My instinct as a designer is to expose or allude to what is beneath the surface, an underlying metaphor or an untold story. I aim to manipulate tangible materials, shape, and form to transport an audience into the impossible! Additionally, I love exploring emotion with colors and attention to detail to show that our everyday spaces can tell great stories.

My name is Natalia Baez Ortiz and I am a scenic designer with a background in visual arts, based in Orlando, FL. I am pursuing a BFA in Scene Design at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, graduating in 2026. My passions and work expand beyond scenic design. I was the Properties Paint Apprentice for the Santa Fe Opera’s 2024 Season. With an interest in set decorating, I was set decorator for 2 student films in the Spring of 2024 and set dressed for Hilloween 2023, a haunted schoolhouse project in Mitchell County, NC. In hopes of exploring art through different mediums, my other interests include Block Printing, Themed Entertainment, and Model Building. I adore making tiny things!