Artist Interview Series: Sierra Montoya Barela

22 Jan 2026

Part of an ongoing series of interviews delving into the artists, designers and thinkers & doers of our time.

1. Where are you based and how is it shaping you?

I moved a few months ago from NYC to Cleveland, where my husband is finishing up the last year and a half of residency. While I’m still getting to know Cleveland, my time in New York and Philadelphia prior to that really enriched my creativity and was a constant source of inspiration.

The contrast between the cities has been stark. I can go days in Cleveland without seeing as many people as I’d come across walking to grab a coffee in Brooklyn or Philly.

Having museums and galleries so close by was great, but where I found the most inspiration for my work was in the way people around me chose to create and build their spaces. I remind myself all the time that there’s a decision behind everything you see in the world.

Everything you come across that’s not nature, someone created that. Someone designed that. Someone made a decision that brought it to that place.

I love coming across small moments like handwritten signs in marker at little family-owned shops or more involved and time-consuming processes like traditional hand painted store front signs. I like thinking about the people and circumstances behind all these decisions.

The slower pace of life in Cleveland has been welcomed, too. We’re not too far from Lake Erie, where we bike ride or walk our dog. It’s been nice living more of a suburban lifestyle for the time being.

2. Which book is on your bedside table?

I keep picking up How to Live with Objects by the founders of Sight Unseen. It’s a beautiful book and every time I look through it, I find something new to obsess over and be inspired by.

3. What social accounts do you keep returning back to?

Something has happened to my algorithm, where it only shows me cooking videos and the 10 most recent accounts I’ve interacted with. Every once in a while, I’ll see a name pop up in a story view or someplace and realize I haven’t seen the last six months or year of their work. It’s quite a bummer.

I’m inspired by fashion as well, so I’ll seek out fashion houses from time to time on Instagram. I love the storytelling and artistry behind @jacquemus. I also love seeing the designers’ daily musings and inspiration on his personal account @simon_porte_jacquemus.

4. Favourite piece of art?

That’s a hard question to answer. If I were to go with my gut reaction, I’d say Guernica by Pablo Picasso. I’ve always wanted to see it in person. In general, some artists I really love are Kehinde Wiley, Frida Kahlo, Kerry James Marshall and Michel Majerus.

5. What song have you got on repeat?

I love Bad Bunny, Peso Pluma, J Balvin... I find the song My Ex’s Best Friend by MGK hilarious. I like country music too, having grown up and around it in Colorado. 

6. The biggest life lesson you have learnt?

In all the difficult times I’ve experienced in my life, I’ve always made my way through them and I’ve either grown or something good came from the aftermath in some way. It seems silly how obvious it is, but I think reminding myself that so far, I’ve always made it through everything I’ve gone through helps.

7. One person that inspires you?

My grandparents are my biggest inspiration. I’m lucky to have such a close relationship with them and they have taught me so much throughout my life.

They live with my parents in Colorado in a part of the house we call the “casita”. It’s funny, the whole house kind of has a modern feel and then a few years ago, when my grandparents came to live with my parents, my mom helped set it up to feel like their own space and home.

She put up ornate Mexican tile work, a little retro refrigerator, wooden shelving to display the clay and bronze works my grandpa has collected over his life of living in New Mexico and Colorado. It’s a really special space.

8. Do you have anything exciting you’re currently working on?

I just finished up a commissioned painting for the new hospital at UPenn. I’m about to start a new commission for a friend. I’m still in the early planning stages of it but it should be fun.

9. Next place on your travel wish list?

I would love to go to South Korea. It looks beautiful and I’d love to experience the food and culture.

10. What do you think about the state of advertising?

I think there’s a lot of bad design and advertising out in the world but there’s also a lot of brands that try to create an intentional or authentic experience.

At the end of the day, they’re all trying to drive sales, but it’s nice when something feels thoughtful. A bit unrelated, but I kind of liked the brief period during the pandemic when brands weren’t able to operate their photo studios in person and sent samples directly to home décor or fashion “influencers” to photograph themselves.

It was interesting seeing how people chose to portray the objects or clothing they were given and a DIY take on a professional shoot.

You can find more of Sierra's work on Instagram and website.

You can read more from our Artist Interview series on our blog.