Lauren Zens

After graduating from Columbia College Chicago in 2012 with a BA in Music Business, Lauren returned to her roots in Milwaukee in 2013. Her interest in contemporary abstract and geometric art started in 2008 with a hard-edge assignment during a high school painting class. Her Golden acrylic paint, 3M blue painter’s tape, and a quilting ruler are now her most cherished tools. Lauren landed her first solo exhibit in 2013 in Chicago and her art-making progressed from there. Greeted with a thriving arts community upon her homecoming to Milwaukee, she's gained exposure in the local market, showing her artwork at bars, boutiques, and galleries. As Lauren’s goals have accelerated toward a full-time career, Lauren spends her free time painting as a creative and therapeutic outlet. Lauren received her MA in Community Arts from Eastern Illinois University in 2019. Her graduate research focused on three primary topics: equitable and inclusive community engagement, maximum learning for under-resourced youth, and the opportunity for progressive, student-centered learning to transform the current landscape of education. Lauren has spent 15 years working with youth of various ages, backgrounds, and abilities, and hopes to use her master’s degree to support multidisciplinary, exploratory, community-based arts opportunities for youth and families.