Amy Irizarry
Artist-in-Residence
Flor de Maga
2026 | Mixed media on canvas
Amy Irizarry is a professional visual artist with degrees in Fine Art and Arts in Health. Her relationship with AWAHIH began as a University of North Florida intern in 2015 and grew into years of working directly within the program. Her personal practice moves across multiple media, allowing her to explore how different materials can come together to express personal history, growth, and self-discovery.
Through self portraiture, Puerto Rican plant life, and accumulated layers of material, Flor de Maga connects Amy’s family roots with her own growth and the growth she has witnessed through her work with AWAHIH.
In Her Own Words
How did your relationship with Art with a Heart in Healthcare begin?
My history with this incredible program began in 2015 as a UNF intern. I have always been deeply drawn to the mission of providing personalized fine art experiences that enhance the healing process for patients and their families. Having the opportunity to learn, utilize the tools provided, ask questions, and receive guidance allowed me to grow.
What has stayed with you most from your experience with AWAHIH?
Through my experiences, I have witnessed incredible growth in everyone involved: artists, interns, hospital staff, families, volunteers, and patients alike.
This growth extends far beyond art. I have seen remarkable developments in confidence, experience, artistic skill, and communication. Because this progress happens in so many directions and through so many different measurements, it has always felt beautifully organic to me and is best represented by nature and plant life.
How would you describe your own artistic practice?
My personal style has always translated through many mixed media. I enjoy expressing myself through the exploration of combining them.
For this piece, I took the opportunity to dive into self-discovery.
Tell us about Flor de Maga.
I created a realistic self portrait painted in oil. It features native Puerto Rican foliage, emphasizing the island flower, the Flor de Maga, which reflects my family roots and symbolizes personal blooming.
The canvas includes washes of acrylic and paste mediums to represent the buildup of life experiences that brought me to this point.
What do you hope viewers discover in the piece?
The piece is filled with historical and personal subliminal messages and meanings that I hope connect with each viewer.
