Ariana Franco shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Ariana, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Music! Miami has such a diverse and vibrant underground music scene. There is something for every mood, culture, and a way to celebrate and connect with our city. Lately, it has looked like supporting my friend’s art and dancing all night. It’s inspiring and a valuable outlet for me.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi! I’m Ariana Franco, a Conceptual Installation Artist and Professional Genealogist. For me, the two practices go hand in hand. I started my career in retail display and merchandising in 2011 in Sarasota, Florida, and from 2014–2017 I had the pleasure of working with Anthropologie before moving to Miami as a freelance creator. In Miami, I collaborated with brands like Harmont & Blaine, Alice and Olivia, Upper Buena Vista, and Walt Grace Vintage, among others.
Like many creatives, the pandemic shifted my path and introduced new ideas about what I wanted to make and how I wanted to share my work. In 2023, after a move to Colorado, I stepped back from corporate retail displays to focus full time on genealogical and historical research. Returning to Miami in early 2025 brought a surge of inspiration—there’s something about this city that always compels me to create.
Each genealogical project is its own journey through stories, relationships, and histories, and those discoveries have become resources for my art. While I take on clients for research, I remain a conceptual fine artist at heart. My work has been described as both visceral and cerebral—pleasurable to the eye, while carrying deeper themes of identity and relationships. Recently, I’ve been weaving on a rigid heddle loom, reconnecting with the traditions of my female ancestors who were spinners, weavers, seamstresses, and rug hookers. It’s a way of marrying craft with conceptual art and channeling ancestral memory into something tangible.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
In college, I had the pleasure of being taught by and in the orbit of conceptual artist and art critic Kevin Costello. He encouraged me write extensively about my past influences, the things I saw and experienced as a child, and to harness those experiences to create art in my own way. That guidance continues to keep me to be curious, and challenge myself intellectually in everything I do.
When did you last change your mind about something important?
I love this question because I’ve recently changed my mind about two very important things in my life.
First, I hadn’t maintained a personal art practice for many years. When I stopped creating retail displays, it felt like hitting the brakes, skidding out of control, and slamming into a brick wall. Returning to Miami, I found myself wrestling with questions: What would I make? How could I blend my genealogical research into conceptual art? Was I allowing myself space to enjoy the process? Too many parts of my work were separate when they didn’t need to be. I realized I could use my research to inform a new art practice, so I bought a loom and began experimenting with other mediums I’d been curious about.
The second change was about simply enjoying my life. This might seem small, but for someone like me—Taurus ☀️, Leo 🔥, Scorpio 🌙 (all fixed signs!)—I’ve had to watch how seriously and ritualistically I approach everything. The pandemic and other major life changes had me locked up. In July, I made a conscious decision to step out of my social comfort zone, make new friends, and embrace new experiences.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
Community. I believe in nurturing and protecting the spaces and projects where people feel seen, supported, and connected. Whether it’s in the arts, in genealogical research, or in my personal relationships, fostering genuine connection and collaboration is non-negotiable for me.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If immortality were real, what would you build?
If immortality were real, I would build an endless archive of stories—woven together from genealogy, art, and lived experience. I imagine a space where ancestral memory, contemporary voices, and future dreams could all sit at the same table. It wouldn’t just be a library of names and dates, but a living, breathing tapestry of identity, craft, and community. With unlimited time, I’d keep expanding that archive, experimenting with new mediums, and collaborating with others to make sure every voice and every thread had a place in the weave.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.arianafranco.com
- Instagram: @arianalara
