Geometry of Culture” at Hecho a Mano in Santa Fe, N.M., Aug. 7-31. The exhibition features work inspired by her grandfather’s piteado embroidery on leather and saddlemaking traditions. 

She is a 2026 McKnight Printmaking Fellow at Highpoint Center for Printmaking, with an exhibition scheduled for Feb. 2027.

Work from Ariza and other residents will appear in the 2026 Resident Artist Showcase at The Grand, opening Dec. 4.

The Grand has the largest collection of antique letterpress, printmaking and bookbinding equipment in Minnesota outside the Twin Cities.

“It’s really amazing to see what these people can create when they’re given the chance to be able to have the space,” John Kellen, executive director of The Grand, said. “They have a really amazing group of resources to use plus then they can stay here and they can sleep and work whenever they want.”

Kellen said residencies provide artists like Ariza with focused studio time away from daily distractions. 

“This gives them a chance to really just be in a space where they can really do their work,” he said. “And so what they create is always amazing.”

The center continues to serve as a travel site for printmaking and traditional crafts. People from the Twin Cities travel to New Ulm to use the facilities. Kellen said the variety of programming, including music events and gallery shows. 

The combination of historic equipment and active artist residencies keeps traditional craftsmanship alive while supporting new work.

The Grand maintains a busy schedule of exhibitions, music and programs. Kellen said a new gallery exhibition featuring Luke Johnson opens June 5. 

Applications are now open for The Grand’s 2027 Minnesota Artist-in-Residence Program at Cellar Press. The call for artists runs through August 14, 2026. 

Selected artists will receive studio access, lodging, and a stipend while creating new work and leading a community project.

Ariza said she plans to continue developing the Lotería series over the summer. She hopes the prints will engage those familiar with the game and new audiences. 

“This project is a way to preserve a fading cultural tradition and create a tangible record for future generations,” Ariza said.

For more information, call The Grand at 507-359-9222 or email cellarpress@thegrandnewulm.org. Ariza’s work can be viewed at nancyariza.com.