Artist Biography
About Paula
Paula's work explores the intersections of memory, identity, and narrative. With a background in painting, drawing, and sculpture, her practice engages in layered storytelling that invites viewers into quiet yet complex psychological spaces.
Frequently drawing from literary influence such as Henrik Ibsen and essays on photography, Paula’s work has been exhibited internationally, with major showcases at the International Ibsen Conferences in Oslo, Shanghai, Dhaka, and Tromsø. Her series "Midwestern Dolls & Ghosts" and "The Doll House Paintings" have been featured in institutional collections, delving into themes of nostalgia, personal history, and theatrical composition.
Beyond her artistic practice, Paula is a professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where she teaches and mentors emerging artists. Her academic research extends to the role of text and image in contemporary visual storytelling, frequently drawing from literary influences such as Henrik Ibsen and Susan Sontag.
Education
- 2008 M.F.A. Fontbonne University, St. Louis, MO
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2003 M.A. Fontbonne University, St. Louis, MO
Professional Experience
- 2008 - Present Professor of Art
Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA - 2005 - 2008 Faculty, Fine Art
St. Louis Community College at Meramec, St. Louis, MO - 2005 - 2008 Faculty, Fine Art
St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley, St. Louis, MO - 2004 - 2008 Faculty, Fine Art
St. Charles Community College, Cottleville, MO
Grants / Awards
- 2017 Savannah College of Art and Design, Sabbatical Award
- 2012 Savannah College of Art and Design, Presidential Fellowship
- 2009 Savannah College of Art and Design, Presidential Fellowship
- 2005 Award of Excellence, Art St. Louis XXI
Publications
- 2011 STUDIO VISIT MAGAZINE, “Conversations with Joseph”
Lectures
- 2011 “The Living Ibsen,” paintings influenced by Henrik Ibsen’s plays,
“A Doll House” and “Ghosts,” “Women in the Arts International
Conference,” University of Missouri-St. Louis
- 2010 “Paintings, The Living Ibsen,” Savannah College of Art and Design, “Art First”
- 2008 “The Nora Project,” A discussion with Professor Michael Burke and Sara Paula Hoffman, St. Louis Community College, Meramec
- 2007 “Painting Ibsen’s Ghosts,” Thomas Jefferson School, St. Louis
- 2007 “Art and Literature, The Doll House Paintings,” National Federation of Press Women – Missouri Affiliate, St. Louis, MO
- 2006 “Midwest Doll Houses,” Blackburn College, Carlinville, IL
- 2005 “The Doll House Paintings and Henrik Ibsen,” John Burroughs School, St. Louis, MO
Juror
- 2025 “Eco-Art” St. Louis Community College, Wildwood, MO
- 2011 “Contemporary Narrative,” Foundry Art Centre, St. Charles, MO
Collections / Commissions
- Savannah College of Art and Design Permanent Collection
- The Center for Ibsen Studies, University of Oslo, Norway
- Astrid Sather, Professor of Ibsen Studies, University of Oslo
- Karen Hurley, U.S. Embassy, Oslo, Norway
- Dr. Will Holcomb and Carol Corey
- St. John & James Catholic Church, St. Louis, MO
- Chao-Pin Si, Taipei, Taiwan
- An American Place, A Larry Forgione Restaurant, St. Louis, MO
- Ursuline Academy, St. Louis, MO
