Students from Tohono O'odham Community College are showing their graduating work at a South Tucson gallery for the second year in a row, with pieces ranging from beadwork and self-portraits to skeleton paintings and pop culture tributes.

"Mamisidag in Motion," or "Colors in Motion," features the work of students in artist Dwayne Manuel's class. He approached Galleria Mitotera last year, seeking space to display his students' art.

"I was looking for this class called ART290. I try to teach them how to talk about the work through presentations and critiques. With that, they become a more well-rounded artist," Manuel said. "One of the criteria is that (students) create an exhibition for their class, because a lot of these students are close to graduating or are graduating. I, as the instructor, needed to find somewhere where they can show work, and Galleria Mitotera has a very positive reputation."

The gallery's owners also knew of Manuel and were happy to help.

"He reached out to us early spring last year. I said, 'Let's make it happen.' The galleria always has our doors open to … all," said gallery co-owner and South Tucson City Councilwoman Melissa Brown-Dominguez.

The show features artwork from several students in varying mediums, including acrylic, charcoal and beadwork. Alexander Sixkiller, a Tohono O'odham and Yoeme multimedia artist, specializes in graphite, ink and charcoal. Sixkiller came from a creative family and began pursuing art seriously after high school, earning an Associate of Arts in Tohono O'odham Studies before enrolling in the Associate of Fine Arts program.

"I use what I've learned about my culture and really try to drop gems into my art, so I have that opportunity to teach people about my tribes, the original tribes here in Tucson," Sixkiller said.

Sixkiller created a self-portrait in acrylic titled "Vendor with a T.O. Earring," riffing on Johannes Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring" and weaving in references to popular Native jokes.

"The goal was to make a masculine version of that, but also, get that indigenous representation (and) representation of my own personality," Sixkiller said.

Sixkiller also created a peyote stitch bracelet titled "Yoeme Serenity," originally made for his mother.

"We have Yoeme patterns, we have representation of multiple flowers … a reference to the flower world, the beginning of Yaqui existence, where we come from," Sixkiller said. "In the center is a gold ojo de venado, and this to the Yaquis, is like a rosary. It's supposed to keep you from bad vibes, bad energies."

Another graduating student is taking her work in a different direction.

Valerie Haven graduated with an Associate of Fine Arts and a Certificate in Digital Media and will pursue cinematography in Santa Fe. She works across multiple mediums, never settling on a favorite.

"As a kid, I've always had (a) tendency for tactile expression," Haven said.

One of Haven's pieces, "Bath Bones," depicts a skeleton in a bathtub holding its head in what appears to be distress.

"It was the day after the election results. It was kind of like (a) grieving, mourning period," Haven said.

Haven's interest in science fiction also shines through in her art, with a piece paying homage to Breaking Bad's Gus Fring titled "Straighten Your Tie."

"It's the first time I've ever done something like this," Haven said. "It's vulnerable and exciting and scary. It's almost like a personal piece of you, like ripping out a page of your diary and putting it up there."

Multimedia artist Aray Ramon graduated with degrees in art, advertising and city art. Her piece "Woman and Basket #2" was inspired by a work she made for another gallery event two years ago, depicting her grandmother beside one of her woven baskets, with two dragonflies circling it as a symbol of transformation and change.

"Most of my painting (inspiration does) come from my family, it's kind of like a tribute to them, you know, a little thank you for teaching me everything that I need to know," Ramon said.

Ramon also painted a self-portrait surrounded by musical notes, sunflowers and pop culture symbols, holding a paintbrush against her face.

"The paintbrush there is just a way (to paint) me to life. Paint gives me the opportunity to express myself freely, and thrive in it," Ramon said. "It's very intimidating knowing that someone else is going to come over and look at it. But you know, it feels good being able to bring myself out of my comfort zone. It does feel good to be able to look at both of these paintings and be proud of my accomplishments that I've done so far."

Another student found her way to art through storytelling.

Sabrina Garcia started as a hobbyist and now hopes to pursue art full time. Garcia found inspiration in mythical and horror stories and began drawing in her early teens.

Her piece "Identity in Motion" consists of five small canvases depicting eyes, lips and pottery on scenic windowsills.

"'Identity in Motion' was supposed to be a practice in skin tone values, but then I started liking how they came out on these canvases," Garcia said. "Me being a Native American, I have to juggle being modern and traditional at the same time. So it's modern, traditional, and then trying to merge the two."

For Manuel, watching students like Garcia find their voice is exactly what the class is for.

"I feel like a parent watching your kid crawl and start walking," Manuel said. "For me, as the instructor, it's a very proud feeling … to see that growth."

"Mamisidag in Motion" closes this weekend at Galleria Mitotera, 1802 S. 4th Ave. in South Tucson. The gallery is open Friday and Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m.

Topacio “Topaz” Servellon is a reporter with Tucson Spotlight. Contact them at topacioserve@gmail.com.

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