Fresno Regional Foundation

Artist on Display at Fresno Regional Foundation

Fresno Regional Foundation is proud to display the wok of local artist at our offices. If you wish to learn more about these artist or when you can purchase their art work, follow the links to the artist website.

Featured Artist

2008-2009

Will Portis

Will Portis began his career in art while still in high school as a Display Artist for the Goodrich Tire & Rubber Company. Since then he has created hundreds of works of art, both commercially and as a private fine artist. 

Mr. Portis is an accomplished portrait artist as well as a master of landscape art. In addition to his paintings on canvas, Mr. Portis' work can be seen on the numerous murals he has completed over the years.

In his dedication to art, Mr. Portis has spent time as an artist in Residence at the Mansfield Museum of Art, and the African-American Cultural and Historic Museum. He has also conducted a number of art and art related lectures, seminars, and classes over the course of his career as an artist.

Will Portis, who describes his style as a "natural realism", has been hailed as a Modern Renaissance Artist by many. His paintings have been noted for their dynamic lighting and bringing out the character of his subjects.

Mr. Portis attended the University of Akron for the Fine and Commercial Arts and holds a Masters degree in education.

In addition to being a working artist, Mr. Portis is also available for private instruction.

Previous artists

2008

Rowena Bowman

Originally from New Orleans, Rowena Earned a degree in Fine Art from LSU Baton Rouge. This Training emphasized printmaking and commercial art.

In 1993, she was granted studio space at Glen Echo Park, MD, outside Washington, D.C. During that time, she took classes at the Corcoran School of Art, the Torpedo Factory, and The Yellow Barn Studio to improve basic painting and drawing skills. This influenced Rowena's personal style in mixed media and digital graphics.

After Rowena returned to Louisiana in 2001, Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of her artwork. The trauma of the hurricane and the long aftermath became the subject matter for her cut paper artwork.

In September 2006, Rowena was selected as the only visual artist among many performing artist from Louisiana and Mississippi, who were honored at the Kennedy Center’s Open House as Survivors of Katrina. She came to the Fresno in 2007 to be near family.

Rowena currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts.

2006-2007

Ann Stewart

Aileen R. Imperatrice

 

Grantmaking stories

Read Fresno is a project of One by One Leadership with the vision that every child will read at grade level by third grade. Through Read Fresno, children participating in reading improvement programs receive new books, encouragement, and opportunities to thrive.

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