May 17, 2021
We are so
excited to share our first Meet the Maker episode with you! Meet
the Maker is all about highlighting small-town artists and makers
who enrich our communities and make them more beautiful. This
episode features Amanda Hagen, an artist that we are so excited to
be working with for the Growing Small Towns building. Amanda is an
architect by trade who leaned way in to her lifelong love of
painting during the pandemic and eventually started Heartstrings
Art Studio. This is the coolest story full of God winks and
kindness and community!
About
Amanda:
Amanda Hagen was born and raised in small-town rural Mantador,
North Dakota. She and her husband and son reside in rural
Leonard, ND. Amanda’s work encompasses Acrylic, Pastel,
Watercolor, and Mixed Media painting – with a focus on rural and
North Dakota inspired pieces. Amanda is an Architect by
trade, practicing full time as a Partner with Shultz + Associates
Architects in Fargo where she has been employed for the past 9
years. She dedicates free time to her Art Practice on
evenings and weekends, with hopes to raise awareness of the value
and importance of creative outlets.
Practicing art as a hobbyist for years, Amanda felt something tug
at her heart while sheltering in place early during the 2020
Pandemic. This led to a renewed focus on painting and
creative work. With no formal Art education, Amanda furthered her
knowledge of various painting techniques through online workshops
by Artists whose work she was inspired by. These include
professional pastelists Marla Baggetta and Bethany Fields.
Amanda additionally reached out to a local Artist, Barbara
Benda Nagle
(Moorhead,
MN) for insight into the Art profession early into her art journey.
As a generous mentor and encouraging friend, Barbara has been
instrumental to Amanda’s development as an Artist. You can
visit her online shop here:
In 2020, Amanda founded Heartstrings Art Studio to begin sharing
her work and connection with others. Heartstrings Art
Studio’s Grand Opening Event is scheduled for May 15, 2021 at the
Memorial Building in Kindred, North Dakota. You can find stay
up to date on the latest Heartstrings news by visiting
https://www.heartstringsartstudio.com/ and
following our Instagram and Facebook pages.
“I believe each person is blessed with valuable, unique gifts.
My hope is to inspire others to pursue their passions, share
their gifts, and in so doing elevate the communities in which we
live.” - Amanda
What Amanda Makes:
Heartstrings Art Studio was founded in 2020 with the mission of
making happy art for happy hearts. Amanda creates rural-inspired
fine art that brings joy and shines a spotlight on small-town
life.
Support Amanda’s Work:
Heartstrings Art Studio Website: www.heartstringsartstudio.com
Subscribe + Review + Refer
Thanks for tuning into this week’s Meet the Maker episode of The
Growing Small Towns Show! If you’ve loved what you’ve heard, head
out to Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify, subscribe to the show,
and leave us an honest review. Your reviews and feedback help us
showcase the best of what small towns have to offer!
Also, we want to meet your makers! If there’s a small-town
maker you think we should know, we encourage you to send us an
email at
director@growingsmalltowns.org and
share him/her