Hi there.
I’m Desirée, a visual artist based in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I’ve been practicing artmaking for 25 years, working in an array of mediums to achieve my desired level of play, experimentation and variety in creation.
My work often falls into two categories: production art and personal art. Most of my production art is focused on birds and is offered for sale at various local locations. In this work, I explore new and different ways to depict birds based on their size, shape, personalities and texture. My favorites are often of the Corvid species, but I love local song and backyard birds as well.
In my personal work, I spend my time exploring my surroundings through the interplay of emotion and an interpretation of the world through parallel or surreal concepts. I’m constantly deciding how much I want to push the boundaries of these ideas, and often redefine what this means for me. Utilizing death, mythical, and/or dystopian symbolism is not uncommon in my work, and stems from a love of reading and my upbringing as an imaginative, explorative child.
Professionally, I serve as the Executive Director of Arts Cheyenne, our local arts council, as well as the Artist Development Director for the Wyoming Women’s Business Center. In both roles, I work with emerging and professional artists, providing education, programming, and sustainable sources for artists to learn and grow.
Exhibitions and Features
“Rendezvous” Annual Show | ‘Us & Them’, mixed media on paper | Group Exhibition, Clay Paper Scissors | July/August, 2024
“In The Garden” | ‘Unitarian Vegetables’ and ‘Gardner’s Shadow’, Linocut on handmade paper | Group Exhibition, Clay Paper Scissors | March/April, 2024
Kestrel Fields Studios Artist in Residence | January 14-21, 2024
“Memory Birds” | Solo exhibition, Freedom’s Edge Brewing | November, 2023
“Creature Feature” | Exhibition participation at the Cheyenne Creativity Center | October, 2023
“Printmaking Exhibition” | Exhibition participation at the Cheyenne Creativity Center | June, 2023
“May Flowers” | Exhibition participation at the Cheyenne Creativity Center | May, 2023
“Spark of Inspiration” | Exhibition participation at the Cheyenne Creativity Center | February, 2023
“MC Wonder’s Fantastical Traveling Treasures” –Contributing Artist | June, 2022- December, 2023
“Memory Birds” | Artist Resident at Cheyenne Botanic Gardens | September-November, 2022
“Monster Men” | Solo exhibition, Freedom’s Edge Brewing | October, 2021
“Ladies and Birdies” | Solo exhibition, Paramount Gallery | May, 2021
Local Stories with Shoutout Colorado | April, 2021
Local Stories with Voyage Denver | May, 2016
“Different Points” | Solo exhibition, Paramount Gallery | May, 2020
“Gary and Tom”–‘Best in Mixed Media’ | Annual Student Exhibition | Mariani Gallery, University of Northern Colorado, Spring, 2010
Resume
Artist Development Director | Wyoming Women’s Business Center | 2023-Present
Assistant Director | Arts Cheyenne | 2023-Present
Public Art Coordinator | Arts Cheyenne | 2021-2023
Creative Projects Director | Cheyenne Downtown Development Authority | 2022-2023
Growth Foundry/Makers+Creatives Board Member | 2020-2023
WyArt Coalition Co-founder | 2019-2021
Arts Cheyenne Board Chair | 2018-2021
Arts Cheyenne Board Member | 2016-2023
BA Art Education, Emphasis in Drawing | University of Northern Colorado | 2009
MAGPIe. 