Bio & Artist Statement
Olivia was born in 1979. At the age of 4, she immigrated to Rochester, New York. While a teenager, she attended the Rochester School of the Arts and learned vocal music, musical theater, dance, printmaking, and sculpture in ceramics and wood. Her interest in creative expression led her to visit Central, South and North America, Southeast Asia and Europe. She sought the universal link between individuals and groups in order to understand the direction of art for America. Her early experiences with art gave her the capacity to discern between varied forms of art and culture, and the type of consciousness that they convey.
In 2001 she received a BFA, cum laude with Divisional Honors in Ceramic Sculpture at the School of Art and Design at Alfred University, New York State College of Ceramics. Then she studied Realist figure drawing, painting and sculpture techniques at the Florence Academy of Art in Florence, Italy. After completing four years of studying and teaching there, she moved to the towns of Carrara, Pietrasanta and Frassinoro, Italy to exhibit her art, while learning techniques in bronze casting at Mariani Foundry and stone carving with Dario Tazzioli for almost a decade.
She returned to Rochester, NY in 2010 to intensify for her study of the movement of the human body expressed through bronze and cast glass.
In 2018 she made 17 Bicentennial Frederick Douglass fiberglass sculptures for the not-for-profit Rochester Community Television in 9 months with the help of 200+ volunteers. The statues have had a positive effect on the community, even though the project suffered two significant vandalizations on Dec. 15, 2018 and July 5, 2020. The July 5th vandalization was widely covered by national and international media including the Democrat & Chronicle, Rochester City News, NY Times, BBC, NPR, CNN and Tweeted by President Trump. This is only one out of many national monuments that were attacked during this time period, underlining the importance of protecting American monuments and enforcing laws that protect them on the state level. Both Re-Installations of the statues brought about feelings of renewal and spurred numerous community discussions/programs to heal these attempts to divide Americans.
Olivia continues to push forward to innovate within her field, exploring the profound qualities of sculpture materials and how body language can have a positive effect on the viewer. She is currently working on a Public Monument Road Map that will help to streamline the process of having public sculptures made. The Map is meant to promote public dialogue so that groups can creatively contribute to the local, national, and international landscape.
Alongside exhibiting and making private and public art, she serves as an art adviser, educator, judge and presenter.
Olivia’s work is displayed publicly and privately in America, Australia and Europe.