HELLO!
My name is Molly Lastra.
I'm an artist based in southern New Hampshire. My work focuses on landscapes and environmental imagery.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
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Molly received her Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting in 2013 from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She received her Master of Science in Psychology in 2022 from Southern New Hampshire University.
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Molly primarily works with acrylic on canvas, incorporating vibrant color blocking with environmental imagery. The landscapes in her work convey symbols of fragility, growth, and strength. She appreciates the connections between the body and nature and investigates those themes in her work.
Molly has participated in both group and solo exhibitions throughout New England, New York, and the southeast. She was a ChaNorth artist-in-residence in 2022. Molly was awarded a grant in early 2022 from the Arts Council of York County and the South Carolina Arts Commission, both of which receive funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. The grant funded The Identification series (2022), which has shown in various galleries throughout South Carolina.
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Molly relocated to Manchester, New Hampshire in 2023. Beyond her regular studio practice, Molly is an Educator at the Currier Museum of Art. Molly leads classes for both adults and children and aims to foster a creative, supportive, and engaging art-making environment. She also works with the Currier's Wellness Programming, leading arts-based-initiatives with Southern New Hampshire University's Center for New Americans program.
ARTIST STATEMENT
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My painting practice utilizes environmental imagery as symbols of fragility, growth, and strength. The landscapes I incorporate into my work communicate the parallels between the body and nature. The cyclical and ever-changing environment is reflected in me, and vice versa. I often work with acrylic on canvas, superimposing natural imagery with vibrant color blocking to convey the dichotomy between sickness and wellness.