Featured Artist: Pamela Estela Chévez Zendejas
Pamé working on a project while in residence at Indigo Arts Alliance in Portland, ME (May 2026).
If you live in Maine, you might be lucky enough to have been touched by Pamela’s (or Pamé’s) mission-driven art. It was through surfing that I first was introduced to her. More Women+ Surf (now Palmar Collective) is a non-profit which fosters equitable opportunities for at-risk and underserved groups via water-centered activities. I took a few BIPOC surf clinics and was hooked. I was forever changed, how welcome I felt in a space I feared previously.
Today, Pamé continues to create community in every project she undertakes from stunning murals like this one, to her art direction and branding offerings at OYEH Design — who designed the logo for palet!
Please enjoy our interview with this wonderful artist, we’re so lucky to know.
palet:
First things first, what’s your name, favorite album, favorite film, and favorite food?”
Pamé:
Favorite Album: Multitude by Stromae
Favorite Film: My Blueberry Nights
Favorite Artist: This is so hard, but Janin Nuz, a contemporary Mexican muralist and illustrator, is a massive inspiration.
Favorite Food: A good fish ceviche for hot summer days, and for the heart—anytime—chilaquiles or barbacoa tacos with consomé.
palet:
What do you do for community, work, or pleasure?
Pamé:
Community has always been an important part of my life, for most of my life, I have been lucky to not have to think about how to create one, I was born into that culture. In Maine, it has been slightly different. Why? I am not exactly sure, but it may be due to culture shock. Still, I show up in any way I can. For the past five years, through what is now known as the Palmar Collective, I have focused on sharing my love for surfing and water-centered activities. My goal is to make these experiences accessible, especially to communities that have been excluded due to systemic barriers. Surfing and paddleboarding have kept me sane in Maine; it’s a place I now call home, though it can be a difficult place to exist in at times.
palet:
What drew you to art and when?
Pamé:
Music is probably what called me to the art world but is hard to put a finger on it. I was exposed to music and painting lessons since I was 6. When I turned 15, I started music school playing the cello and my exposure to other types of art was more present to the point I fell really drawn to sculpture and painting.
Although my mom really supported my exposure to art, she was not really a fan of me actually practicing it as a career. She asked me to figure out a different career path. Graphic design was presented to me in the last year of high school, and not gonna lie…I went for it just as a last resource cause I really didn’t know what to do. Fast-forward, I actually really enjoy my career as a designer and it really allowed me to me to explore other tech media that now are part of how I approach work.
Pamé working on her mural at Orange Bike Brewing in Portland, ME.
palet:
What has the professional path been like?
Pamé:
I’m gonna say it has been interesting. I developed my career in Mexico City, which I feel was the right place to explore different paths from Branding to Video-mapping. My career back then was evolving and growing towards the tech-art world. Moving to Maine really impacted my career as I was not able to practice or develop my skills for a couple years while waiting for paperwork and job opportunities to show in a community where no one knew me. I had to shift and focus more on branding and art to survive the scene in Maine and it still has been hard to find myself as a designer in this state where networking and connection has been a little trickier for me.
palet:
What is lovely about making art and/or fostering a community in Maine in particular, compared to other places? Or perhaps more difficult?
Pamé:
My situation in Maine opened the doors for me to focus more on art as a source for income while I was in a legal limbo with all this immigration status. So, I would say it has allowed me to be what I was craving as a kid in some ways and that is really endearing. Nonetheless, it has been a cultural shock for most of it. Fostering a community has been a challenge with people who are already embedded in Maine, but super easy with immigrant peers and out of state folks.
Don't get me wrong, people are lovely, it just hasn't felt natural to go about community. I feel like here I have to plan for everything, I have to create space and time in a very non-natural way... probably because even after all these years, I still haven't gotten used to the culture or I haven't been able to escape the survival mode. This is probably why I keep focusing on Palmar Collective, because even though there is a lot of organization, I LOVE experiencing how other people meet and remain friends after being at our events.
palet:
Can you share some Maine love? Who are some artists, non-profits, hikes, or places in Maine you adore?
Pamé:
Veronica Perez.
Big shout out to Tender Table, I have always felt really welcomed in their community.
Indigo Arts Alliance, for giving me a chance to explore art and connect me with the world out there in Maine.
Blackpoint Surf Shop, for keeping me afloat with all the surfing needs when I was struggling to keep myself sane in Maine when I first moved here.
Tumbledown Mountain for a hike, is a must.
Richardson Lake for a peaceful getaway.
Isle au Haut, camp if you can snag a reservation...
Fort Gorges and the multiple islands at the East End. If you can, plan a trip with Portland Paddle
Thanks for all you give to Maine, we love you Pamé!!!
Visit OYEH Design here and Palmar Collective here.
Another mural by Pamé in Portland, ME: The Bodega Latina.