For Jessica Cruz, also known as Ephemeral Jess, art has never been just about paint on a canvas.

It’s about identity. It’s about community. And most importantly, it’s about creating spaces where people can see themselves reflected.

Cruz, a Salvadorian-American artist who spent 13 years in East Boston before moving to Lynn in 2021, has been creating and selling artwork since high school. What began as sharing pieces on Instagram evolved into a 12-year artistic journey rooted in storytelling, culture, and connection.

“I’m trying to really create an impact with the community through my art,” Cruz said. “I’m trying to show up in spaces to do so.”

A creative path

As a first-generation daughter of Salvadorian immigrants, Cruz grew up balancing cultural expectations and creative ambitions.

While many children in immigrant households are encouraged toward traditional career paths, she found a way to honor both stability and creativity. Today, she works in finance for the nonprofit organization On The Rise, Inc. in Cambridge, which is a daytime community and safe haven for women, transgender people, and nonbinary people experiencing or recovering from homelessness. Cruz does this while also building her career as an artist.

“That’s where my finance aspect takes place. I aid with maintaining the overall health of the financial aspects of the nonprofit and creating bonding and building relationships with the individuals that we work close with,” Cruz said.

Cruz has also been involved with other community-based organizations. She has worked with Boston Scores, an organization that partners with Boston Public Schools and community partners to provide youth in grades K-12 with afterschool soccer and enrichment programs, which had her do art workshops with kids. Also, with the World Cup coming up, she is working with the organization on a related project.

She has also teamed up with One Bead, a nonprofit that provides entrepreneurial education focused on diversity to Boston students, where she put on presentations at middle schools for career-based conversations with students. Cruz is also on the roster for ArtSpark Boston, a community-powered music and arts event series based in Boston, where she’ll be in upcoming shows.

“I share where both my crafts, my art, and my career, have taken me,” Cruz said.

One of her favorite projects involves helping students find their identities through art. Cruz had children create silhouettes of themselves and fill them with details about who they are, from their cultural background to their favorite foods and hobbies.

“It keeps them creative,” Cruz said. “But it also gives them a chance to tell their story.”

“I’m trying to really create an impact with the community through my art.”

– Jessica Cruz

Celebrating everyday life

Cruz works primarily with acrylic paint on canvas, favoring traditional techniques over digital art.

“I really enjoy the manual aspect of getting dirty with the paint,” Cruz said. “Acrylic on canvas is my favorite. It just hits different.”

Much of her work focuses on people and experiences often overlooked in mainstream art spaces.

She paints street vendors, flower sellers, jewelry makers, balloon vendors, and other familiar figures who make up the fabric of urban neighborhoods. Many of the subjects are inspired by scenes she witnessed while living in East Boston.

“I’m a huge advocate for supporting local artists and small businesses,” Cruz said.

One of her most popular collections, Bodega Shorties, captures young women dressed for a night out, stopping by the neighborhood bodegas before heading to the club. The painting blends fashion, culture, and humor while celebrating the everyday moments that define community life.

“I wanted to show something that felt familiar,” Cruz said.

From canvas to storefront

Despite years of artistic success, Cruz admits some creative opportunities still intimidate her. Murals, for example, are still outside her comfort zone.

“People always tell me I should do murals,” Cruz said with a laugh. “No. They’re so scary.”

Instead, she prefers working on smaller canvases where she can focus on detail and storytelling.

Recently, however, she has begun to dive into window art, a medium that offers visibility of public art without the scale of a mural.

Last year, she painted a storefront mural for Somerville’s annual Fluff Festival, which celebrates the marshmallow spread’s local history. The piece received widespread attention online and introduced her work to a new audience.

More recently, Cruz completed a World Cup-themed window installation for a local immigrant-owned business in East Boston, which featured flags and welcoming messages in both English and Spanish.

The response was immediate.

“People loved it,” Cruz said. “I got over a thousand views in less than 24 hours.”

Art, motherhood, and the future

Outside of work and art, Cruz is a mother of two, a role she describes as her most important.

Her 18-year-old stepson and 6-year-old son continue to inspire her creativity while reminding her why representation and encouragement matter.

“They’re my world, I love them to death. I’m trying to give them the flexibility that I didn’t have as a child,” Cruz said. “I remind them that they are their own person and capable of doing anything they set their minds to.”

She hopes to show them that success doesn’t have to fit into a single mold.

Looking ahead, Cruz hopes to become more involved as a workshop instructor and community organizer. Public speaking still makes her nervous, but she has set a goal of leading more events and creative programs by 2027.

For an artist whose work celebrates the power of community, it feels like a natural next step.

Whether she’s painting neighborhood vendors, teaching children to embrace their identities, or helping local businesses transform their storefronts, Cruz continues to use her art as a bridge between cultures, generations, and communities.

If you’re interested in seeing more of Cruz’s art or purchasing any pieces, check out her Instagram page, @ephemeral_jess. She also sells her work at local events, markets, and art shows.

On June 18, Cruz, alongside Dash Lopez, Elisha Torres, and Haru, will have artwork featured at Lynn Gallery Night, a free event hosted by Inc.ubate Coworking. The event will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. at 614 Washington St., on the second floor, in Lynn.