Capturing Rhythm and RISE: Rhythm Soto, Live Painting Demonstration

Rhythm Soto is a 2026 CCP graduate and is coming back to campus on June 9 to participate in Rhythm and RISE, our 60^th anniversary celebration. During the event, Rhythm will be give a live painting demonstration, creating a visual of the evening and capturing the spirit of our community.

Rhythm has been drawing, painting and creating all of her life. “My drawing style came from anime, honestly. And learning the arts of manga and how Japanese artists create comics in their anime style,” she said. “I also love storytelling in my art. And that's one of the things that I gained from CCP as well, developing compositionally too.”

Rhythm came to CCP a few years after graduating from high school in Delaware. At the time, she was working full time at Chik-Fil-A and decided to look into taking Art courses to supplement her natural artistic abilities. “I kept seeing the rise from within [campaign] all over the buses and SEPTA,” she said. “So that's when I enrolled. And then that summer, 2024, I found out about the Catto scholarship. And then that really pulled me in.”

In her time here at CCP, Rhythm was introduced to the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) through a few students who graduated before her and went on to study there. She was very impressed with how their skills and personal artistic styles grew and transformed after attending MICA, which made her interested in transferring there. “I was like, ‘Okay, this is where I need to be,’” Rhythm said. "And I get to be around my colleagues [who] I look up to and we can like, grow as a community.” Rhythm is starting classes at MICA in the fall of 2026 and is excited to continue on her educational journey with like-minded students and artists.

Close to the end of the spring 2026 semester, Rhythm’s Painting instructor, Meghan Cox, asked her to participate in Rhythm and RISE. Cox saw how Rhythm naturally gravitated toward plein air painting, or painting outdoors, as she would use this technique to complete her classwork and assignments. “I would be outside, people would come up to me and compliment my process, and we would talk,” Rhythm said. She shared these experiences with Cox. It was this interest and Cox’s confidence in Rhythm’s craft and skill that led her to present the opportunity of participating in Rhythm and RISE.

Rhythm is looking forward to being a part of this event because it celebrates the creative community she was in search of when she came to CCP. “Mainly what it means to me is being a part of a creative community that features both musical and fine arts, and creating around that energy because that's what I wanted when I enrolled here,” she shared. "Now, I'm at a point where I'm more technically sound, and I get to demonstrate what I learned and what I accumulated here.”

Rhythm and RISE offers an opportunity for our community to come together to celebrate 60 years of student success and contributing to a stronger Philadelphia. Attendance at the event helps support our mission of helping students rise up and complete their higher education goals. The event will benefit the Dr. Alycia Marshall Seventh President’s Fund. You can learn more and purchase a ticket here.