Lisa M. Haabestad, Environmental Education Artist
Background
A Pittsburgh native, Lisa grew up in Point Breeze where her art loving family lived through the city’s cultural and environmental transformations for over nine decades. This historic neighborhood and her family’s passion for the arts and nature combine to form the foundation for her underlying interest and explorations of memory and place.
Her passion for trees and recycling inspire her current artistic expression and medium of choice: paper of all types. Paper weaving and collage turns books, maps, mail, wrapping paper, bus and ferry schedules, origami and paste paper into unique combinations. It also allows the artist to incorporate the artwork of others into her own. In addition, botanical elements can be incorporated, celebrating all interests in a mixed media format.
Lisa’s creative endeavors have a synergistic relationship with the architecture firm Pfaffmann + Associates for the past 20 years. Trained as a nutritionist, she has a background in public education and counseling. As a Master Gardner, Lisa’s interest the Liberty School grounds across from her house has led to significant interaction with the teachers and students and the creation of tree planting and gardening education collaborations.
This intersection of personal and public artistic expression in the service of environmental education is the foundation of her explorations.
Lisa is a board member of the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh
Exhibitions
2016
The New Collective (juried), PF/PCA, Pittsburgh, PA
Interwoven (juried), Sweetwater Center for the Arts, Sewickley, PA
In Bloom, Spinning Plate Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA
2015
Kaleidoscope (juried), Spinning Plate Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA
2000
Pittsburgh Sea Glass (River Artifacts), Heinz Architectural Center, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA
