Artists | Via Colori Stafford

2024 Featured Artist

Sara Wenger-Justicia, practicing artist and art educator

Sara Wenger-Justicia is a practicing artist and art educator. She grew up in New York City where she also received her Master’s of Art in Art Education from City College. Although Sara grew up in a concrete jungle, she finds herself inspired by the wilderness through her hiking adventures. Outside details such as rock formations, fungus, tree bark, and ridge lines capture her attention, as well as her Puerto Rican culture.

When exploring the outdoors, she equips herself with a portable watercolor set and a handmade sketchbook that are instrumental in documenting the intimate details in nature that stir her curiosity. She began chalking in 2013 at the Hudson Valley Chalk Festival. There she met numerous artists who took her under their wings and taught her the magic of street art.

Sara immediately became addicted to the challenge of the medium and the involvement of the whole body to make one large artwork.

Sara’s experience as a chalk artist also inspires her as it allows her to travel the country to a variety of festivals where she can connect with other artists and the local community and share the beauty and value of public art. A life-long advocate of all art forms and public education, she currently is an art teacher spending her days with young children. Her instructional experience extends from the outdoors to museums, non-profit work, and within the public school system in elementary through high school level classrooms. No matter where she is teaching and who she is with, she continues to demonstrate the importance of art–both permanent and impermanent.

Connect with Sara:

https://www.saramellissa.com/

2024 Signature Artist

Shaina Manuel: Public-School Art Teacher

Growing up in Stafford, Virginia, I’ve unfairly compared every other place I’ve lived to it. Stafford’s natural beauty, outdoor lifestyle, and rich history perfectly suited my wild imagination and love of the outdoors. From treasure hunting (i.e. looking for arrowheads and old bottles) to exploring surrounding Civil War parks, Stafford made my childhood enthralling. As I grew, Stafford continued to nourish me, especially with its scenic trails and riverwalks that ignited my love for running.

In 2012, I moved to Columbia, South Carolina to attend the University of South Carolina and later graduated in 2016 with a bachelor’s in art education. I’ve worked as a public-school art teacher ever since. Beyond the classroom, I love creating commissioned portraits, murals, illustrations and more! It is my goal to ‘go pro’ in art.

Despite my years in the Palmetto State, Stafford remains a distinct part of who I am. Being selected for the Via Colori chalk festival is not just an honor but a delightful homecoming, reconnecting me with the town that shaped my love for art, nature, and endless possibilities.

Connect with Shaina:

https://www.shainasart.com/