12. SIR “ART”HUR

Artist: Cynthia Hagedorn
Sponsor: Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council, Dial 162

Cynthia Hagedorn is the owner and executive director of Square Peg Events — a company producing art-enhanced events and foodie and Art tours throughout West Michigan — as well as a working artist, art educator and curator maintaining a private art studio in the heart of Downtown Grand Rapids where she works and offers fun pARTies and gatherings.

She is the founder and producer of Live Mannequins throughout west Michigan, including St Joseph, Michigan held annually the first Friday in December. December 2, 2016th with be our 5th year of success!

An art educator for more than 20 years, Cynthia serves as an Independent Docent for the Art Institute of Chicago, with an emphasis in French 19th-century paintings

Cynthia also offers lectures and programs on a variety of subjects, often in conjunction and in partnership with outside organizations including Herrick District Library, Grand Rapids Art Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago. As a working artist, Cynthia works in abstract acrylic art, showing in one large-scale exhibition each year. Her work can be found at https://www.facebook.com/Cynthia-Hagedorn-Fine-Art-106463889406310/?fref=ts
Cynthia has done more than 40 live-painting events in support of local organizations, including performances for Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, Grand Rapids Art Museum and Grand Rapids Children’s Museum. She painted live in Holland Symphony Orchestra’s recent production of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. “I typically paint live with music. Jazz is my favorite, but I have painted live to Dave Matthews Band, Bob Dylan, Primus, Snoop Dog, Wide Spread Panic, 311 and with a wide variety of local musicians,” she says.

Cynthia’s educational beginning was in fashion design and merchandising with her core studies in her passion – economics at Northwood University. She continued her studies with endorsements in education and art anthropology with her undergraduate work accomplished at Indiana University with honors.