♪♪ Hi, I'm Pilar, and this is how art changed me.

If I didn't have an exposure to the arts, I don't know what my life would be like.

I think that says a lot because that's how impactful it's been to my future.

It has brought me opportunities that I wasn't aware that I was allowed to pursue -- just pursuing architecture as a woman of color.

There's literally less than 1,000 women of color that are licensed architects in America.

When we think of where we stay the majority of our lives, there's not a lot of people of color that have made those spaces.

I am a first generation Dominican.

Both of my parents are from the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Republic is a place that is full of art.

Art is a part of our culture, and I think that's what helped me, as I grew up, for my parents to be like, "Oh, okay, it's just very creative at a young age, let's just continue that, you know, let's push for whatever she wants to pursue in the future."

When we weren't in school, my brother and I were always in museums that were free, thanks -- thankfully, to New York City.

And a lot of commuting as well.

The art that was surrounding me on my way to New York City because I lived in the Bronx.

Graffiti always drew my eye.

When I was in the Bronx, I actually did not have an art teacher.

I did not have an art program.

So a lot of the accessibility to art that I had was public art.

When I went to undergrad my first year, I chose to go to an art school.

That opportunity just opened me up to different aspects of art and different aspects of design.

I had a very strong program that was like, how can you create art in your future but keep it sustainable?

A lot of architects were teaching me about sustainability, so I was like, What is architecture?

That introduction of sustainability kind of sparked an interest and a passion for creating affordable housing that is sustainable.

Yes, my parents and my family moved here from the Dominican Republic, but we did not have money.

And what was our option for housing?

The projects in New York City.

And the projects in New York City are very, very poorly maintained, very poorly built.

And that was what really, really like sparked something in me to be like, I want to do this in the future.

I know it's going to be super hard, but how can I change the way that my people are living?

As a person of color, we are the majority that lives in affordable housing throughout America.

How can I use my voice?

How can I make a future where we can give homes to people, but that doesn't make such a big impact on our earth?

Because we're hurting it.

That's a known fact.

To the people that are defunding the arts programs in schools and for the public, really reevaluate what is stopping you from thinking that the arts aren't important for people -- and even for yourself.

Why is it that you think that something that has made an impact for centuries, since the age of time, is not important?

I don't understand.

If it weren't for illustrations, we wouldn't understand our language -- like, just something that... like, something that basic.

It doesn't make sense.

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