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Written by ArtsQuest

12/29/2022

With the full year coming to a close, we sit back and ponder all the wonderful visual artists who helped inspire us throughout 2022!

Art found us in surprising ways this year. It displayed itself on the walls of the coffee shop we visited with friends, popped up as a new exhibition in town, and it also lived in our social media feeds as we scrolled through to pass the time.

This year, we created, consumed, and cherished all the incredible pieces visual artists brought into the world. With all of our staff members sharing a unique passion for the arts, we asked them who their artist of the year would be, and this is what they said…

Vivian Maier

Gabrielle Beckford | Front Desk Office Coordinator

She was a private woman who took photos because she loved to, not for any notoriety or money. I don’t think she would have liked her photos being shown to the public; they were discovered in a storage locker two years after her death and have now been seen by people all over the world. Sometimes it’s okay to keep a little slice of happiness for yourself that’s not for anyone else to see.

To read more about Vivian’s legacy visit here!

Bisa Butler

Lisa Harms | Sr Director of Visual Arts and Education

Butler creates phenomenal quilted portraits that look like paintings. She strategically uses textiles to convey the individuality of her subjects, many of whom have been historically marginalized. The themes of her work include family, community, migration, and legacy. She has had a number of high profile exhibitions in the last few years and most recently exhibited two new works at Art Basel.

Check out Bisa’s website here!

pluviumgrandis

Kaitlin Brobst | Administrative Assistant to the COO

His head and figure drawings (mostly of women) are really pretty and I like his color choices.

Take a look at pluviumgrandis’ portfolio at Instagram here!

Wu Guanzhong

Mariel Letourneau | Customer Experience Supervisor

I saw an exhibit of his paintings at National Gallery of Singapore and his abstract paintings with color and brushwork were stunning. I really love how you can see time pass in his paintings. His combination of western and Chinese traditional are beautiful. I also discovered this small artist in Australia named Kerry Leigh who uses thick acrylic paint in droplet like strokes to create these beautiful mosaic pieces.

Read more about the legacy of Guanzhong’s life achievements here!

Shout out to the people who create original memes on the internet! lol

Jacob Bodai | Operations Specialist

Memes are funny. They make me laugh.

Life of a Neuron- ARTECHOUSE NYC

Cavan Mulligan | Human Resources Coordinator


Creator: Doug Van Sant Photography | Credit: Alive Coverage

I cheated a little with this one- I went with an installation instead of an artist. This immersive exhibit sat at the crossroads of art, science, and technology. I’ve never seen anything like it. Despite having a degree in Art History, science (especially biology) was always my best subject in school, so I’m always looking for art that combines the two fields. I’d highly recommend checking out ARTECHOUSE next time you’re in the city.

To read more about this special exhibition that ran this year, visit here.

April Seelbach

Jon Lunger | Sr. Director of Marketing

Their landscape + 60s-retro mashups always make me stop scrolling.

To visit April’s digital portfolio on Instagram, click here!

Izumi Benitani

Elena Ostock | Visual Arts Manager

I’m always drawn to folk art and outsider art, and aesthetically it definitely fits. They use applique in an interesting way, and it inspired me to get back into sewing as an artistic practice rather than as a practical hobby.

To catch a glimpse into Izumi’s creative world, visit here!

Bill Connors

Saige Sufrin | Marketing Coordinator

Bill creates art for all the bands I love. It’s like the most impressive “when world’s collide” scenario that I find happens quite frequently. His design layouts and subjects are one of my biggest inspirations when I’m trying to create and bring a new piece of art into the world.

To visit Bill’s digital portfolio, check it out here!

Miranda Zimmerman

Nicole Gencarelli | Visual Arts Manager

I just discovered them this year, I really like the journals/sketchbooks through the company Denik and they have a line of notebooks called the artist series where the covers feature artwork from all kinds of artists- and she has a collection with them!

To visit Miranda’s art on Instagram please visit here!

The Grim Wreather (Sarah Claxton)

Alli Poczak | Programming Specialist

As a horror fan, when I came across the Grim Wreather on Instagram my jaw dropped. These are not your average decorated wreaths; they are truly the most spectacularly horrific wreaths you’ve ever seen. The Grim Wreather, founded by Sarah Claxton, is a Tennessee based artist who expertly sculpts, paints and designs horror themed wreaths from countless movies and shows like Scream, Halloween, Terrifier, Stranger Things and more. Her passion, talent and creativity shine through each piece as she showcases her flawless artistry and attention to detail. In 2022, Claxton started “Grim Wreath Ghoulies,” a free of charge art program for kids experiencing hardships and bullying. She coaches her students through a creative project of their choice and provides a safe place for kids to express themselves.

Be sure to check her out on Instagram: @grimwreath

Jenna Barton (Dappermouth)

Cory Stevens | Volunteer Program Manager

I have two prints from Dappermouth in my office, because I love the creepy sense of dread she manages to evoke with each new work. She’s a perfect visual blend of Twin Peaks, Welcome to Night Vale, and A Night in the Woods–all while sticking to her own personal style. Her works aren’t just pointless aesthetics–I believe there’s a larger theme of civilization invading nature, and how nature might invade back or adapt in response.

To take a look into Jenna’s art-world, visit her online store here!

Bart Cooper

Juliann Masenheimer | Lead Creative

Bart was everything that 2022 had to offer this year to ArtsQuest. From his version of the Musikfest poster art to his “Heroes” exhibition at the Banana Factory.

Kelley Andrade | Public Relations Coordinator

The Heroes Series – The Purple Series – and of course the Musikfest 2022 poster.

Curt Mosel | COO

The Musikfest Poster was amazing and perfect for us in 2022!

See what Bart has in his digital portfolio by taking a trip to his website here!

The ArtsQuest Volunteer Photography Team

Kimberly Koehler | Sponsorship Coordinator

Jeff Auger

Steve Vai electrifies Musikfest Café presented by Yuengling

Ted Colegrove

Tracy Morgan performs at Musikfest Café presented by Yuengling

Lisa Boehm

Andrew Bird in the zone at SteelStacks

Our ArtsQuest Volunteer Photographers are so wonderful and talented. We are so thankful for their dedication and passion to help provide us with amazing photos of all our events at ArtsQuest!

To check out the photography of Jeff, Lisa and Ted please click their names!

Kapebeans

Aliya Brown | Visual Arts Coordinator

Their art brings me so much joy. They’re a good break in my news feed while I’m doom-scrolling

To take a look into the adorable world of Kapebeans’ creative work visit here!

Danielle Rovetti

Hannah Cummings | Social Media Coordinator

Danielle is a palette painter that I discovered one day on Instagram while watching Reels. The video I came across started super zoomed in on a canvas and was just different cuts of different colored globs of paint that had been pressed and dragged onto the canvas. It was super satisfying to look at, but when the camera zooms out, all those globs of paint formed into a portrait of a person. It totally surprised me because I wasn’t expecting it at all. She’s pretty incredible.

Want to see what Danielle has been making? Visit her portfolio here!

Wendy (@mydumbnails)

Morgan Fehnel | Graphic Designer

I am super into nail art and doing my own nails so I am always looking at different trends and art when it comes to nails. I came across this account (@mydumbnails) on Instagram and immediately followed the page. The owner of the account Wendy is always posting new nail art ideas and they are always super creative, hand painted, and most often themed around whatever time of year it is. Whether it be candy cane swirls, French tips with a modern twist, or simply a solid glitter color her nail art is always super cool to look at and inspires me with my own nail art.

Take a peek at the sweet nail art Wendy has been making- Click here!

To catch a glimpse of the exhibitions on display at Banana Factory please visit here!