Cecilia is professor of Theology and Theological Aesthetics at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles. She is the recipient of the 2024 Virgilio Elizondo Award from the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States, the 2023 Ann O’Hara Graff Award from the Catholic Theological Society of America, and was named 2020 Alumna of the Year from the Graduate Theological Union. She was also titled a Visionary by the Foundation for Spirituality and the Arts. Among her celebrated works is the book Bridge to Wonder: Art as a Gospel of Beauty. She is President-elect of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States.
In this conversation, Cecilia and I discussed the significant links between art, theology, and social justice, focusing on art's transformative power in shaping ethical perspectives and fostering community resilience. We explored the role of aesthetics in marginalized communities, and how the grotesque can challenge our perceptions. Our dialogue also touched on the impact of digital media on art, the importance of media representation, and the role of community-based art as both resistance and a celebration of resilience and solidarity.