Biographical Statement:

Marsha Rollinger grew up in a rural town near Pittsburgh,PA. Always knowing she wanted to utilize her imagination and diverse artistic skills as a life-long career, she attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Her first job after graduation was with a textile and apparel company where her love of illustration and pattern design grew. She then went on to work at various companies where she continued to acquire new art-related skills and enhance her existing ones. In 1998, Nintendo of America hired and moved her to Washington State to join their small in-house graphic design team. In 2012, she decided to leave her Senior Manager position at Nintendo to pursue her own freelance art career. While freelancing, she became a Renton Municipal Arts Commissioner, and in this volunteer role she realized that she could pursue a new passion—to become a public artist and work with other artists and the community at large to create artwork that transforms ordinary spaces into extraordinary ones for all to enjoy.

Marsha currently lives in Renton, WA and finds inspiration everywhere. Her colorful artwork and projects can be found in public spaces throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Artist's Statement:

“As an artist, I relish opportunities to take something ordinary and make it extraordinary. Spaces, places and things can be defined, enhanced or transformed by art. Placemaking is at the heart of my public art projects. My goal is to create a design that has relevant connections with the community it is located in, elevating the design beyond just something to “look at”. This results in a stronger bond with the viewer because it has deeper meaning.

When conceptualizing for a public art project, I first research, visit, and interact with the community. I then ask myself a few questions: Can the piece specifically relate to its location? Can it engage the public more than just visually? Will the viewer (or I) learn something new from the creation of this artwork? I also strive to incorporate interactivity, thought-provoking correlations, hidden messages, twists, or other surprises to my work when possible.

I have over 30 years of experience with many types of art projects, but I enjoy public art projects the most because they are accessible to all and evoke a sense of joy and pride in the communities we live in.”

Awards:
In 2015 Marsha received the George and Annie Lewis Custer Award for Heritage Citizenship for her banner designs incorporating patterns from Downtown Renton’s historic architecture.

In 2017 the Galvanizing Art Projects (GAP) program Marsha developed as Chair of the Renton Municipal Arts Commission resulted in the Commission being awarded the 2017 WA Governor’s Smart Communities Award.