Q&A with Artist Linda Passeri

417 Magazine: What medium do you work with most?
Linda Passeri: I create paintings and sculptures, and I have shown both, but this year I will be just showing paintings—just 2D.

417: You’ve been part of ArtsFest for several years—what keeps you coming back, and what makes this event special for you?
L.P.: The event is special because it’s a fundraiser, for one. It raises funds for the arts council, which I think is very important in our region. The reason I like to do the show is because I get a direct connection with people viewing my work. I think when they come into my space, I get to see their reaction to my work, and we get to have a conversation about it. When they take a piece of my work home, then they have that experience to go along with that work.

417: How has your work evolved over the years, and what can visitors expect to see from you at this year’s ArtsFest?
L.P.: My work has evolved into more of an art nouveau style that I couple with ’60s poster art—that’s my style. I like to show them the original paintings so they can actually see the brushstrokes and color in person, and then also I offer prints, which are a more affordable option—I can do prints on paper or on canvas.

417: What inspires your artwork, and how does the creative process come together for you?
L.P.: Creating is something that I’ve always done. When I make a painting, I feel something when I paint it, and I hope to transfer that feeling to the person viewing it. Everybody takes away a different impression of your work—people see different things than you maybe intended—but what inspires me is it brings me joy to create and it brings me joy for other people to desire it.

417: Do you have any favorite memories or meaningful interactions from past ArtsFests that stand out to you?
L.P.: I get to meet a lot of artists that I have maybe seen their work at other shows, and I get to meet them and have conversations… A particular memory that stands out to me is last year I had a younger girl who was just enamored with my work, she came from across the street and had a tractor beam, she just loved it. She brought her mom back and she said, ‘I just really want something.’ And her mom said, ‘I’m sorry, we can’t get anything else today.’ So I gifted her a small print, and it was so great. It brought me as much joy to give it to her as it did for her to receive it.