Meet the Artist

 

I think Pablo Picasso said it best, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life”. Without fail, picking up my acrylic paints and markers lets me escape into a vibrant and whimsical world that brings me joy. My name is Iris Lubbert and I am a public servant turned artist based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. All of my work is original and created by hand in a makeshift studio set up in my home, generally with me holding a glass of wine or cup of tea and bobbing along to a song. I used to paint just for myself; now I share my work with the hope that it makes others smile and helps them escape too (even if just for a moment).  

Come along on my journey to discover what exciting projects I'm tinkering with and stay in the loop with my freshest updates! Follow me on Instagram or Facebook.

My background: I grew up in Cleveland, OH and for as long as I can remember I have been partial to the arts. My parents regularly took my brother and I to the Severance Music Center, we spent hours at the Cleveland Museum of Art, and we gathered as a family almost every week around a popcorn bucket to watch a film. When I went to Kalamazoo College to get my BA, although I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, I knew I wanted to do something creative. I took a wide variety of courses and was given the opportunity to go to Rome, Italy where I studied various art masters. I graduated with a major in Studio Art and Human Development & Social Relations, and minor in Economics. Through an introduction to architecture course I was exposed to urban planning. I quickly fell in love with the idea of working with others to help a community become the best version of itself and how public art could build community character.  So, after graduating, I pursued my Masters in Urban Planning at the University of Michigan and eagerly interned with the Ann Arbor Public Art Commission. With my master’s degree in hand, I embarked on my 10-year journey as a public servant. After years of going through the motions, I realized that I wanted to make a change. After a lot of soul searching and with the support of friends and family, I am now pursuing a lifelong dream of being a full-time artist and have been loving every moment of it!