Photographs can be much more than a picture on paper; they can tell a story.
NWOSU’s Artist in residence Laura DeAngelis has made her way all the way to Alva from a small-town in California to share with community members her art and tell her story.
DeAngelis will be having an art show in Alva on Nov. 3 at the Runnymede, which is open to the public. She said she wants to teach the world how art is soothing and inspirational. She is looking into getting her masters in Fine Arts but she said there is still a lot of life to live and she wants to live it doing what she loves: Art.
DeAngelis’ story however, did not always include art. Originally wanting to pursue nursing, DeAngelis found herself landing a volleyball scholarship to the University of Connecticut. She said she soon realized that was not her calling and that was when she became curious of the art world.
“At the University of Connecticut I actually had a teammate who was studying art,” DeAngelis said. She said that thanks to her teammates and a former volleyball coach she took a photography class and fell in love. DeAngelis then received a scholarship from the University of Nevada and headed off to Reno where she received her Bachelor of Art in 2006.
“It was a shocking change. It was like starting over from scratch,” she described, making the transition from nursing to art. Before attending the University of Nevada, she hadn’t taken any art classes or any courses art related in high school, so her training was “pretty much not there.”
DeAngelis said she put her faith in this transition because art was just so interesting to her. “I would see artists around campus carrying their portfolios or drawing and I was always very curious,” she said. That curiosity was the beginning of DeAngelis journey in pursuing art.
“The idea of being able to create something that came from me personally, whether it be based on my personal experiences or my form of expression, is what I was interested in,” DeAngelis said.
Her form of expression is unique, which can be seen through her art. DeAngelis describes her artistic style as ever changing. From conceptual style art to more installation style pieces she is working on now. She loves to experiment with different styles that interest her. “In the beginning, I was more interested in conceptual ideas,” DeAngelis said. “I also enjoy exploring the psychological things that I felt affected me in my life, and I try to express that through an image.”
DeAngelis has always been influenced by life and past influences. She said her greatest inspiration is a “personal search for greater meaning in the world”. For other aspiring artists DeAngelis said she hopes to inspire them with some advice. “Pursue your passion no matter what others tell you,” she said. “Go for it, take risks and ask a lot of questions.”