PPLD's newest Artist in Residence is Erin Gillespie, a multimedia artist currently residing in Colorado Springs. Her paintings are primarily figurative or portraits, full of bold, bright colors and expressionistic qualities. After receiving her Bachelors degree in Fine Arts and Painting from Colorado State University, Erin lived for many years in Portland, Oregon and Tucson, Arizona before returning to Colorado. She held positions at Pinon Fine Art Gallery and Terra Firma Fine Art in Denver, Colorado and was a member of the Arts Student League of Denver for many years. Erin is currently an art instructor teaching numerous classes at both Bemis School of Art at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center and Cottonwood Center for the Arts. Her work has been displayed in numerous galleries and venues, in both group and solo shows.
Erin hosted classes throughout the Library District about acrylic painting.
Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information.
PPLD's Maker in Residence for August and September 2015 is Daria Wilber. She was born in Washington, D.C. and spent the first two decades of her life in and out of the amazing array of galleries and museums in the D.C. area on a weekly basis. She studied painting and printmaking at the Maryland School of Art and Design and worked in the scene shop for a regional theater company. In the mid-2000s, Daria began to study the paper arts in earnest. In 2012 she plunged into studio papermaking after a sculptural papermaking intensive at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts with Jo Stealey. Daria currently works with papermaking and artist Helen Hiebert as a studio and teaching assistant.
During her time as Maker in Residence, Daria conducted flat paper making classes and a paper sculpture class.
Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information.
PPLD's Maker in Residence for June and July 2015 was Sarah Withee. She began folding paper as a child, and was introduced to modular origami by Makoto Yamaguchi’s book Kusudama (Origami Ornaments). Thus began a lifelong interest in Japanese paper arts. Sarah has lived in Japan and taken classes in advanced paperfolding and doll making at Tokyo’s Origami Kaikan, and has an extensive library of origami books.
Sarah is an experienced origami instructor who has worked with students from children to senior citizens. She has taught origami at the Japan America Society of Southern Colorado’s Children’s Day for over 10 years, as well as classes for Pikes Peak Library District and private classes. If you have tried learning origami from a book and failed, Sarah knows just how to help you get unstuck!
Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information.