About Raissa

Baltimore City

     Raissa Contreras is an artist, filmmaker, and educator in Baltimore City. She has an MA in Film & Video from MICA and an MFA in Painting from the University of New Mexico. Her teaching and work are inter or multi-disciplinary and she has exhibited nationally and internationally.  She was a 2019 recipient of a Maryland State Arts Grant for Media Arts.

     Five of her films have premiered in LA since 2018 and have won numerous awards. Her most recent film, Fells Point… more

Jaime & the Tamales

Jaime & the Tamales is a 16 mm, black & white, cinema verite short depicting Jaime selling his tamales on a sunny day in Baltimore. It is imagistic & painterly, informed by my background in painting. It premiered in LA with the Silicon Beach Film Festival in April 2018 where it won Best Cinematography for Short Documentary and in NY with NewFilmmakers NY at the Anthology Film Archives. It made its world premiere May 2019 with the L'Age d'Or International Arthouse Film Festival in Kolkata, India, where it won Best Women's Film. In 2022, it was awarded Best Short Doc with the New Jersey Film Awards and screened in Lisbon with the Lisbon Film Rendevous. It has also screened with the Silver State Film Festival, Experiments in Cinema in New Mexico and the Fisura Int'l Experimental Film & Video Festival in Mexico City.
  • Jaime & the Tamales - Trailer
    This is a 16 mm, black & white, cinema verite film depicting Jaime selling his tamales on a sunny day in Baltimore. It premiered in LA with the Silicon Beach Film Festival in April 2018 where it won Best Cinematography for Short Doc and in NY at the Anthology Film Archives. It has screened nationally and internationally. It made its world premiere with the L'Age d'Or Int'l Arthouse Film Festival in Kolkata, India where it won Best Women's Film. In 2022, it won Best Short Documentary with the New Jersey Film Awards and screened in Lisbon with the Lisbon Film Rendevous. In It has also screened with the Silver State Film Festival, Experiments in Cinema, and the Fisura Int'l Experimental Film & Video Festival in Mexico City.
  • Film Still
    Film Still
    Film Still
  • Film Still
    Film Still
  • Jaime & the Tamales Poster
    Jaime & the Tamales Poster
    film poster

Porkchop & the 28th St North Carolina Watermelons

This is a 16 mm, black & white, cinema verite piece showing Porkchop selling his watermelons on a summer day in Baltimore. It is informed by street photography and the dreamlike elements of painting. It premiered in  LA with the Golden State Film Festival and in NY with the Bushwick Film Festival. It screeened with the Silicon Beach Miami Film Festival where it won the Audience Award for Short Doc and with the Southern Colorado Film Festival where it won the Special Jury Award. It has also shown with the Short to the Point Film Festival in Bucharest, Romania, Experiments in Cinema and the Los Angeles Cinefest. It rec'd Honorable Mention with the LA Underground Film Festival.
  • Porkchop & the 28th St North Carolina Watermelons - Trailer
    This is a 16 mm, black & white, cinema verite piece showing Porkchop selling his watermelons on a hot summer day in Baltimore. It premiered in LA September 2018 with the Golden State Film Festival and in NY with the Bushwick Film Festival in October 2017. It won the Audience Award for Short Documentary with Silicon Beach Miami Film Festival and the Special Jury Award with the Southern Colorado Film Festival. It has also screened with the Short to the Point Film Festival, Bucharest, Romania, Experiments in Cinema, and Los Angeles Cinefest. A 1 min clip appeared on the LED Billboard with Artscape in 2015.
  • Film Still
    Film Still
    Film Still
  • Film Still
    Film Still
    Film Still
  • Film Still
    Film Still
    Film Still
  • Porkchop Poster
    Porkchop Poster
    film poster

Christmas Retrospective 2018

This work was originally set in  San Ysidro Church, an adobe church, in Corrales, NM. I was inspired by the church decorating periods throughout history and the work of Tiepolo in particular, who I researched in travels through Italy. I decorated the entire church as I reinterpreted the Madonna & Child imagery. My ever present symbol, the chicken, acts as messenger, harbinger, visitor. Chickens assist in escorting the Madonna to heaven in my Assumption based on a vision I had in NM. I had been unable to show this body of work since that installation for lack of a proper space. When the West Gallery opened, I had the space to resurrect a good portion it and give a sense of the whole. The work reflects ideas surrounding Christmas so a show this time of year created nice symmetry. I include two shots from the original installation in these examples.
  • Installation Shot
    Installation Shot
    The Visitation (left) & The Assumption (right)
  • Installation Shot
    Installation Shot
    The Assumption (left) & Putto (right)
  • Installation Shot
    Installation Shot
    Putto & Chicken in a Tussle
  • Installation Shot
    Installation Shot
    Putto & Chicken in a Tussle (on wall) & Reconcilation (in reflection)
  • Installation Shot
    Installation Shot
    Reconciliation
  • Installation Shot
    Installation Shot
    The Visitation
  • Installation Shot
    Installation Shot
    Putto
  • Installation Shot
    Installation Shot
    Studies for Visitation
  • Original Installation - San Ysidro Church, Corrales, NM
    Original Installation - San Ysidro Church, Corrales, NM
    Church with The Assumption
  • Original Altar - Installation Shot
    Original Altar - Installation Shot
    Putto - The Assumption - Putto & Chicken in a Tussle

Street Photography

This is digtial street photography. It has exhibited with the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, the Mobile Photography Awards and the West Gallery in Baltimore. 
  • Dancers from Equador
    Dancers from Equador
    Traditional dancers from Ecuador at the annual Christmas parade in Hampden - 2022
  • The Boys in the Band
    The Boys in the Band
    Marching band at the Mayor's Annual Christmas Parade - Hampden 2022
  • Frosty
    Frosty
    Frosty floats over the Mayor's Annual Christmas Parade in Hampden - 2022
  • Circus Ringmaster
    Circus Ringmaster
    Digital Photo - 2015 - Exhibited with LACDA
  • Coney Island Sunday
    Coney Island Sunday
    Digital Photo - 2015 - Exhibited with LACDA
  • Venice Beach Sunday
    Venice Beach Sunday
    Digital Photo - 2015 - Exhibited with LACDA
  • Halloween Hampden
    Halloween Hampden
    Digital Photo - 2014
  • Halloween Hampden
    Halloween Hampden
    Digital Photo - 2014
  • Showgirls Mangos
    Showgirls Mangos
    Digital Photo - 2013 - Exhibited with LACDA & Mobile Photography Awards
  • Union Square Market
    Union Square Market
    Digital Photo - 2016

LED Billboard 2015

This work appeared on the LED Billboard in Baltimore. Chickens are not only beautiful but symbolic.
  • That Summer Feeling
    That Summer Feeling
    LED Billboard - 2015
  • Putto & Chicken in a Tussle
    Putto & Chicken in a Tussle
    LED Billboard - 2015
  • Prize Winning Chickens
    Prize Winning Chickens
    LED Billboard - 2015

A Great Day in Charm City

This is a 16 mm, black & white, cinema verite piece showing two of Baltimore's vanishing traditions. They represent times when magic enters the everyday. It is currently available on Amazon Prime. It screened in LA with the Marina Del Ray Film Festival in 2018 & in  NY at the Anthology Film Archives. It has also screened with the Puerto Madero Film Festival, Argentina, The Cutting Room, Nottingham, UK and Experiments in Cinema. It was included in the Very Best of Experiments in Cinema Anthology.
  • A Great Day in Charm City 2010 (clip #1)
    This is a 1 min clip from a Great Day in Charm City.
  • Great Day Still
    Great Day Still
    Great Day Still
  • Great Day Still
    Great Day Still
    Great Day Still
  • Great Day Still
    Great Day Still
    Great Day Still
  • Great Day Poster
    Great Day Poster
    film poster

Sketchbook Project

This is work I did in conjunction with the Sketchbook Project and the Brooklyn Art Library. I did 3 sketchbooks between 2011 and 2012 which traveled with the Sketchbook Project and were exhibited nationally and internationally. I was inspired by Easter, as some of the sketches were done in the spring, the circus and walks with my dog.
  • Chicken & Starry Night - Chinese Pagoda
    Chicken & Starry Night - Chinese Pagoda
    Ink Wash & Pencil on Paper - 4" X 6"
  • Chicken Starry Night
    Chicken Starry Night
    Ink Wash & Pencil on Paper - 8" x 12"
  • Bunny in a Field of Dandelions
    Bunny in a Field of Dandelions
    Ink Wash & Pencil on Paper - 4" x 6"
  • Chicken in a Cherry Blossom Tree
    Chicken in a Cherry Blossom Tree
    Ink Wash & Pencil on Paper - 4" x 6"
  • Chicken & Fishes
    Chicken & Fishes
    Ink Wash & Pencil on Paper - 4" x 6"
  • Chicken & Fishes 2
    Chicken & Fishes 2
    Ink Wash & Pencil on Paper - 4" x 6"
  • Fishes
    Fishes
    Ink Wash & Pencil on Paper - 4" x 6"
  • Elephant & Friends
    Elephant & Friends
    Graphite on Paper - 4" x 6"
  • Elephant & Friend
    Elephant & Friend
    Graphite on Paper - 4" x 6"
  • Chicken at Charles Theater
    Chicken at Charles Theater
    Graphite on Paper - 4" x 6"

Spring Roll - Animation Stills

This hand drawn animated piece combines my interest in painting and drawing with film. In it, a chicken encounters a Chinese Dragon. I was inspired by my experience with a Chinese New Year celebration. These are 10 stills from that piece in 2008.
  • Animation Still 1
    Animation Still 1
    Graphite & Wash
  • Animation Still 2
    Animation Still 2
    Graphite & Wash
  • Animation Still 3
    Animation Still 3
    Graphite & Wash
  • Animation Still 4
    Animation Still 4
    Graphite & Wash
  • Animation Still 5
    Animation Still 5
    Graphite & Wash
  • Animation Still 6
    Animation Still 6
    Graphite & Wash
  • Animation 7
    Animation 7
    Graphite & Wash
  • Animation Still 8
    Animation Still 8
    Graphite & Wash
  • Animation Still 9
    Animation Still 9
    Graphite & Wash
  • Animation Still 10
    Animation Still 10
    Graphite & Wash