With a bachelor’s degree in Fine Art, Elissa began her career pursuing public arts projects and working within the community promoting the arts. In 2001 and 2002 she participated in “The Kiev Project” joining Ukrainian and American artists in the creation of art, goodwill and the exchange of knowledge in Kiev, Ukraine. She spent 20 years creating site-specific public art installations and teaching drawing, painting and sculpture to students of all ages.

A strong background in interior design, renovation and marketing has enabled her in her former home of Hendersonville, NC, to be responsible for the initiation of a 1% for art program for the new Henderson County Courthouse and the Main Library renovations, co-directing the conversion of a old children’s camp into Highland Lake Inn and Conference Center, creating an art program for Veritas Academy, and hosting numerous art events for seniors, teens and children. Her work and many of her students work can be seen in public spaces throughout Western North Carolina.

“Growing up by the side of my sculptor father, I was introduced to museums, galleries and artists studios starting at four years old. The most exciting projects were the ones involving public spaces. To this day the formalities of the Art World are avoided and I am most exhilarated by working on sites where art and the public environment meet.”

Her work is in many private collections usually with many pieces per client.

A partial list of Public Spaces is:

Henderson County Courthouse, Hendersonville, NC
Henderson County Library, Hendersonville, NC
Highland Lake Inn and Conference Center, Flat Rock, NC
Pardee Hospital, Hendersonville, NC – Pediatric Murals
Quattlebaum Enterprises, Hendersonville, NC – several locations
Grace Community Church, Asheville, NC – Atrium Sculpture
Office of the US Consulate, Kiev, Ukraine
Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
Cape Cod Hospital, Hyannis, MA