I'm a fourth-generation painter, art educator, and mother of two wild souls. Creativity has always been my way of making sense of the world and reaching out to others.

I believe art-making is a powerful act of connection that bridges the gaps between us and reminds us of our shared humanity.

Everything I create, whether a painting, a workshop, or a quiet sketch, carries the same intention:

Here I am, a human—just like you—doing my best to navigate this wild, painful, beautiful world.

We may each walk our own path, but we’re never truly alone.

Laura Pahlas

awards/exhibition history

Chancellor's Purchase Award, UW-Oshkosh, 2006

  • Four Generations of Art, Caestecker Library, Green Lake, WI 2006

  • Thicker Than Water, senior exhibit, Annex Gallery, UW Oshkosh, 2008

  • Art Teacher of the Month, WI Art Education Association, 2017

  • SAGE Green Bay Gallery Program artist, Kavarna Coffee House, 2021

  • Women in Art, Las Lagunas Art Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA, 2021

  • Untitled, Artless Bastard Gallery, Green Bay, WI 2021

  • 150th Celebration Art Exhibit, Allen Priebe Gallery 2022

  • Still Life Moments, New Moon Coffee House, Oshkosh, WI, 2022

  • Bewildered, A Solo Exhibit, SAGE Gallery, Green Bay, WI, 2022

  • Botanicals, Carrot and Kale, Oshkosh, WI, 2022

  • Perspectives 2023, Wisconsin Visual Artists Members exhibit, Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts, Fond Du Lac, WI

  • Featured as an “Artist to Watch in 2024”, Fox Cities Magazine, January 2024

  • Gathering: Art + Poetry, October 2024, Center for Visual Arts, Wausua, WI

Person sitting on a floral sofa with colorful paintings on the wall, including portraits and a dock scene with kids at a lake.
photos by Shaena Ragna Photography