Frank Estrada, a Memphis native, is a multidisciplinary artist based in Oxford, Mississippi. Although Estrada views himself as a printmaker first, he also employs digital illustration, animation, and augmented reality in his visual storytelling. He most often creates prints by the relief technique, in which the image is carved into a surface such as wood or linoleum, leaving the raised design for ink application. Estrada’s work reflects his views and experiences, so he often utilizes motifs and imagery from his Mexican heritage and Southern upbringing.
Estrada attended the University of Mississippi, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Printmaking, and a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communication. He currently works full-time as a Multimedia Specialist at the University of Mississippi.
Heavily involved in the community as a teacher and volunteer, Estrada has taught both adult and children’s printmaking workshops at the University of Mississippi Museum, the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience (The MAX) museum, the Walter Anderson Museum, the Carpenter Art Garden, the Magnolia Montessori School, and Girl Scouts of Greater Mississippi.
He has received several honors, including being selected as the Double Decker Arts Festival featured artist (2015), a recipient of the Mississippi Arts Commission Visual Arts Fellowship Grant (2016) and Artist Mini-Grant (2022), and being selected as an inaugural member of the Emerging Leaders of Color for South Arts (2022).
His artwork has been showcased nationally through numerous invitational exhibitions and published in various magazines. Estrada is currently represented by Oxford Treehouse Gallery in Oxford, MS.
This collection of relief prints, titled Knowledge in Bloom, Diversity in Flight, features the national flowers of various countries. The artwork is a tribute to the international faculty and staff whose diverse cultures, perspectives, and expertise enrich higher education. The prints beautifully symbolize this contribution: the flowers represent the deep roots of growth and heritage, while the birds signify movement and the vital exchange of ideas. Together, they celebrate both the foundational roots and the soaring wings that diverse voices bring to the university community.
