Beauty is the foundation of my work. Being in conversation with beauty in my process is how I live an artful life. Through my work I aspire for people to experience beauty and come into relationship with it in their own way. Imagine if beauty was at the forefront of our lives. Being confronted with beauty disarms and breaks us out of patterns bringing us into the present reality. How would our relationships, our conversations, and our choices be different? I believe that navigating our world in beauty leads to a just, wonder-filled and joyful world. One that we want to live for. One that is truly abundant and prosperous. One that is brimming with hope. I aim to create beautiful work that attracts people and opens them to imagine something new. I work in a variety of media to give shape to the beautiful.
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Bio
Rita is a mixed media artist inspired by materials, methods and pattern. She is a builder where the materials work with her to become the art. Her creative process is her personal experience of beauty. She is passionate about her practice and moved to Michigan 14 years ago for studio space and to devote more time to her art. She has exhibited her artwork since 2000. Rita has designed interactive art experiences at the Detroit Institute of Arts, in organizations, and with her public art.
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Rita holds a Masters in Public Health from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, with a focus on Quality of Life. She is trained in Conversational Leadership by poet David Whyte and is certified in Enchantivism and the Creative Problem Solving method. Rita also is a CPA, Certified Workplace Wellness Program Manager and Public Health and Well-being Specialist. Rita’s work asks the question: what if we could transform the world by experiencing beauty? This experience is a rich source of inspiration that informs her creative process at the intersection of beauty, well-being (social, emotional and mental) and creativity.
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Rita started painting at The Art Students League of New York in 1999 and has been exhibiting her artwork across the US for the past 20 years. Her work focuses on transformation; inspired by her philosophy that as humans our experience of beauty can change our world by changing the way we see ourselves, our situations and our environments. In 2011, she was awarded an Artist in Residence by 365 Days of Print. She designs interactive art experiences at the Detroit Institute of Arts and has served on the Board of Trustees as the Chair of the Exhibition Committee at Paint Creek Center for the Arts, Rochester, MI. Rita’s work is held in the permanent collections of the NYSE, Brooklyn Art Library, and public communities of Detroit. She lives in Michigan with her husband Alan Haras with whom she frequently collaborates.
