Josh T. Franco is an artist and art historian from West Texas who believes that art history is made by hand. Cultured Magazine included this creative powerhouse in their 2026 list of 12 Art-World Tastemakers We’re Most Excited About. Franco actually wears four creative hats: artist, art historian, curator and new Exec Dir of US Latinx Art Forum. He grew up immersed in the ever-evolving wonderland his grandfather created in his backyard in Marfa, TX, full of eclectic found objects, sculptures and whimsical installations. Franco’s current exhibition, Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard, celebrates the foundational role of yards in shaping contemporary art in America. His forthcoming book, Marfa, Marfa: Rasquachismo and Minimalism in Far West Texas, examines minimalism and the aesthetics that artist Donald Judd brought to Marfa … and how these intersect with "rasquachismo," the sensibility of the oppressed in working class Chicano communities.

“I am an artist with an art history PhD. My practice investigates the mechanisms by which knowledge moves intergenerationally,” says. Franco. He’s been an art historian with the Smithsonian for over ten years, interacting with some of the most treasured documents ever produced by artists across time. “I believe that every work of art is also a work of art history, because every work of art carries the past.” As the new Executive Director of US Latinx Art Forum, Franco is committed to celebrating and promoting art by US inhabitants of Latinx descent and their communities to foster equity and growth, and support its practitioners.

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John Medina's short film, The Cure Complex, explores the epidemic of drug addiction in prison and the systemic failures that perpetuate Substance Use Disorder (SUD) in the prison system. "Recovery is an industry, and industries need customers. Rehabs don't succeed when people move on, they succeed when people stay," says Medina, whose own journey through addiction and incarceration motivated him to be an agent of change. His film highlights the importance of addressing the root causes of substance use — including trauma, poverty and isolation. Nationally, approximately 58% of the US prison population has active SUD. In California, where Medina's film is based, it's 65%. Yet, treatment behind bars is limited, inconsistent and often deadly. Only 15% of those assessed as needing help actually receive it. "True recovery isn’t about quitting something, it’s about building something,” says Medina. By investing in people, not just prescriptions, we can build more humane and effective pathways to healing addiction and staying clean, so that people can move onto meaningful and productive lives. Sadly, the current system, through ineffective, "evidence-based" practices, actually keeps people dependent on substances from which Big Pharma extracts enormous profit.

Medina's raw and touching film uncovers how these profit-driven systems trap individuals in cycles of dependency through fear and control instead of empowering them to rebuild their lives. The film champions new and humane healing models that prioritize promoting self worth and purpose to manifest healing and dignity. Medina is a proud Film Ambassador with Represent Justice, and The Cure Complex was selected to be one of five Represent Justice films streamed on Tubi to 100 million viewers.

Watch The Cure Complex here!

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Los Angeles County has the largest juvenile justice system in the country, and for too long, black and brown youth in LA have been shuttled into a system that favors cages over care. Represent Justice Ambassador, Kent Mendoza, was one of those young people, and now works to make sure our kids wonʼt face a similar fate. “A Million Dollar Cage,” produced by Kent, follows his journey as he fights to transform L.A. County’s youth justice system and create alternatives to incarceration. In collaboration with Represent Justice, his film is now streaming on Tubi to over 100 million viewers.

Kent was born in Mexico but migrated to LA at the age of six, where his mother hoped to find a better life for her young children. Kent loved drawing and had a very creative mind but could not speak English and struggled in school. His father was absent and, an early age, Kent was exposed to gangs, drugs, and violence. He joined a gang at the age of fourteen and was incarcerated at fifteen, serving time in a probation camp. At seventeen, Kent was tried as an adult and faced a life sentence. He was instead sent to the Department of Juvenile Justice where he served 5 years incarcerated. Since his release, Kent has become a tireless community organizer and activist, artist, writer, speaker, and youth mentor. He was selected as an Ambassador with Represent Justice and, in addition to "Million Dollar Cage," he made the short film, "Chasing the Mexican Dream," connecting to his Mexican roots while exploring the creativity that comes with telling a story through animation. Along with filmmaking, Kent is the Director of Policy at the Anti-Recidivism Coalition.

Watch Kent's TUBI film here!

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We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: Ron@artbikesjax.com or Stu: Stuart@stuartsheldon.com