About the Instructor

I’m an artist, illustrator and designer based in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. My core work is mixed media, blending sculpture, printmaking, drawing, painting and digital media. I began my career as a figurative artist, and I still use the human form—albeit often altered—to explore issues of embodiment and identity. If you would like to see my work, check out my website www.dlzartner.com.

Although I currently live in Philadelphia, I’m originally from Minnesota, land of dairy products, winter weather and the occasional overblown accent. Oh… and lakes. I guess we have 10,000 of them or something.

Shortly after high school, I moved to Montana to be a ski instructor. When I wasn’t strapping boards to my feet and barreling down a mountainside, I was in college studying Studio Art.

After graduating with my Bachelor of Fine Arts, I worked as an artist, supplementing my income with a variety of art-related jobs including artist-in-residence, university professor and museum preparator. I enjoyed each (well, not the museum job so much… too much spackle). However, because I am always looking to learn more, I eventually returned to school to earn second BFA in Graphic Design.

As a designer, I discovered that I LOVED digital media, but I wasn’t crazy about client-work. What I really wanted to do was teach, a passion of mine that rivals artmaking. Thus, I signed up for yet MORE school, earning Master of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Art from Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Currently, I am teaching both studio and graphics courses at Salem Community College. I also work as a freelance artist and designer, meaning that on any given day you’re likely to find me either at my computer or in my studio at PAFA, where I am an Alumni Studio Fellow. In my rare bits of free time I enjoy travel, listening to Scottish accents, waving at my two cats (who, sadly, never show proper appreciation for the effort), eating melted cheese and  watching outdated anime about children’s card games.