ABOUT THE ARTIST
Erika Fortner began her training and career at the internationally renowned California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, CA, where she attended the CSSSA (California State Summer School for the Arts- Innerspark) honors art program awarded to the top artists in the state. During that time, she received various awards including the Seal of California, Honorable Mentions from the U.S. Senate. Some of her works were published in the Back Alley Arts Magazine while a collection of her paintings debuted in a 2004 film released under The Asylum Production Company. She continued her training by becoming a digital animator while continuing her family’s business in high-end cabinetry and finishing. After leaving California, Erika attended the highly respected Pratt Institute of Fine Arts to obtain her BFA in Painting. There she was recognized on the President’s List and included in many collegiate shows, exhibited at Medium NYC in Chelsea, and had her first solo exhibit in September 2008 with the Terra Gallery in Columbus, Ohio. Currently, Erika has her studio in Berlin, Germany, and works for Julie Mehretu as a Finish Consultant and Artist Assistant in Berlin and in New York City. While in Berlin, she has worked on large scale projects such as Mehretu's Deutsche Guggenheim show, and the new 80 foot mural in downtown Manhattan. She can even be seen on a one-on-one interview in the new upcoming PBS Art:21 series 5 about the process on these types of projects.