“My art is not, and never will be, characterized by mediums. Mediums really do not matter to me, I start with a thought and use whatever I want to bring it to life.“. – vlvh

From a young age, I was immersed in creativity, earning top marks in every art class and planning a future as a commercial artist. But at eighteen, my path shifted when I fell deeply in love. Infatuation overshadowed my studies, and I abandoned my art education after one semester, a decision that cost me six years of planned training and a promising artistic future.

After a long period of searching, learning, and rebuilding, I eventually returned to school and graduated with honors, earning a degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management and a minor in Design Studies. After completing my degree, I supported myself through a winding career in hospitality, where my creativity found outlets in event planning, catering, and hotel management—but not in the art that had once defined me.

When my hotel career ended unexpectedly, it became the turning point I didn’t realize I needed. That shift led me back to my true calling: my art. As I rebuilt my creative life, I also applied my professional experience in leadership, operations, and event management to support and elevate Iowa’s creative community, helping other artists find opportunities, visibility, and connection.

Today, my work is rooted in the experiences—love, loss, hardship, travel, and reinvention—that shaped me during the years I spent away from art. I’m committed not only to creating but also to strengthening the artistic ecosystem around me.

I will never set my art aside again. It is not just my passion—it is the life I was always meant to live.