Short Bio

Ruben Dario Villa is a son of Mexican immigrants, Chicano artist, cultural strategist, and community catalyst raised and based in Gilroy, CA. Drawing from a wealth of experience in tech, arts and culture, and social impact sector, Villa empowers individuals and organizations to harness the transformative power of the arts to drive meaningful change in their community. Also known as Mr. Fúchila, Villa runs a creative design agency and is the Director of La Ofrenda Festival, Gilroy’s Annual Dia de Muertos Festival and Wellness Fair.

Long Bio

Ruben Dario Villa is a son of Mexican immigrants, Chicano artist, cultural strategist, and community catalyst raised and based in Gilroy, CA. A first-gen college graduate of Santa Clara University, Villa snuck into the Silicon Valley tech world, spending 12 years at Apple and Google meanwhile building an international car freshener brand, Fúchila Fresheners.

In 2023, Villa opened a creative studio under the alias Mr. Fúchila, serving arts, culture and social impact sectors in the greater Bay Area and Central Coast.

Villa founded La Ofrenda Festival, Gilroy’s Annual Dia de Muertos Festival and Wellness Fair, bridging that gap between arts, culture and wellness.

Villa uses his artwork as a vehicle for social justice, local philanthropy, and civic engagement. No longer art for art’s sake, but art for everyone’s sake.

Villa’s mission is to build a sustainable, creative economy through cross-sector partnerships ensuring equitable opportunities for creatives in Gilroy, South County and beyond.

Villa serves as the Chair of the Gilroy Arts Roundtable, Vice-Chair for the Arts and Culture Commission for the City of Gilroy, and board member for Digital NEST and Gilroy Foundation.

Most recently, together with his wife, Villa founded the Marigold Legacy Scholarship empowering first-gen, college-bound scholars from Gilroy pursuing the arts and education. The scholarship is managed by Gilroy Foundation and will announce its first recipient in early 2025.

Recent Features

Content Magazine Issue 15.3

Featured Guest on NBC Bay Area – Comunidad del Valle with Host Damian Trujillo

Authored Google Keyword Blog Post: Hispanic Heritage Month 2021: What it means to be here today

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• Hosted Talks at Google conversation featuring Jorge Gutierrez, Director of Netflix Mini Series: Maya And The Three
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• Featured Designer in Google Design Digital Backpack Series

Artist Statement

Following in the rich tradition of the Chicano Civil Rights leaders and the artists of that era, my work exists in stark contrast to the 19th-century French notion of “Art for Art’s Sake”, or art with an inherent aesthetic value devoid of context and society. Chicano art does not have the luxury of disassociation nor does it serve such a rudimentary purpose alone. I marry digital techniques, mixed media, and accessible mediums to explore what I call “Chicanostalgia”, a nuanced interpretation of American pop culture of years past from the Chicano perspective, dripping in nostalgia. From launching the first international, Chicano pop-culture inspired car freshener line to collaborating with diverse artists and diverting income to various community-based organizations over the years, I design my art as a vehicle for social commentary, philanthropy, and civic engagement. No longer art for art’s sake, but art for everyone’s sake.