MINDY MAZZA – 2016 ANDERSON RANCH SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

Born in 1999 in Grand Junction, Mindy is a senior in the International Baccalaureate program at Palisade High School.

Mindy’s passion for art started as early as her ability to use a crayon. She has grown up hiking, camping, and fishing in Colorado, and her art is heavily influenced by her love of nature and great compassion for people. Themed in natural elements and portraits, her art is most noted for her use of color, attention to detail, and realism. She is inspired by the works of Martine Johanna, Lena Danya, and Gustav Klimt.

Mindy has progressed from graphite drawings to acrylic paintings, a transition she was uncomfortable making at first, but lead to her first acrylic piece, a portrait of the late David Bowie which took second place at the 2014 Altrusa Art Fair. Among her other accomplishments, she was a recipient of the 2016 Anderson Ranch Scholarship, winner of the 8th Annual Mural Jam in 2016, her art was featured in the Bank of Colorado calendar contest for 2016, awarded the 2016 first place and Best in Show at the Super Rad Art Jam, recipient of the Outstanding Underclassman Art Student award in 2015 at PHS in recognition of outstanding dedication and achievement in visual arts, and has completed various commissioned projects as well as volunteer work with her church.

ALEXIS BISKUPSKI – 2017 ANDERSON RANCH SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

Hello, I’m Alexis Biskupski, a teenaged artist who has dedicated her life to exploring different mediums. Most of my work is made purely for learning, my enjoyment, and creating for family and friends. Over the past year, I’ve been developing my inking skills, as well as trying out oil painting, and going back into watercolor some. Later in life, I plan to use my skills for the benefit of others as a profession. I enjoy spending my free time aside from creating art, looking for ants with my brother, going on walks, and writing.

Being at the Anderson Ranch Art Center was an amazing experience! The week was packed full of learning useful techniques in workshops, creating art, meeting other artists, and relaxing in Snowmass at the end of the day. In Jan Heaton’s watercolor workshop, the class got to experience demos of watercolor techniques, be given pointers on the materials to use, experiment with watercolor, and even have discussions about approaching the art industry. My favorite part of the class was being able to be as creative with my work as possible. It means a lot to me to be given the opportunity to be part of a program that is so richly diverse in all the environment, learning and the people.