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| Born in New York City, Norma grew up in the Bronx in an environment rich with cultural diversity, great museums and city parks. An adventurous child, she explored the city’s culture and museums and developed a knowledge of symbolism as it is represented in the creative visual world. It was in the museums that she felt most at home. “I first learned to paint from my father and to appreciate needlework from my mother who taught me to sew, embroider and knit”. She learned to draw and never stopped.
In the summer months her family left the city to escape the heat. It was in the mountains of New York State and at the beaches in Rockaway, New York that she connected with the mysteries and wonders of nature. Here too, she felt at home. Norma continued her studies at museums, galleries, art schools and colleges earning a BA degree from Empire State College, located in NYC. Here she focused her studies in American art. In later years as she was invited to do residencies in schools, hospitals and rehabilitation centers she witnessed the healing aspects of the creative process and how it helped to enrich and change people’s lives. She decided to return to school and earned an MA degree in Expressive Arts and Applied Psychology from Vermont College. “My parents who emigrated from Russia, taught me to respect and appreciate our personal freedom of choice and how to live in community”. Her Sandy Mush community, located in the mountains Western North Carolina, gave her the opportunity to know the deeper meaning beyond the surface of fiber quilts and to learn about their rich heritage. Here she learned how to tend the land, appreciate its gifts and how to live in harmony with the earth. It is through her creative work, which has been regionally and nationally recognized, that she continues to explore these ideals. |
For information on classes and workshops please contact Norma at
828-273-7509
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