About the artist

Laura Pahlas

I’m a fourth generation painter, an art educator, and a mother of two wild souls. I’m passionate about the power of creativity and art-making as a means of connection. When I put something I’ve made out into the world, no matter what it is, my goal is to let the energy of that creation resonate with the message, “Here I am, a human…just like you…trying my best to navigate this wild world. It is brutally painful sometimes, but also utterly beautiful, and even though this journey is a solitary one, you are never truly alone.”

I’m also part owner of Heartwork Studios, LLC in downtown Ripon, WI. As of July 2024, this space houses my personal art studio, and we also offer workshops, classes, and experiences that offer participants a chance to connect with their innate creativity while immersing themselves in the joy of the artistic process. Come see us at 121 W. Fond Du Lac St. or visit www.heartworkstudios.org to learn more about this new creative space in Ripon!

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