Renée Nicole Good

A portrait from Papel Memoria, a memorial archive by Alessandra Gutierrez.

Renée Nicole Good was a poet, writer and mother of three who had recently made a home in Minneapolis with her wife, Becca, and their youngest son.

Originally from Colorado, Renee studied English at Old Dominion University and won an Academy of American Poets Prize in 2020. Her family remembers someone deeply affectionate and creative, a woman who wrote, played guitar, made art with her children and believed in caring for the people around her.

On January 7, 2026, Renee and Becca stopped near an immigration enforcement operation in their Minneapolis neighborhood to support their neighbors. Renee was sitting in her car when ICE officer Jonathan Ross fired into the vehicle, killing her. Federal officials said Ross acted in self defense. Renee’s family and others have disputed that account, pointing to video of the encounter. She was 37 years old.

In October 2026, Renee’s family filed lawsuits against the federal government, Ross and senior administration officials, alleging wrongful death, excessive force and violations of her civil rights.

About the Portrait

Renée’s portrait is rooted in Minnesota, a place whose natural landscape she loved.

Behind her, water stretches toward a line of evergreens and distant woods. Rather than showing the city where she died, I chose the quieter Minnesota she was drawn to: lakes, forest, open sky and the wild places that surrounded her life there.

Native flowers fill the portrait, including forms inspired by Minnesota’s lady’s slipper, its state flower, along with prairie and woodland blooms. The flowers continue across her dress so that Renee seems to belong within the landscape rather than simply stand in front of it.

Small hearts are worked into the lower border, kept intentionally subtle. They speak to love without becoming the central symbol of the portrait.

The portrait holds all the things she was: a mother, writer, artist and woman who found beauty and belonging in the natural world around her.

For the clearest detail and strongest finished piece, I recommend using cardstock and a cutting machine. (Check your local LIBRARY for one in their “Maker Spaces”) Cardstock provides the stability needed to hold the fine lines and structure of the design. You can download the black and white image directly from this site or access the full set on the Cricut website under the Papel Memoria Collection. These templates are free to use for personal and community projects, but they may not be sold or used for commercial purposes.

To download the PNG file, click on the black and white image, open a new page and right click to save on to your computer. Alternately, you can visit the collection page on the Cricut website for all the files here.

Sources and Further Reading

• The Washington Post — Renee Nicole Good, poet, mother and Old Dominion University graduate

• ABC News — Renee Good’s wife remembers her as “made of sunshine”

• Reuters — Background on Renee Nicole Good and her life before the shooting

• Associated Press — Renee Good’s family files lawsuits over her killing

Last updated: October 2026

For anyone without access to a paper cutter, poster size papel picado versions are also available to order here and can be shipped directly.