THE STORY OF PACHECO

Eliel Pacheco is a young Dominican artist from The Bronx. From a young age choosing a pen and paper over toy cars and action figures, Pacheco has always been itching to create. Going to the High School of Fashion Industries (HFSI) he thrived as a Graphics and Illustration CTE Major amongst the sea of 2,000 students as Co-Director of HSFI’s Theater Club for 2 years and Senior Class President his final year. 

After being accepted to Parsons, SCAD and many more intuitions, Pacheco studied in Purchase College SUNY. As of May 2023 he has graduated with a BFA degree in Interdisciplinary: Painting + Drawing/Graphic Design Major with a concentration in New Media, Video Art Sculpture. Not one to stick in a single box, Pacheco blossomed, being one of few students to blend an interest in the elements of painting and drawing with the structures of graphic design to manifest in a physical plane. 

With much of his work bringing into question the dangers of consumer marketing and advertising tactics while acknowledging the beauty and art form that these methods really are. Exploring how these tactics are tied to racism and the affects these practices have on the black body. Working under the teachings of Robin Lynch, Julian Kreimer, Benjamin Santiago and his thesis advisor Kate Gilmore, Pacheco’s execution of the field of art is expansive and wide. Along with working with performance artist Brendan Ferandes, Autumn Knight, Jesus Benavente, Alix Pearstein and Daniel Bozhkov in an art exhibition in the Neuberger Museum titled: Hard Return, Pacheco’s drive to create even branches of traditional lenes of “art.” 

During Pacheco’s time at undergrad he was elected President of Purchase College’s Cheese Club, one of the institution's oldest and most popular clubs hosting over 40+ students weekly. Brining students from all across campus regardless of class, race, grade, or even intolerance to lactose together to not only eat and talk about cheese but also foster and build community. Pacheco helped progress campus life forward from COVID restrictions and reigned in a new era of Cheese history.

But Pacheco did not stop there becoming Chair of Afrodisiac, an annual music festival that gives BIPOC Students a platform to showcase their talents. The multi faceted event brings outside headliners to lift up student talent and put them on the same stage as the artist they look up to. Pacheco’s Afrodisiac was rooted in providing students a wholistic outlook on the many forms and shapes blackness takes up. Pacheco’s Afrodisiac’s Headliner was New York Royalty Bobby Shmurda. Not only was the opportunity to work closely with Bobby and his team a collaboration of a lifetime but important to Pacheco because Afrodisiac is rooted as an avenue for student talent to launch their own careers.

Now at the start of his post undergraduate career, Pacheco has his eyes set on new and inventive ways to create and foster community through art and more. Working as a Program Counselor for The School of The New York Times this past summer, allowed Pacheco to work with young writers from across the world and show them an authentic side of New York. Along with working on a multiple new untitled projects, the story of Eliel Pacheco is still being written…