Interview With Lisa D'Amico, Award Winning Artist, Author, and Educator

Lisa D’Amico is an award winning artist, author, educator who serves as the curator for The Art Gallery at the Rockefeller State Park Preserve. Her personal artwork explores themes of nature, the human form, and complex color interplay, often utilizing layers of paint, resin, and mixed media. She has received accolades such as the Visual Artist of the Year Award from the Arts Council of Rockland and the Weir Masterpiece Award from the National Parks Service. At the Rockefeller Gallery, she manages exhibits that often highlight the intersection of nature and art. She is the co-founder of The Bluefield Artists and the annual Rockland Arts Festival. Holding a PhD in Education, she is a certified art teacher in New York and New Jersey, who has dedicated her life and career for the past 20 years blending her creative practice with a strong background in education to foster community-driven art spaces in Rockland County.

By Selva Ozelli Esq, CPA, Author of Sustainably Investing in Digital Assets Globally

 

1. Tell us about your journey to become an artist, author, curator and educator.

My path began in New York, where I built a strong foundation in fine arts, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in painting and drawing, followed by a Ph.D. in education. This shaped my identity as both an artist and educator.

I have been creating art since childhood and exhibiting my work for over two decades, focusing on expressing human emotion, nature, and the interplay of color and form.

Alongside my studio practice, I became a certified art teacher in New York and New Jersey, using my background in education to merge creative work with theory and to help students express themselves visually.

My work naturally expanded into curation, where I serve as curator of the Rockefeller Gallery and founded initiatives such as the Bluefield Arts Festival and Exhibits, creating spaces that bring together diverse voices and extend my commitment to community, education, and artistic dialogue.

2. Were you influenced by a specific person to become an artist?

I have been drawing and painting since childhood, gradually shaping my artistic voice through ongoing practice and exploration. Throughout my education, I was fortunate to learn from and be encouraged by many teachers whose guidance strengthened both my creative confidence and my dedication to the arts.

The most influential figure in my journey was my uncle, Tom. In high school, he took me to my first art museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art which opened my eyes to the vast diversity of art across history. In that moment, I realized I wasn’t alone; countless artists had come before me, creating a path that I could now follow.

3. Your personal artwork explores themes of nature, the human form, and complex color interplay. Tell us about your art work, the medium you express yourself with and where people can see your work.

I usually work with acrylic paint, resin, and drawing materials, using a layered approach to build texture and depth in my pieces. I often work in series inspired by life experiences, including my ongoing series Sonic Heroines, which honors and supports women. My work is exhibited regularly, and I share exhibition locations and dates on my website, www.lisadamico.net, as well as on social media @lisadamicoartist.

4. Tell us about the exhibitions you curate at the Art Gallery at Rockefeller State Park, which hosts rotating exhibits featuring local and regional artists highlighting the intersection of nature and art offering an intimate, frequently changing, and community-focused experience directly adjacent to scenic nature trails and a unique tree peony garden. Where can artists find your open calls for these exhibitions?

The Floral Whispers art exhibit offers a quiet yet powerful reminder of how natural beauty continues to evolve through the eyes of artists. On view now through June 27, and inspired by the stunning tree peony garden at Rockefeller State Park Preserve, the exhibition invites visitors to experience a striking collection of works rooted in one of nature’s most celebrated blooms. Bringing together a diverse group of contemporary artists, the exhibit reinterprets floral forms through painting, photography and mixed media. Artists interested in future opportunities should email rockefellergallery@gmail.com.

5. I used to curate art shows and followed the United Nations World Day themes to plan exhibitions year round. Tell us about the inspiration to co-founding the Bluefield Art Festival. And tell us specifically about  your “The Color of Hope Exhibit” that will run online from April 27, 2026 through June 27, 2026 [beginning during Earth Month running past World Environment Day]. Where can artists find your open calls for the Blue Art Festival exhibitions?

The Color of Hope, an inspiring online art exhibition that brings together a diverse group of talented artists exploring themes of renewal, resilience, and optimism. On view from April 27 through June 27, this thoughtfully curated collection invites viewers to reflect on the many dimensions of hope through powerful and complex visual narratives. 

6. I am a member of Climate Heritage Network working since COP26 to officially and extensively integrate art into the United Nations Climate Change Conference programs. Last year at COP30 held in Belém, Brazil, in November 2025, a significant milestone was achieved when culture was formally included in the COP Action Agenda for the first time. As an educator, artist and curator in your view what is the importance of art in articulating the fragility of nature highlighting the urgency of preserving natural resources like water.

Art is crucial because it makes ecological fragility visible, emotional, and relatable in ways data alone cannot. As an educator, it fosters awareness and responsibility; as an artist, it translates environmental change into sensory and emotional experience; and as a curator, it brings these perspectives together to shape public understanding and dialogue. Together, I believe these roles help shift nature from something observed to something urgently cared for and protected.

7. This year is the 250th Anniversary of our Nation. Are you taking part in or curating any environmental art shows on this theme? If so where can people see them?

This autumn at the Clifton Arts Center in New Jersey, I will be curating the exhibition Moonlit Memories: Night Visions of America at 250. Artists will explore light and shadow, along with the drama of nocturnal life, as part of America’s evolving visual narrative during this historic milestone.

8. Anything else you would like to add.

I appreciate the honor of this interview.

9. How can people reach you?

I can be reached via email at rockefellergallery@gmail.com or on social media @lisadamicoartist.

The Art Gallery at Rockefeller State Park Preserve is dedicated to fostering a meaningful visual dialogue between artists and visitors through rotating fine art exhibitions, community-based arts initiatives, and enriching public programming.

 

Thank you for your collaboration.

Sincerely,

Selva Ozelli Esq, CPA, Author, Artist
1-646-864-8825