A native New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent, born and raised in the Lower East Side (Loisaida), David Arroyo has studied and worked in the fields of graphic design, photography, filmmaking, and writing since 2009. He's loves to watch all kinds of indie, foreign, and horror films, and voraciously read as many volumes of manga/graphic novels as he can get his hands on. He lives in NYC with his partner and their beloved handsome cat.

EDUCATION |

The New School Master of Arts in Media Studies, specialized in Film & Audio Production/Post-production

NYC College of Technology, CUNY Cum Laude, Bachelor's of Technology in Communication Design, majored in Graphic Design & Photography

CONTINUING EDUCATION |

Wesleyan University Creative Writing Certificate

Parsons School of Design - The New School Fundamentals of Illustrated Journalism and Memoir Course

Gotham Writers Workshop Fiction I and Novel II - First Draft

The Poynter Institute Poynter American Copy Editors Society Introductory Certificate in Editing

The Art Students League Class Monitor, Abstraction - Inspiration & Development of Ideas

AWARDS / PUBLICATIONS / EXHIBITIONS | 2011-2026

  • The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College Fellowship and recipient of their Lydia García Author Fund in 2025 for my book Jorge Soto Sánchez: An Homage to his Life, Art, and Writing, forthcoming in 2026.

  • Scroll of the Simurgh, 2025 Morton Fiber Show, Morton Memorial Library & Community House

  • Scroll of the Simurgh and The Sea Under Your Skin, The Art Students League 2025 Student Salon Exhibition

  • Member, Diasporican Art in Motion - Artists Database, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, 2024

    https://centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/artists/david-arroyo/

  • Honorable Mention, The Quiet Puerto Rican, The Art Students League 2024 Student Salon Exhibition

  • Self-Published, Los Elementos Adentro de Mi, an illustrated poetry & prose book, 2023

  • Self-Published, Red Soul Into The Dark, an illustrated poetry book, 2022

  • Published, Photographer’s Forum Best Of Photography 2014 and 2018 books

  • Finalist, Photographer’s Forum 34th & 37th Annual Spring Photography Contests, 2014/2018

  • Self-Published, Yuuma: The Geisha Redux, a second collection of photography, 2018

  • Self-Published, Red Soul Into The Dark, a second collection of poetry, 2018

  • Published, Glitterwolf Magazine Issue 9: Gender, Online & Print, London, 2015

  • Self-Published, Lost + Found, a collection of poetry, 2015

  • Self-Published, The [Masc] We Wear, a collection of photography, 2015

  • Honorable Mention, If Only for One Night, Mixed Messages Graduate Student Showcase, The New School, 2013

  • Opening Film, Astral Body, Fine Cuts Film Showcase, The New School, 2012

  • Commendation, 2012 Sony World Photography Awards, Enhanced Category

  • Media Studies Dept. Scholarship, University Scholars Award, The New School, 2011

  • Honorable Mention, 2011 International Photography Awards, Night Category