Leslie Mejia

2023 Create Change Fellowship

Painter, community organizer, educator

Portrait photograph of a fair-skinned person standing in golden hour sunlight. They're wearing glasses and a maroon turtle neck with jewelry.

Leslie “Les” Mejia (She/They) is a South Bronx (Lenape Land) native of Dominican Descent. Les sits on the intersection of Educational Equity, Arts facilitation, and Wellness advocacy. Her connection to the arts began during high school years where she was introduced to visual arts as an outlet for personal life challenges. Art became a huge healing modality and she has since worked toward finding a way to share art as a healing tool. As a licensed social worker, she has had the opportunity to fuse her love for artistic expression and explore its relation to mental health and wellness. In her most recent endeavors, Les has begun bringing community events to the South Bronx with the sole purpose of connecting, creating, and inviting folks to express themselves freely. In 2022, she was able to work in collaboration with the Department of Education, local government officials, various community based partners, and local Bronx businesses.