Born in the Dominican Republic, Michelle Solorzano ’19 has been passionate about art from an early age, taking her first painting class when she was just 8 years old. When she was 14 years old, she moved to the Bronx and attended a high school that lacked a strong arts program, so she was largely self-taught, working on projects at home where she watched DIY videos online to help her along the way. “I like creating art because I feel like I can express myself without having to use words because I’m really shy. I feel like I can express myself better through visual works,” she said.
Solorzano is a talented art student working on her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She is currently taking a sculpture class, an advanced painting class and an advanced ceramics class where she has been developing her skills under the guidance of ceramics professor Marc Leuthold, painting professor Amy Swartele and sculpture professor Bethany Haeseler. “I like that there are small classes because the professors get to know you better, they can give you great feedback because there’s enough time for everybody,” Solorzano said.
View the gallery below, which highlights a day in the life of an art student...
“I like doing art because it’s a way to control my stress. I feel relaxed when I’m working in ceramics and just letting my brain do its thing, without having to overthink anything.”