Arica Hilton

Whether hiking the Himalayas to experience the country’s culture, or cage diving with great white sharks off Guadalupe Island, or participating in scientific expeditions to document threats to the health of our oceans, Hilton is driven to pursue first-hand encounters with people and their living environments.

The seeds for Hilton’s dauntless pursuits were sown early. At six-years-old she moved to the United States, not knowing a word of English.  Her sense of displacement had a lasting impact, prompting a search to uncover where she belonged in the world.   Hilton determined early on that her most illuminating pathway would be the road less taken – a pursuit that continues today.

Near and far, Hilton seeks the unique and uncommon. Her adventures have included 22 visits to Asia. She has swum, run and biked her way through triathlons. She has participated in global initiatives for just governance and human security. And she inspires awareness and searches for solutions to improve living conditions for humanity and our earth as a whole. Hilton’s art and global advocacy are informed by the different schools of thought and cultures that she continually encounters.

Hilton’s own creative pursuits began with writing poetry and expanded to painting when she began to illustrate her poems.  Her artistic evolution sparked an interest in the realm of creation as she discovered mathematics, physics, quantum mechanics and string theory.  Her studies solidified her passion for environmentalism when she learned that stars are nothing more than another extension of humanity – that the elements in the bloodstream are the same elements that comprise a star.  The interconnection was what Hilton had been searching for her whole life. As Hilton says “We are the same as a star. How beautiful is that?Arica Hilton is a multidisciplinary artist, poet and global advocate whose life mission is to use her creativity to bring awareness to humanitarian and environmental issues that effect our world.

In the summer of 2024, Hilton’s book of poetry “Let Me Tell You About Winds” was published by Dar Attakween, with an introduction by the perennial Nobel Prize nominated poet, Adonis (Ali Ahmad Said Esber). Adonis writes, “Wherever and whenever the reader enters Arica Hilton’s world, he sees what he did not expect and must murmur with joy: It is poetry – a luminous explosion in the darkness of life, and it seems to be a language to make death die.”

In 2020, Hilton was invited to be the inaugural, lead artist-in-residence for Immersive Van Gogh Chicago where she created a body of work inspired by Vincent Van Gogh with an eco-conscious, contemporary twist.

In 2019, she was honored as Greenheart International’s Global Leader Honoree for her work as artist, curator and youth empowerment champion. Greenheart International is a global nonprofit that educates children to become global leaders. Previous Honorees include Nobel Peace Prize co-recipient Jerry White for his work on banning land mines and Hungarian scientist, philosopher and Nobel Prize nominee Dr. Ervin Laszlo.

In 2018, Hilton traveled to the Indonesian archipelago of Raja Ampat in the Pacific Ocean as the artist on board to participate in the Elysium – Artists for the Coral Triangle Expedition. Sponsored by Ocean Geographic magazine, the expedition engaged artists, photographers scientists, musicians and writers to document threats to the extraordinary biodiversity of the Coral Triangle. Protection of the area from unsustainable fishing practices, over-exploitation and climate change is a global priority. She participated in the Elysium Epic exhibition in China with Time Magazine’s Hero for the Planet, Dr. Sylvia Earle, along with the Ocean Geographic team of scientists, marine biologists, filmmakers and writers.

In 2021, Hilton’s art and poetry exhibit at BRUSHWOOD CENTER at RYERSON WOODS, “TIDES, A Prelude” emphasized NATURE as the driving force of the exhibition based on the gravitational pull of the sun and moon on the earth’s bodies of waters. Exploring the spectrum of color, shape and frequency of sound, Hilton’s paintings and poetry delved into the meaning of the TIDES in a direct and indirect menu of materials, both real and metaphorical.

The former President of the Poetry Center of Chicago, Hilton created ARTS POETICA GLOBAL, whose mission is to include all creative endeavors, from the visual to the literary arts; dance, film, photography, music, architecture. Arts Poetica is a platform for global initiatives and philosophies that are presented in an imaginative and powerful way by contemporary thought leaders.

Hilton has had numerous exhibitions in Europe, Asia and the United States. Her series, “I Flow Like Water,” a body of works that highlight issues around water conservation and the problem of plastics weighing down our oceans, was exhibited at Art Dubai, Beirut Art Fair; QU ART in Brussels, Belgium; the Union League Club of Chicago; the Caux Forum for Just Governance and Human Security in Caux, Switzerland and in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, China.

Hilton is based in Chicago, where she is the Founder and CEO of Hilton Contemporary, a gallery platform she leverages to support internationally known artists and humanitarians who seek change for a better world.