Artist Highlight

Meredith Kuntzsch was born in Midland, Michigan, just months after her parents' move back to the United States from Germany. Raised by a music and theater-loving family, Kuntzsch played the violin, trained in classical ballet for more than 20 years, sang in a choir, wrote short stories and poetry, and eventually turned to visual art.
 
Kuntzsch works predominantly in the medium of painting - dry pigment pastels on paper and mixed media on canvas, but includes sculpture in inorganic and organic materials. Kuntzsch completed a BA in Marketing Communications from Michigan State University with a degree in Advertising, and upon graduating moved to Chicago to work in downtown agencies before forming her own marketing communications and design firm. Her corporate design work included artwork and marketing pieces for creative clients such as Wax Trax Records, Chicago Theater, Northlight Theater and Lyric Opera as well as several healthcare and technology coporations. With a strong pull towards nonprofits, Kuntzsch also worked in event management for the (Mike) Ditka Foundation, Pediatric Aids Foundation, Starlight Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation and more.

After a major life shift, Kuntzsch reset her sights on fine art as a full time career and began showing her paintings and bronze sculptures in galleries, museum exhibitions, and high-end fine art festivals throughout the country. Her work is held in private and corporate collections in the US and internationally.
 
Kuntzsch continues her involvement in nonprofit work by creating and executing her Peru Art Therapy Mission Program, an offshoot of an established mission trip program at Santisimo Sacramento church in Piura, Peru. With funds from sales of her artwork, Kuntzsch visits the extremely poor villages just north of Piura carrying as many art supplies as possible and with a cadre of devoted volunteers, conducts playful, therapeutic art workshops with young children and their mothers. Kuntzsch also holds private, in studio creative expression therapy sessions and lectures on the benefits of expressive art therapy. Kuntzsch also continues to work as a consultant in the areas of marketing and event planning in Austin, TX, with SXSW and Austin City Limits Music Festival.