Wild Pony

Emely Guerrero’s journey began at an early college high school, where she graduated at seventeen with both a high school diploma and an associate degree. Although art had always been part of her life – from the music she listened to, to the sketches she made – fine arts weren’t encouraged. Determined to explore her creativity, she enrolled in studio and art history electives at Tarrant County College and UTA, where she discovered printmaking. Suddenly, everything clicked. With encouragement from family, friends, and inspiring professors, she applied to UTA to pursue a BFA in Printmaking. Since 2023, her experience at UTA has balanced challenge with creativity. With guidance from her mentor professor Carrie Iverson, she has exhibited work and built a portfolio rooted in her experience and identity as a Mexican American woman.

Verania Gonzalez has been making art since she was four, always supported by her family. She completed her basics at Dallas College El Centro, earning an Associate of Arts in May 2023 before transferring to UTA for the Visual Communication Design (VCD) program. Though she created work she was proud of, she struggled to feel fully connected. In Fall 2024, while juggling her final VCD course and an Intro to Print class with professor Iverson, she made the difficult decision to drop VCD and fully commit to printmaking. It was the best decision she’s ever made. That semester, she created more artwork than ever – including a life-size linoleum print of her own body, one of her most personal pieces to date.

Together, under professor Iverson’s mentorship, Emely and Verania revived Wild Pony, a student-led printmaking collective, just a week before Valentine’s Day in February 2025. With limited planning time, they hosted their first workshop – and it was a hit. That single event sparked new interest in printmaking and led to collaborations with groups like the 2100 Club, where they hosted a late-night “print party” and even screen-printed custom shirts. Soon after, Verania and Emely were invited to lead a community workshop at River Legacy Nature Center in Arlington.

Wild Pony is helping spotlight UTA’s printmaking department – so much so that Intro to Print filled up on the first day of registration. While it is not yet an official campus organization, Emely and Verania’s vision is big: a student-run print house, seasonal workshops, a print market, and community exchanges.

“None of this would be possible without professor Carrie Iverson. Her belief in us, encouragement to take risks, and commitment to fostering collaboration have shaped who we are as artists. We are excited to keep growing and sharing the beauty of printmaking with the UTA community and beyond,” say Emely and Verania.