WELCOME
"Like three brightly hued phoenixes rising from the flames, artists Dana [Wilde], Rythea Lee Kaufman, and Rose Oceania have sublimated abuse and trauma into often whimsical and always poignant visual, healing art."
-- Tracy Gilchrist, IN NEWSWEEKLY, July 27, 2005
Dana is a contemporary artist drawing and painting on paper since she was a toddler. She is essentially self-taught and represents herself, exhibiting since 2001. The spirit of her evolving work resonates with components of primitive art, expressionism, art brut, outsider art, and graffiti as much as it does with contemplative and transformational healing practices. Where it used to be a matter of emotional survival, her art has grown into an expansive celebration of life, healing, personal power, and inner nature. Drawing out her heart and soul, Dana has been perfecting the art of emotional immediacy, authenticity, improvisation, inner listening, and spiritual channeling through creative action. She calls her pieces Spirit Portraits. This evocative, generous body of work has touched and intrigued viewers in solo and group exhibitions throughout the Northampton area. She is currently creating a whole new body of work, much of which utilizes the Touch Drawing process. [These new works will be added to the beginning of the Gallery series by March 17, 2008].
A champion of others' creativity as well, Dana inspires and connects with people as a Teacher/Facilitator for groups and individuals. She particularly loves working with adult beginners, survivors of abuse, and those who believe they are "uncreative" or "bad at art."
Dana is also a performer. She has been with Dance Generators (an intergenerational performance company) since 2003 and was a member of a community-based modern dance company from 1986-1993. She trains in autobiographical performance art with the Zany Angels Dance Theatre Company and will study the intensive theatrical form, Clown Through Mask, with Sue Morrison (Toronto, 2009).
Dana was born in 1974 in New Jersey and has lived in Massachusetts since before kindergarten. She currently resides in Northampton.
