FEATURING WEARABLE ART BY:
 

Michael S. Vieira - (b. 1974, Lowell, Massachusetts) is an American oil painter based in Lowell. He studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and later apprenticed under painter Paul Ingbretson, where he refined his technique in the classical tradition. Vieira is best known for his cityscapes, particularly those depicting his hometown of Lowell. His paintings emphasize the quiet dignity of aging buildings and the layered history of the city’s neighborhoods, mills, and gathering places. Combining classical methods with a personal sensibility, his work often explores themes of faith, history, and resilience while reflecting the grit and character of urban life. His work has been featured in numerous exhibitions and has found its way into private collections both nationally and internationally. Recognized for his ability to convey a deep sense of place, Vieira continues to create paintings that resonate with beauty, history, and the enduring spirit of Lowell.

​

 

Chrissy Theo Hungate is a Lowell native who has been a Brush Art Gallery Studio Artist for 20 years. She works primarily in Acrylics & Oils but is proficient in a number of other media. Her subject matter tends to include the human figure sometimes with conceptual illustrations that reflect the human condition. She also dabbles with imagery of colorful landscapes. Chrissy currently teaches small groups at a local residential living center for women recovering from addiction, and teaches both privately and with small groups at the Brush Studios. She takes commissions for both people and animal portraiture.
 

 

Pamela Wamala is an established Lowell, MA visual artist and instructor who creates in acrylic, watercolor, gouache, pastel and oil. She primarily explores themes from nature and at times incorporates figures and abstraction. Pamela paints every day within her own creative practice, as well as providing demonstrations for the many private and group classes she facilitates each month. Pamela was a Studio Artist at the Brush for 14 years and has shown extensively in the area. Pamela’s art can be seen at the ALL Gallery COOP in Lowell, MA.

 

 

Cindy Hughes is a fiber artist who has worked in various weaving and dying techniques during her decades long career. More recently Cindy has been delving into creating small tapestries and building a personal practice of drawing and painting. She has been part of the Brush Art Gallery for 30 years, first as a Studio Artist and currently as an Associate Artist. Cindy’s creative works can be seen at her Brush Art Gallery & Studios COOP artist space.

 

 

Lolita Demers has worked with a variety of media since 1965. Her career encompasses teaching Art in the Lowell Public Schools and the broader communities for 49 years, as well as maintaining her studio at The Brush for 30 of those years! Creating work inspired by nature is her specialty. Although ceramics is her main concentration, Lolita has worked with mosaics and a variety of other materials. She began designing Jewelry in the 60's using macrame and crochet techniques combined with beads and natural findings, later expanding into beading, fused glass, and clay jewelry. Her intricate contemporary pieces are fashioned from wire and crystals and large mixed media pieces that explode with color, shape and texture, are very popular. Jewelry is the finishing touch to any outfit.

 

 

Donna Berger. Portraits are my favorite subjects, but I also love sketching and keep a sketchbook available to quickly capture people, places, or a special moment. I feel strongly that when sketching, I don't erase. It’s a sketch, not a final drawing or illustration. Sketching using colored pencil sticks allows me to be loose and free to capture the moment. 

Thanks to my mom, I experienced art and culture at a young age. She wanted me to have all the experiences she wished for when she was a kid: tap and ballet classes, piano lessons at the Cleveland Institute of Music and art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art and Institute of Art. In grade school, I was the class artist, and in junior high, I received a scholarship for drawing classes at the Cleveland Institute of Art. My art studies continued through college at Bowling Green State University and Cameron University where I received several McMahon art scholarships and a Bachelor of Art degree, graduating with a strong foundation of drawing, design, painting, printmaking, jewelry, and sculpture. Design, drawing and painting have been my primary focus throughout my professional career.Illustrating children’s books trained me to include special elements that provide insight into the character's personal story. I incorporate this strategy, when adding a toy, jewelry, or other meaningful object in my portraits. This extra touch is like putting frosting on the cake. I also put extra care in painting the subject’s eyes, which I feel provide a lot of information about who they are. When a commission is a remembrance of a treasured family member, friend, or pet, clients have often been brought to tears when the final product is delivered.

 

 

Trina Teele is a New England artist whose paintings explore sensitivity, connection, memory, and a sense of quiet wonder. Drawing inspiration from living beings, water, and the emotional resonance of familiar forms, her work moves between realism and a more lyrical, intuitive approach. Her process often begins with layered mixed media exploration before returning to oil, allowing rhythm, texture, chance, and discovery to shape the finished painting. Teele earned her BFA in Painting and Graphic Design from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her work has been exhibited throughout New England and collected internationally. She is also a resident artist and instructor at the Chelmsford Center for the Arts. Through her work, she hopes to create moments of stillness and recognition, inviting viewers to reconnect with empathy, wonder, and the things we often feel but cannot easily put into words.

​

Katie Schopp. I grew up in Chelmsford and have been a hairstylist for 26 years, so I guess you could say I’ve always made a living being creative (and occasionally covered in color). I still work in Chelmsford today, which makes being part of this event feel a little extra special. My love of art started young. One of my very first art lessons was actually with Lance Wilder, the son of my elementary school music teacher at Byam, who went on to become a background designer for The Simpsons. So apparently I started with a pretty impressive teacher… even if my own artistic career took a slight 30-ish-year detour. Over the past few years, I’ve found my way back to painting and have been having way too much fun experimenting on just about anything that will hold still long enough—canvases, wine glasses, handbags… you name it. After losing my mom, I connected with family I hadn’t known before and discovered that my nana was also an artist. There was something really special about realizing that this creative side of me may have been passed down all along. It inspired me to keep painting, experimenting, and seeing where this little adventure takes me. Being able to create something for a great cause, right here in my hometown, makes it even better. And if someone actually wants to bid on something I painted? Well, that’s pretty cool too.

​

Gowns courtesy of Colleen Ferry,  owner of Chantilly Place.