Inside the Basílica de Santa María de Guadalupe, a cavernous church in northern Mexico City, Jolette Oseguera Martinez stood dumbfounded. “It’s so big,” the CU Denver Film & Television student said. “That was very shocking to me.” She was equally awestruck by the ornate beauty of the iconography inside. It reminded her of how her hero, director Guillermo del Toro, is also inspired by religious imagery. She felt invigorated to figure out her own aesthetic as a filmmaker drawing on her own heritage.
That creative inspiration is exactly what the study abroad trip she was participating in was intended to engender. Oseguera Martinez, BFA ’27, was one of six College of Arts & Media (CAM) students who participated in the third CAM trip to Mexico City in partnership with the Biennial of the Americas, a Denver-based nonprofit that promotes cultural exchange and art through events and programming. The trip took place in February (the first took place in 2024). Two students from each of the Film & Television, Music & Entertainment Industry Studies, and Visual Arts departments spent four days in Mexico’s sprawling capital during the city’s 2026 Art Week. Students, many of whom had never been outside of the United States, traversed the city, taking in museum and gallery exhibitions of Mexican and international artists. They also embraced cultural and culinary experiences and benefitted from valuable networking experiences and the opportunity to form deep and lasting bonds with one another.
A Fruitful Partnership
The study abroad experience was made possible by funding provided by the Biennial of the Americas, a grant from CU Denver’s Center for Access and Community Engagement (CACE), and a group of donors—who CAM Dean Lucinda Bliss calls Friends of CAM—who covered all of the learners’ expenses. The students also received a year-long membership to the organization to allow for continued networking and experiences back in Denver.
Oseguera Martinez is excited about the opportunity to continue meeting creative professionals because she’s passionate about forging a career path in film. She grew up in Denver and chose CU Denver at the suggestion of a high school teacher, who thought she’d thrive in the university’s film program.
Her peer, Jorion Salas—who is working toward a bachelor’s degree and intends to pursue a master’s as part of the 4+1 program—also participated in the trip and has creative ambitions. The Fort Collins local transferred to CU Denver from Front Range Community College and commutes to class from the northern city. He said CU Denver is right for him because it allows him to pursue his passion for music in a professional capacity through both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in its Recording Arts program.
A Personally Meaningful Experience
For both Salas and Oseguera Martinez, the cultural experiences were as impactful as the exposure to art. Incidentally, both grew up in Colorado and have Mexican heritage, but they had never been able to visit Mexico. The experience was an opportunity to return to their roots while simultaneously expanding their horizons.
While visiting the basilica stands out in Oseguera Martinez’s memory, one of Salas’ favorite experiences took place in a taco restaurant. “A band came up and started playing,” Salas said. “It was just like, ‘This is what I came to Mexico City for.’”
Artistic Inspiration
Something that sticks out in Oseguera Martinez’s mind is a film she saw as part of an art exhibit. Unlike the more conventional narrative work she’s produced at CU Denver, it relied heavily on symbolism to convey a message. “It was directly linked to being a woman and just talking about femicide … without telling me straight up or showing that directly,” Oseguera Martinez. “That is what really stuck with me. I’d definitely like to incorporate some messages [in my films].” She said she’s already revising her script for a project she plans to produce next semester based on this inspiration.
Valuable Networking
Salas, meanwhile, has a newfound appreciation for networking. The trip allowed him to befriend international artists, make connections with members of the Biennial of the Americas and Friends of CAM, and network with the trip’s chaperone, Senior Instructor of Music and Entertainment Studies Andy “Rok” Guerrero (who is the co-founder and guitarist in the alternative hip-hop band, Flobots). Guerrero is a professional musician who has succeeded in what Salas hopes to achieve in his own way. “He was giving us good insight and stuff the entire time,” Salas said. “I’m still in the process of a lot of different things with my own music and my own work, and he said at any point that I had questions, to run it by him.”
Now, Salas and Oseguera Martinez feel like they have a new group of lifelong friends on campus and an expanded appreciation for arts, people, and cultures around the globe. And that’s what Guerrero wants for his students. “The world’s a huge place,” said Guerrero. “College is about expanding your horizons and being exposed to different perspectives and different cultures. Students got to experience that on this trip.”