Rocio Hoffman

A small, round-faced woman with a permanent smile and a sharp sense of humor, Hoffmann regularly interviews Baja artists, musicians and dancers while she does their portraits, posting the live feeds to her Facebook page as part of a project called “Conversaciones in ROHO.” Galeria RoHo, her small, but vibrant studio-school-market space, is located in the artisanal district along Boulevard Popotla, just south of the big hotels and tourist shops of downtown Rosarito.

Despite her unassuming appearance, Rocio Hoffmann is an outspoken, provocative figure, recognized for her work as a co-founder of the Rosarito Art Fest and, more. Born in 1963 in Coyoacan — the artistic district of Mexico City — Hoffmann remembers her grandmother taking her to visit muralist David Alfaro Siquieres in his studio. She was 7 years old.

“Don’t let anybody change your way as an artist,” the famous painter had advised her. “You were born an artist, you are an artist, just keep it in your mind.”

Art is not just about making a thing; it is a way to create a language with your discipline and design, knowing the techniques and then destroying the techniques. I know that I don’t own the truth for all the universe, but it’s my truth.”

“I started to make little festivals in various parts of Rosarito — Armando Gonzalez and me — and we named this Arte en Movimiento, Art in Movement, and I was one of the founders of the Rosarito Art Fest. Now it is the best festival in Northwest Mexico for art.”

For her local efforts, Hoffmann was named Rosarito’s “Woman of the Year” in 2010.

Titanic Sculpture at Rosarito Pier By Rocio Hoffmann