Tara Holl

About the Artist

Ms. Holl has been a professional teaching artist for over 25 years. She has created glass installations (sculptural, leaded, fused, & cast) mosaics, murals, sculptures, and many mixed media art works in public spaces. She received an AIA award for excellence (American Institute for Architects) on two large glass projects created for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in Reston, Virginia. Tara opened a National Geographic exhibition at Explorers Hall at the Washington D.C. with 8 large sculptures depicting the many uses of glass. Tara has been the curator for a variety of exhibitions at assorted galleries, the Creative Crafts Council, the National Institutes of Health, Baltimore Space Telescope facility, Olney Theatre Center, the Sandy Spring Museum, and the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Maryland. She has taught workshops, classes, and over 45 visual arts integrated residencies at public and private schools, National Arts Education Association, National Geographic, Glen Echo, the Greater Washington Jewish Community Center, the University of Maryland, and through other venues that support the arts for teachers, artists, and students of all ages. She utilizes glass, ceramic, fiber, wood, cement board, paper, recycled materials, found objects, and assorted painting mediums. Murals, mosaics, large mobiles, sculptures, and wall mount artwork are some of the results. Tara has been the visual art integration specialist for the Maryland Artists/Teachers Institute (now called Maryland Centers for Creative Classrooms MCCC). She has taught in the states of California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington. Her work has given her the opportunity to teach students K - 12, adults, and a variety of children and adults with special needs. Ms. Holl has exhibited her work throughout the United States and overseas. Recently Ms. Holl taught arts integrated workshops to children and adults (the Kuna Indians) in Armila, Panama while on an eco-residency. Ms. Holl has been a professional teaching artist for over 20 years. She received an AIA award for excellence for projects created for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in Reston, VA. Tara opened a National Geographic Exhibition in Washington D.C. with 8 large sculptures. Tara has taught over 47 visual arts integrated residencies at public and private schools in Maryland and classes/workshops in California, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, Virginia, Washington, and overseas in Panama, Egypt, and Italy. Tara works with a wide range of media and continues her own education through her affiliations with professional associations, professional development opportunities, and artistic residencies.  

Artist's Statement

I have gotten my hands “dirty” for as long as I can remember; usually with paint, clay, fiber, ink, glass dust, wood shavings - you name it, I like it and I want to try it! I have been a mixed media artist for a long time. I have spent time exploring specific areas of creativity such as plein air painting, sculpture, printmaking, glass working, wood carving, fiber making, clay working, and so forth. I adore pushing the envelope with materials and combining them to tell a visual story. Sometimes I utilize traditional texts, often I incorporate natural and found objects, and always try to convey something meaningful whether whimsical, dramatic, abstract, or quietly stated to share. I like to go into that “zen place” that allows one to be in the creative “now” and see where it will take me and my work. As a teaching artist and traveler, I enjoy incorporating academic learning and cultural knowledge when it feels right to do so. I love history, science, language arts; I love learning and permitting the gathered information to roll around in my psyche and inform my creative endeavors. I enjoy working alone and I enjoy working with others. My life is busy with teaching arts integrated residencies in schools around my state of Maryland. My husband and I own a small Italian Trattoria (mostly his focus) where I help out with baking, working with our clientele, and facilitating exhibits and artistic events for my community.