Meet Our Current Gallery Artists
Nadia garber - class of 2026-2027
Nadia Garber is a photographer originally from Moscow, Russia, now based in South Texas. At the heart of her work is storytelling: shaping stories, helping people tell their own, and using photography to give form to experiences, emotions, and moments that matter.
For years, Nadia’s work has centered on portraiture, particularly portraits of women. Her photographs feel honest and preserve personality, relationships, and a particular chapter of someone’s life.
Now she brings that same approach to everything she photographs. Whether it’s a person, an animal, a still life she composes, or South Padre Island itself, her goal is not simply to make a beautiful image, but to create a portrait of what makes each subject unique.
At the Art Business Incubator South Padre Island, she is developing a body of work inspired by the island—fine-art pieces for collectors that capture its character and allow people to take a little part of South Padre Island home with them.
Instagram: @nadiagarberphoto
Website: https://www.nadiagarber.art
Email: nadia@nadiagarber.art
Enrique Palacios Alvarez - class of 2026-2027
Enrique Palacios Alvarez is a printmaker and painter from Brownsville, Texas, whose work portrays historical narratives and cultural heritage through contemporary symbolism. Inspired by the landscapes, coastlines, wildlife, and inherited stories of South Texas, Enrique works primarily in linoleum printmaking, drawn to its history as an accessible, community-centered art form. His prints celebrate heritage and the natural world, paired with paintings that explore color, light, and movement in a more realistic style.
Enrique holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (2021 to 2024) and an Associate of Arts from Texas Southmost College (2019 to 2021). He is a full-time artist whose work has been shown throughout the region, including recent exhibitions such as Guerreros De Sangre (Cactus Valley Art, Harlingen), Remnants Of The River (Rusterberg Art Gallery, Brownsville), and Only Dust Knows What's Left Behind (Presa House Gallery, San Antonio), along with markets and exhibitions across South Texas.
Instagram: @entique_el_tlacuatl
Alyssa Bono - class of 2026-2027
Alyssa, from Brownsville, TX, begins her artistic process with an idea, often sparked by a personal experience, an emotion, or a moment of curiosity. She sketches with alcohol markers and pens to explore color and composition, and when a sketch feels right, she develops it into a painting. Rather than committing to a single medium, Alyssa lets each idea find its own final form, giving her the freedom to explore different techniques. For her, art is a daily source of motivation and a way of turning thought and experience into work others can connect with.
At its heart, Alyssa's work is about sharing creativity. It's about inspiring conversation and connection through shared experience and perspective, and inviting others to see the beauty in the everyday.
valerie enriquez - class of 2026
Valerie is an artist born and raised in Brownsville, TX. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Art’s Technology and Emerging Communications from UT Dallas where she discovered she prefers physical mediums like painting and printmaking over graphic and game design. After moving back to Brownsville and changing her career to veterinary medicine, she found her ultimate love for ceramics through Annebrije Pottery Studio. Her work is typically highly detailed, reflects her love for nature and she produces artwork that lasts long enough to become heirlooms for centuries in your family.
She has a strong passion for animal and environmental conservation, enjoys walks through Rio Grande Valley’s natural land, and can give you an entire lecture on the anatomy of an octopus. As part of the Art Business Incubator 2026 cohort, she continues to experiment with ceramics and paintings, finding new obsessions like donut flutes. Yes, ceramic flutes that look like a donut and make sounds like a flute. Come by, say hi and take a look at her new works of art.
Follow Valerie on:
Instagram: @venriquez_art
Email: valeriejenriquez@gmail.com
Maya hardnett - class of 2026
my many faces
Maya Hardnett's artistic journey is rooted in curiosity, discipline, and a deep desire to create work that connects people across cultures. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Smyrna and Sandy Springs, Maya discovered early on that art would become more than a passion — it would become her voice. After graduating from Riverwood High School, Maya began working in her aunt's face painting business. What started as a practical job quickly became an important stepping stone, giving her both financial support and the flexibility to continue developing her artistic practice while staying connected to real-world creative work.
Eager to refine her skills, Maya enrolled at the Didomizio Art Center in Alpharetta, Georgia, where she studied under a master artist and strengthened her technical foundation. She continued her education through New Masters Academy, studying color theory with industry professional Bill Perkins, cast drawing with Leo Mancini-Hresko of the Florence Academy of Art, and perspective with renowned artist Marshall Vandruff. These experiences shaped both her technical precision and personal style. Since joining the Art Business Incubator, Maya has been energized by the opportunity to grow creatively and professionally.
Today, Maya creates murals for businesses, transforming public spaces into visual stories that are bold, thoughtful, and deeply human. She recently completed her Inner Child project and is currently developing a new body of work focused on raising awareness of lived experiences from diverse cultures.
We invite you to stop in, meet Maya, and experience her work in person. Follow along as her residency unfolds throughout 2026 — this is just the beginning of her story with the Art Business Incubator.
Follow Maya on:
Instagram: @mayahardnett
Website: my-many-faces.com
Email: 1037maya@gmail.com
April Doyal - Class of 2026
April Doyal is a multivariate artist whose creative practice defies singular categorization, weaving together visual art, sculpture, poetry, music, writing, and conceptual exploration into a cohesive, ever-evolving expression of self.
Working across mediums—from clay sculptures that bring whimsical worlds to life and trash-inspired social commentary pieces, to experimental soundscapes, poetic reflections on consciousness, science, and the interconnectedness of disciplines—April embraces the wholeness of creativity. She views poetry as science, science as art, and art as history, rejecting rigid boundaries in favor of fluid, interdisciplinary innovation.
Her work often carries a bold, introspective edge: critiquing societal models, navigating personal depth, and experimenting with visibility while fiercely guarding privacy.
Self-described as entirely a creation of her own—like Schrödinger's cat—April radiates authenticity, resilience, and unapologetic individuality. She is a ride-or-die spirit with high standards for connection, purpose, and energetic compatibility, while sustaining herself through diverse pursuits (including housekeeping) amid the practical challenges artists face.
Her posts reveal a woman who values lasting impressions, telepathic-like bonds, directness, and big-hearted rebellion against half-measures.
Whether installing evocative installations, crafting soundtracks in multiple voices, or sharing stickers and stars as adult joys, April Doyal creates with intention: to live vividly, question deeply, and remind us that every moment is a first, full of possibility.
Follow April on:
Instagram: @unfilteredhearts
Email: likenootherapril@gmail.com
Karina M. Torres - class of 2025-2026
Meet this young artist who has way too many pictures on her phone that she uses as painting references. Anything that catches Karina’s eye, whether color, lighting, or how an object is arranged, will be part of her reference folder.
Karina was born and raised in Brownsville, Texas, and has aspired to be an artist for most of her life. She has dabbled in many types of media, such as printmaking, watercolor, and graphic design but nothing has compared to her love for acrylic painting and digital illustration. Her art style is ever-changing and growing with all that inspires her. As an acrylic painter, Karina displays her love and admiration for the local environment and wildlife.
Karina believes that is is important for others to get invested in knowing about the world around them, which is often unnoticed. Knowing the different types of fauna and flora in the region that a person lives is a part of living in the moment. Having a favorite bird and recognizing its call, having a favorite flower, and knowing many of the native species of the Rio Grande Valley have inspired Karina’s artistic journey. With a background in graphic design, this artist has learned how to place her subjects in a striking manner. Her artwork demonstrates her regard for the beautiful moments in life, from landscapes and nature to the shadow of a tree on a cracked wall. Enjoying and romanticizing the smaller things in life has shaped her body of work into what it is today. Now, as a resident artist at the Art Business Incubator SPI, she will continue her mission of inspiring people to get invested in the natural world of this very unique region.
Follow Karina on:
Instagram: @kiwiestkarina
Email: tor.karina10@gmail.com