I am nearing the milestone of having left my full-time position at NYU-IT after thirty-six years, for two years now. My current role—working as a full-time artist—is the profession I have envisioned for most of my life. While deeply fulfilling, it is not the leisurely existence some imagine.
There are no true weekends; each day now carries the rhythm and responsibility of work. My mornings begin with coffee and a focused review of opportunities—artist residencies, open calls for exhibitions, and, now, mural commissions.
In the afternoons, I travel to my studio, often remaining there past five o’clock to avoid the Dumbo rush hour. Time in the studio is both productive and sustaining, allowing me to move between projects and develop ideas in parallel. This is the working life I set out to build.
At the same time, sustaining a studio practice requires ongoing financial commitment. Securing supplemental income remains a necessary part of maintaining the space in which this work is made.
Back in 2005, I won an art commission through the MTA Arts & Design program. A fabricator helped translate my paintings into faceted glass, sealed in epoxy, and installed in an above-ground metro station in Rockaway, New York. Now, in 2026, the work is still there—holding its ground, weathering time.
Back then, I thought I was on my way. I was right. That commission gave me a real push forward, especially in learning to take myself seriously as an artist. By that point, I had already completed two art programs and shown my work many times—some of those exhibitions even solo.
My first shows began when I was thirteen, hung along the hallway of a movie theater. Since then, my work has lived in banks, restaurants and bars, hotels, and galleries. It has traveled quietly, steadily, finding walls wherever it could.
What I’ve learned along the way is this: the work needs a voice. Someone who can speak about it, stand behind it, and truly sell it. For most of my life, that person has been me. But now it’s time for another chapter—to have people with real influence, those who shape collectors and conversations, step in to represent the work, and represent me.
Thank you for visiting!
Cheers, Calliie
