ARTIST OF THE WEEK | Sangeeta Pande of Naperville

by Mindy Kyle

FOUNDER OF LOCAL ART STUDIO HAS A BEAUTIFUL LOVE FOR THE COMMUNITY

Longtime Naperville resident, artist and muralist Sangeeta Pande has been painting since the age of four and won her first art contest at the age of five. Her bold and vibrant style permeates throughout her work, making a statement she hopes will make people think. “I love working on portraits and figurative forms,” says Sangeeta, “and weaving classical mythology into compelling contemporary art.”

As founder of the Petite Picassos Art Studio, Sangeeta enjoys watching her students learn something new, and believing art has the power to change the brain, she is rewarded when she watches them heal through her art therapy.

This past fall, Sangeeta joined the newly formed artist group, Art of Inclusion, and led the creation of the 76-by-28 foot “Naperville Together” mural painted in the Naperville Township parking lot at 139 Water Street. Each of the 18 letters was assigned to a local artist to paint a unique design.

“The goal was to create a highly visible street mural that promotes a positive message of hope, change and inclusion,” she says. Sangeeta was also highly involved in the beautification and healing of downtown Naperville after this summer’s looting and unrest, painting 10 healing murals on the boarded-up storefronts. The murals have since been collected and stored by Naper Settlement.

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