Michaela DiPaola

Born in Massachusetts, in 2001, Michaela DiPaola is an artist currently living in working around Boston. Michaela is a recent graduate of Pratt Institute as of May 2024 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a focus in Drawing and a minor in History of Art and Design.

She is a business owner and designer at Kaylas Custom Designs, Operating the Etsy shop since April 2021. From November 2021 to August 2023 she worked as the Resident Artist and Social Media Contributor for Starling Bakery in Scituate, MA. Specializing in mural and sign artwork at this establishment. In 2024 DiPaola worked as an intern for Franklin Furnace Archive where she specialized in graphic design for various Franklin Furnace events, fundraising campaigns, and promotions, tailored specifically for Instagram. Additionally, she interacted with the Foundation's extensive Artists’ Books collection that is housed in their Brooklyn location and did supplemental archiving to support the organization's daily operations. DiPaola even had the opportunity to put one of her own Artist Books into Franklin Furnances’s permanent collection following her Senior Thesis Show.

All of her artistic endeavors tie back into her love for studio art and her desire to create and be involved in the art world. Her work is most notably related to folk art and as she states “My work delves into the interwoven threads that connect us in life. Throughout our lives, it becomes evident that some relationships in life are integral parts of our upbringing, and they will always be there…I ask that my audience revisit, reflect, and cherish not just the pleasant memories but also the layered emotions and experiences that shape who we become, as these are moments that should not be forgotten. I choose to honor these moments and subjects through materials. Sometimes, this means methodical detail work or stitching to symbolize the depth or patience within a relationship. Other times, it may be through thoughtful color choice and linework. I hope to add charm back into life and adorn each moment and meaningful memory…” This can be seen in her solo show “Have You Seen This Cat?” in Dekalb Gallery but also in her other exhibitions at venues like DGT Gallery House in Brooklyn, NY, Las Laguna Gallery in California, and publications from Prince George's Community College in Largo, Maryland.

Our Artists

Barbara Newman

Barbara Newman was born and raised in New York City. In 1979, as a young adult, and after living abroad, she moved to New England, drawn in large part by the region’s natural beauty. She received her master’s degree in environmental policy at Tufts University, and then worked as an environmentalist for many years, including for the Environmental Protection Agency. Art has always been a life-long interest and a hobby of Barbara’s and she began her considerable focus on the discipline by doing portraits of pets using pastels. Her abiding love of the natural world caused her to branch out – she now enjoys painting flowers and fruit using oil paint and incorporating shadows and unique highlights to make her subjects lively and vibrant. Barbara also paints landscapes from around New England and scenes from her various travels including, most recently, Greece. Barbara’s art has benefited greatly by her continuous study of painting under Joel Mitnick who studied at the Art Students League of New York and received several awards for excellence there. 

 

Sharon Downey

I'm a painter based in both Boston and Mid-Coast Maine. My work includes impressionistic and abstract landscapes, still lifes, and interiors. Lately, I've been painting with oils and acrylics, both en plein air and in the studio. For sketching and figurative pieces, I often use oil pastels, graphite, and charcoal. Over the past 20 years, I've taken classes and workshops with some amazing and innovative instructors like Carol Douglas, Christopher Chippendale, Lucy Beecher, Catherine Kehoe, and Nancy McCarthy.

I've shown my work in several juried exhibitions, including those at the Concord Art Association, North River Art Association, Jamaica Plain Open Studios, and The Museum School's juried student show. In 2023, I was honored to receive an honorable mention for my painting 'Backsplash' at the Concord Art Members Juried 1: Painting and Sculpture.