ABOUT RITA

Rita grew up in Sandusky, OH, a small industrial town on the shores of Lake Erie. The geographic nature of her hometown was a resource of natural beauty, from the beaches to the tangled woods and farm fields. The high school she attended valued the arts and prized itself on a passionate faculty and state-of-the-art facilities.

 

It was here that Rita was introduced to jewelry, weaving, copper enameling and many other art forms. After she graduated, she continued her education under the guidance of a local silversmith and went on to make and sell her own fabricated jewelry. 

 

She moved from her hometown to Athens, OH, and learned the craft of wild weave basket weaving. This technique combined with her metalsmithing skills played a role in her metal sculpture work when she moved to Austin, TX in 1983. Rita’s line of figurative sterling silver jewelry inspired her to explore large scale sculptures. The drive to know more about sculpture led her to Daryl G. Colburn, a renowned non-ferrous metal sculptor. She worked as his understudy from​ ​1990 until 2003. Together they opened and managed galleries which promoted their works, as well as other local artists. With over 40 years of experience working in metal, she continues to make original sculptures and jewelry for corporate, as well as private collectors.