Sonia Hurtarte serves as the Executive Director of the Paiz Foundation for Education and Culture, a family-based organization with over four decades of uninterrupted work, dedicated to transforming Guatemalan society through education, art, and culture.

Since joining the foundation, she has implemented a strategic vision that has not only strengthened the presence of Guatemalan art on international stages but also fostered meaningful partnerships that expand the horizons of artistic creation and ensure access to diverse audiences. Her leadership is grounded in a deep conviction: that culture is a powerful tool for social change, and that the country’s artists deserve dignified platforms from which to project their voices.

Since March 2023, Hurtarte has led emblematic programs such as the Paiz Art Biennial —one of the oldest in Latin America—, the Marimba Festival, the ARTEC Congress, and the Mario Monteforte Toledo Prize. Each of these initiatives embodies her commitment to a living, critical, and dialogic art—an art capable of transcending borders and resonating in the collective imagination, both within and beyond Guatemala.