Malinalli Productions Connects Artists with Community and Culture
Seeing a need to help up-and-coming creatives and support the community, local artists, husband and wife duo, and business partners Xochil Xitlalli and Juan Cuevas created Malinalli Productions. This dynamic company has two intentions: creating solidarity by sharing healing artwork with people and helping other creatives share their artwork and grow their art businesses.
This involves creating art to help local nonprofits generate funds, as well as helping artists create tangible works to sell, providing space to sell it, and helping artists generate an income through selling their art. And, it involves reconnecting people with their cultural identity.
“Cultural revitalization is a big aspect of it, as it inspires people to dig deep in their own cultural backgrounds and rediscover who they are,” Cuevas said. “I feel a lot of us don’t know where our family descends from, or who we are outside of our 9-5.”
Cuevas went on to say that one of Malinalli Productions’ motivations is to get people to explore themselves in the new, and by telling stories through art.
The Medicinal Meaning Behind Malinalli Productions
Officially launching in 2021, Malinalli Productions went through a couple of name changes before the art business was finalized.
“We went with Malinalli productions because it’s another word in the Nahuatl language that translates to ‘herbs’ or ‘medicine’ and the intention behind everything is to create medicine through art, culture, and Indigenous language revitalization,” Cuevas explained.
“We teach about the old calendar systems, and Malinalli is a part of the Tonalli calendar and day system,” Xitlalli said. In the Aztec calendar, Malinalli, which also translates to “tall grass,” is the day of the calendar associated with the god Patecatl. Patecatl is also associated with medicine, healing, and fertility.
“We create artwork with the purpose of making medicine,” Cuevas said. “It’s a literal representation of us.”
Artwork by Xochil
Artwork By Juan
Supporting Artists
As a jumping-off platform for new artists, Malinalli Productions works to support local artists and their art businesses. This includes hosting markets to provide space for artists to share their work and engage with other community members.
One event is their annual Indigimart, held on Black Friday as a Native American Heritage Day Market and Celebration. Their first-ever market was held on May Day in 2022. This market helps emerging artists get their business off the ground and get a feel for what vending is like.
“Some artists vend for their first time ever at the markets,” Xitlalli said. “It’s very rewarding to be able to help people. I take a lot of joy in helping people do that, especially when they’re very young.”
The 5th annual Indigimart is this coming Friday, November 28th. Come check out some amazing local Indigenous artists and other local small businesses! (MiM Mag will also be vending there!)
Malinalli Productions also offers consulting work to support local artists stepping into the realm of running their own art business. This includes helping people create logos for their businesses or organizations.
Supporting Community
In addition to supporting local artists, Malinalli Productions also works to support the local community.
“We’ve done mutual aid to distribute funds to people in need in our community, and we’ve donated items to people for use in raffles and mutual aid fundraising,” Xitlalli said. Malinalli Productions also sets up altars in the community for cultural holidays. For Día de los Muertos in 2023, they set up an altar and community ofrenda at the First Friday Festival, where folks could honor loved ones who had passed.
MP also did a call-in circle in 2022 to speak with the owner of Peyote, a former local bar and restaurant that culturally appropriated its name from an Indigenous healing ceremony.
Keeping the business and organizing work separate, a sister grass-roots organization represents the face of the events Malinalli Productions hosts. Led by Cuevas and Xitlalli, and a few of their friends, Children of the Corn was established to build up the community aspects of their work.
This includes encouraging movement to the ballot box and voting for local races, as well as other non-profit organization work.
In addition, Malinalli Productions also works with Nuwu Art and Indigenous AF, a local art gallery, activism studio, and community center.
MP held its first art exhibition at the Nuwu Art Gallery and Community Center in August and September 2022, showcasing artwork by Xochil Xitlalli Ancestral Art and Cuevas’s Quetzal Vision.
Community Workshops
Malinalli Productions also offers workshops to the community to share Indigenous knowledge and cultural education.
Last November, Malinalli Productions taught the community about Día de los Muertos while painting sugar skulls. The workshop covered how this Aztec holiday and its traditions are celebrated today versus hundreds of years ago.
In December 2024, they also hosted an upcycling workshop, where participants created tree topper ornaments while exploring the Meso-American roots of the winter solstice, their connection to modern Christmas traditions, and how these traditions are tied to Indigenous cultures.
In April, to celebrate Earth Day, they held another upcycled event where people learned about silk screening and cloth dying.
And, Malinalli Productions just hosted a Calavera painting workshop in October!
Malinalli Productions also hosts calendar workshops, including their plans to host spring workshops about growth and renewal.
“We associate growth and renewal with Aztec deities, specifically Xipe Totec, ‘the flayed one.’ From death comes renewal, he’s a symbol of how things have to die for things to be reborn,” Cuevas explained. “It’s a way for us to help people shed their skin and go through a renewal. Like a New Year’s resolution, ours is during the spring equinox.”
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Challenges Faced and Goals for the Future
Starting Malinalli Productions was no easy feat, as it is for any business venture. Cuevas and Xitlalli shared that they faced economic barriers to launching their business and the red tape that is involved with the process.
This involved not knowing how to navigate opening a business, dealing with taxes and licenses, and learning the differences between S and C corporation identification.
Having been in business for almost four years now, Malinalli Productions can focus on its growth and the road ahead.
Looking to to future, they hope to help more artists launch their businesses and platforms, host more workshops, and plan more events to raise social awareness and discuss social issues.
They also hope to travel the world more, create more art, and set up art installations in new places.
Where to Find Malinalli Productions
Malinalli Productions sells art and sets up installations in many places, both locally and around the country and beyond.
In September, MP set up its first festival installation in Aztec, New Mexico, where it showcased its artwork. In November 2024, MP vended at the inaugural Neon City Festival in Downtown Las Vegas. They also contributed artwork to one of the altars showcased at the Las Vegas Mexican Consulate’s art exhibit. Malinalli Productions, including artwork by Xitlalli and Cuevas, is also highlighted inside Meow Wolf’s Area 15.
And, they can be found vending at pop-ups and markets around town. At their events, you can purchase Xitlalli and Cuevas’ artwork, including paintings, prints, stickers, and even eco-friendly products like reusable air fresheners.
How Juan and Xochil are Approaching the New Administration
With the insanity and uncertainty of the Trump administration, the creators of Malinalli Productions are exercising restraint in their communication with others and identifying ways to foster safety.
“We are not engaging with people and fighting on the internet, and we are protecting the safety of both ourselves and the community,” Xitlalli said. “We are being more vigilant and paying attention more to our surroundings, where we are putting ourselves, and being safer with posting where we are. And, we are keeping each other safe and checking in with each other.”
Cuevas also mentioned how there will be a lot of cuts to arts funding in Clark County.
“People are tired and afraid, so we are fostering a sense of community in tangible ways,” he said. “We want to be able to have an outlet and distraction for people, and offer ways to alleviate compassion fatigue.”
With Malinalli Productions being about bringing medicine, helping people heal continues to be the crux of their work, especially during these turbulent times.
“Bringing medicine looks a lot of different things, especially for people from the diaspora of places like Mexico, Belize, El Salvador, and so on,” Cuevas said. “For people without connections to their Indigenous roots, they often ask us how they can learn about things. That’s a healing self-discovery journey they can start to go on.”
#GetinMotion with Malinalli Productions
There are several ways to support Malinalli Production and their healing work.
Follow MP on Instagram, and check out their website to purchase artwork by Xochil Xitlalli and Quetzal Visions, clothing, home decor, coloring books, and more! They also do Tonalli and Oracle card readings.
Follow Quetzal Visions and Xochil Xitlalli Ancestral Art on their respective Instagrams as well. You can also read their respective articles I’ve previously written here!
In addition, stay up to date with their upcoming events and attend a workshop to support MP and learn about Indigenous culture. And visit them at occasional vending events like First Friday.
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