Welcome! I am Nova, an Illustrator, Crafter, Arts Advocate & Educator from NE Ohio. I received my BFA in Illustration, with additional concentrations in Art Education, Design, & Creative Writing from the Cleveland Institute of Art. Currently working towards a MA of Arts & Culture Management from the University of Akron. As an Arts Administrator I strive to make my local creative community inclusive, accessible, and equitable for all. I have experience working with multiple Akron area Arts Nonprofits in areas of programming, administration, and marketing and an expansive background as a visual arts educator & artistic entrepreneurship mentor. 

 

I want to work to see artists succeed, to help them create their work, and thrive within the frustrating system we find ourselves in. As much as I want to pursue my own work as an artist, this privilege to have space to create is so important and vital to equitable communities. We can all thrive together if we support each other, our communities, and our fellow creatives. Through your success, I will find my own. 

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My Illustration practice, Star Catcher Studio, explores fantastical concepts through a storybook aesthetic. I create prints, zines, design fun products like enamel pins, sculpt figurines, and more. Through the various other multimedia approaches to art I explore, my work strives to spark joy through color and whimsy, evoke empathy with thoughtful musings, and seek a sense of catharsis through the art making process. Through my current evolving writing and Illustration project, I invite you to enter my world within a dream, darkened by memory, and sparked to life by a falling star.

 

I also volunteer run StarFall Creative Collective alongside Ashleigh Byrer, with the goal of supporting local artists, connecting the creative community, and sharing resources. Please, learn more about what we do: ​