“If you don’t like the culture, then you need to create a culture that you like,” Mashonda Tifrere told her son when preparing him for college.
Tifrere, who is the founder and leader of two art-based nonprofits, currently has two projects on view in San Diego: an audio tour of the Stuart Collection at UC San Diego, which launched in early July, and a curated show at Quint Gallery in La Jolla, which opened in late July.
Taylor Chapin’s Fever Dreams (2025) is part of Tifrere’s curated show “Somewhere in Between,” showing at Quint Gallery.
Tifrere, an art collector and musician, has dedicated her work to uplifting others in the art community. In 2016, she founded ArtLeadHer, which works to provide teenage girls and women interested in the visual arts with the tools they need to grow within their craft, from education to networking, and gain more visibility within the art world. Tifrere then realized that emerging artists from all backgrounds needed more representation, which led to the founding of Art Genesis. The organization showcases the work of underrepresented artists.
This year, Tifrere collaborated with the Stuart Collection at UCSD on a mindfulness audio tour entitled Inscape: Art and Collection at the Stuart Collection. The audio tour guides listeners through 22 site-specific artworks throughout the campus, providing a moment to learn about each piece and embark on a meditative wellness journey.
“[Tifrere] is magic,” says Megan Theriault, community engagement manager for the Stuart Collection. “The way that she listens and understands and then is intentional about how to turn that around and share it with somebody else—it’s incredible.”
Given four months to create the audio work, Tifrere researched the artists to understand who they were and what they may have been feeling when creating the piece. She also spent time on the UCSD campus every day, saying she “felt like a student.” She had to dedicate significant time to each of the 22 pieces over the months to make sure there was sufficient content for the spoken word auditory guide.
Megan Gabrielle’s Cala Violina (2025) shows as part of Somewhere in Between at Quint Gallery.
“This project’s experiential nature immerses visitors in the Stuart Collection by creating a personal, contemplative connection with each piece and aligns with my curatorial vision to further intertwine the arts and well-being,” says Executive Director of the Stuart Collection Jess Berlanga Taylor, who offered Tifrere the opportunity to work on this project, “[Tifrere]’s passion for both artistic expression and mindful reflection is obvious in her curation.”
Tifrere grew up in New York City with her uncle, a talented painter, and her godmother, an exceptional art collector, in the mid-1980s. She says she was influenced by the music, fashion, and graffiti at the time.
Nathan Wong, NW 44 A, B (2021), acrylic on canvas.
As she grew into the world of art—both as an influential figure in music and a young collector of physical art—she began to notice that women were underrepresented in the galleries and museums she would visit. So, she decided to use her voice and social position to shake up the art community.
“Upon transitioning into the art world from a business perspective as an advisor and curator, I recognized the importance of leveraging my voice and network to establish a platform where women artists can flourish,” Tifrere says.
Seeking a new experience during the pandemic, she moved to San Diego with her son in 2020 so he could be closer to his father. After she’d been living here for five years, looking for an art gallery similar to those in New York, a friend invited her to a fundraiser at Quint Gallery. Upon arriving, Tifrere saw that the line to get in stretched down the block.
“I was like, ‘Oh my God, this feels like a New York moment.’ I’d never experienced anything like that in San Diego at any kind of art space,” she says.
She asked her friend to get her in contact with Mark Quint, owner of Quint Gallery. And now, Art Genesis is showcasing an exhibition curated by Tifrere at Quint Gallery.
Elizabeth Waggett, Untitled (Gold), 2024
Titled Somewhere in Between, the show is inspired by her strong belief in spirituality and quantum physics. It explores the idea of existing in multiple places and times simultaneously and reflects her personal experiences with out-of-body encounters and dreams.
“This exhibition is dedicated to my grandmother and my godmother—two remarkable women who instilled in me the belief that I have the power to shape my own narrative,” Tifrere says. They taught her how to be fierce but peaceful while navigating life, she adds. And while they may not be here physically any longer, Tifrere says she can still feel them with her constantly, which has fueled her passion and vision for Somewhere in Between.
The show features six artists: Taylor Chapin, Megan Gabrielle, Sasha Koozel Reibstein, Victor Ubah, Elizabeth Waggett, and Nathan Wong. Tifrere chose these artists because their work examines their evolution as human beings in a raw and unique way. She explains that their work delves into the complexities of the human condition and reflects the artist’s journey of self-realization.
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“This is a fantastic opportunity to see fresh, compelling figurative and abstract work by both emerging and established artists, representing both San Diego talents like [Chapin] and [Reibstein], alongside new talent from [Tifrere]’s network of artists from around the world,” Mark Quint says.
Somewhere in Between is on view at Quint Gallery from July 26 to August 16.
