Mandy Hansen 

 

Artist Bio 

Mandy Hansen is a mixed media artist whose studio practice investigates personal and ancestral memory, nature, and rootedness.  She has exhibited in juried and invitational shows at multiple locations in Colorado Springs as well as the Arvada Center for the Arts and Redline Contemporary Art, and completed artist-in-residencies at Ghost Ranch (NM) and Talemar Park (IN). Mandy holds a doctorate degree in education, has worked with communities internationally, and has taught several art workshops for children in Guatemala. She currently works out of a home studio at the base of the Rocky Mountains. 

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Artist Statement

My studio practice is process-oriented, with an emphasis on experimentation, material, and play. I often begin with opaque and translucent plant-based papers that have been submerged in water. These resilient yet delicate materials become the surfaces for stitching, drawing, and mixed-media constructions. I use watercolor, ink, and cyanotype to capture, echo, and interact with water’s natural flow and patterns. In each piece, I aim to stay present to its individuality—finding a sense of order within the materials and working with them rather than against them. A magnifying glass for close looking, a brush and ink for gestural response, a pen to punctuate movement—all create a sense of awe and remind me that the messes and messiness of life can become both the lesson and the beauty.

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Artist Talk: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bskCW5X4_so

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Recent Career Highlights

• Just Desserts (2025). Juried Show (group). Cottonwood Center for the Arts. Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.

• Holiday show (2025). Invitational Show (group). Auric Gallery. Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.

• Every Little Thing: A Mini-musings Exhibit (2025). Juried Exhibit (group). Art Student League of Denver-presented in partnership with the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls, & Toys. Denver, CO, USA.

• Ghost Ranch (2025). Artist Residency. Abiquiu, NM, USA.

• ​Gratitude (2025). Juried Show (group). Auric Gallery. Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.

• Flutter and Flow (2024). Invitational Show (solo). Auric Gallery. Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.

• Sew Subversive (2023). Juried Show (group). Cottonwood Center for the Arts. Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.

• Holiday show (2023). Invitational Show (group). G44 Gallery. Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.

• South Gallery Show (2023). Invitational Show (group). G44 Gallery. Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.

• Ghost Ranch (2022). Artist Residency. Abiquiu, NM, USA.

• Paper Tiger: Works on Paper (2021). Juried Show (group). Cottonwood Center for the Arts. Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.

• Viral Influence Art in the Time of Coronavirus (2021). Juried Show (group). Arvada Center - Main Gallery. Arvada, Colorado, USA.

• Biophilic (2020). Invitational Show (solo). Orly's Gallery. Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.

• Winter Blues (2020). Invitational Show (group). Orly's Gallery. Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.

• Feed Your Soul (2019-2020). Art Workshop Series. University of Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.

• One Square Foot (2019). Anonymous Exhibition. Redline Contemporary Art Center, Denver, Colorado, USA.

• Taleamor Park (2019). Artist Residency. LaPorte, Indiana, USA.

• Cyanotype for Children (2019). Art Workshop. Hug It Forward. Caquixajay, Tecpan, Chimaltenango, Guatemala.

• Synchronocity (2019). Juried show based upon Helen Frankenthaler's work (group). Cottonwood Center for the Arts. Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.