José Ortiz-Pagán, a Puerto Rican artist based in Philadelphia, uses art as a tool for social change, recontextualizing spirituality as a form of resistance. His work empowers communities through collective rituals and storytelling. Notable projects include *A Solitary Procession*, a space for mourning with dignity, and *Manual of Renewal*, a performance in Kensington exploring how we can generate strategies of care as a form of public gathering. In 2025, he completed *From Soil to Stars*, an artist residency at the University of Pennsylvania. His work has received recognition from NALAC and the Philadelphia Foundation among others