Aida Alarcón graduated from the University of North Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in art focusing on digital design.

Moving to Georgia from New Jersey in middle school, Aida went by her middle name: Isabelle. She was embarrassed that no one knew how to pronounce her first name, so she changed it. It was not until Alarcón took a class at UNG that she realized the importance of her name. “Heather Joshi…She really helped me embrace just my identity, and she made me feel so comfortable in my skin,” Alarcón said, “Now as an adult, it’s not that big of a deal just to correct people. But she [Joshi] actually had me embrace my first name when I went to college…I’ll never forget that.”

Alarcón said that Joshi would mention all the opportunities that UNG offered. “Any opportunities that presented itself to me. I would go ahead and do it” She said, “I did so many projects through the school, even outside of art, UNG offers some really great resources to students.”

Alarcón said that through UNG’s CURCA, she was able to work with the science department on a display. She said, “One of my first biggest projects I did with UNG was this Eastern Box Turtle project where I collaborated with the science and ecology students, and that was really fun. I painted these like huge turtle paintings like three by four foot turtle paintings that are now permanently displayed in the science and engineering building.”

Being a part of as many clubs she could join, Alarcón was an event coordinator and a money management mentor. As a mentor, she would host financial aid classes and teach students the importance of budgeting. Alarcón said, “It was really good to do that as an artist because it would help refine the narrative of being an artist. There’s always that narrative that artists are starving like a starving artist and that’s just not true.”

Now working as a full time artist, Alarcón works with clients, paints murals and does one-on-one consultations. She said, “My top thing is murals at the moment, and it’s my dream job. Honestly. Like painting just large scale paintings all over walls for the public to see is ready fun.”

Even though Alarcón went to school with a focus on digital arts, she says that her degree benefits her work today. “I went to school mainly for animation, 3D design and animation, and graphic design. So, I did a lot of Adobe creative suite work. Not like physical artwork, but more like I was on a screen drawing and designing things,” she said. “It’s helped benefit my career now a lot because I am able to create murals digitally and then I can translate it on the wall because I love to paint.”

Alarcón mainly paints with acrylics on canvas, though she is practicing on wood panels to push herself out of her comfort zone. Alarcón said, “My art is very much inspired by ‘at this moment in time.’ It’s very much inspired by, like, vibrant hues and color palettes.” Alarcón explained that her mom is Puerto Rocian and her dad is Ecuadorian, which inspires her color choices.

Art to Alarcón is personal. Thinking of her most recent art projects, she said, “I’m also very much just reconnecting with my inner child, and a lot of my current works reflect that.”

Her most recent art exhibit was centered around women’s relationships with themselves and each other. Alarcón said, “Friends may see other aspects of your beauty that you yourself may not recognize or see.” This project included Alarcón’s two roommates—also alumni from UNG—Juleah Everglade and Isabella Martino. The three girls worked on portraits of each other rather than themselves.

Alarcón is now working towards a solo exhibit inspired by a woman’s relationship with her hair. Being an important subject to Alarcón, she explained, “I actually grew up with alopecia areata, which is a type of alopecia where you lose like a dime or like a dollar coin sized amount of hairs, so every so often I do have a bald spot on my head.”

Growing up with this insecurity, Alarcón plans to rewrite the narrative and make it something beautiful. She plans to have her exhibit up in September 2026, as September is alopecia awareness month.

Alarcón is most active on her instagram, which is where you can keep up with her and her many projects.