Herminia Albarrán Romero is a Mexican-American artist known for her papel picado

Papel picado

Papel picado is a decorative craft made out of paper cut into elaborate designs. Although it is a Mexican folk art, papel picado is used as a holiday decoration in many countries...

 (Mexican paper cutting) and altar-making. She received the National Heritage Fellowship award from the National Endowment for the Arts

National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...

 in 2005. Romero currently resides in San Francisco, CA. Born and raised in Tlatlaya

Tlatlaya

Tlatlaya is a small town and municipality located in the southeast of the State of Mexico in Mexico. The word “Tlatlaya” means when the hearth is black and red.-The town:...

, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

, Romero began learning her skills as a child from her mother. As a young woman she honed her craft with studies at Acatempa in Amatepel. She has been commissioned to create works for several notable institutions, including the Oakland Museum of California

Oakland Museum of California

Oakland Museum of California or Oakland Museum is a museum dedicated to the art, history, and natural science of California located in Oakland, California....

, the California Palace of the Legion of Honor

California Palace of the Legion of Honor

The California Palace of the Legion of Honor is a fine art museum in San Francisco, California...

, and the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts.