Artist Profile: Cara O'Brien

Cara with Generations - the piece she created to recognize donors to the ACWL-Nuveen Endowment Campaign

Artist Cara O’Brien and her husband Chester Winowiecki moved to the White Lake area to shorten their commutes to work. Prior to finding a house in Whitehall they were living in Fremont and driving to their respective jobs – Cara was the Director of the Nuveen Community Center for the Arts in Montague and Chester was working out of Terrestrial Forming Pottery Studio. Twenty years later they are still pursuing their art and happily entrenched in the White Lake community!

Cara served as the Director of the Nuveen Community Center for the Arts in Montague - what is now known as the ACWL-Nuveen – from 2003 – 2005. When the arts council was in Montague the gallery was known as the White River Gallery. Cara participated in the gallery by displaying and selling her sculptural work. When the arts council moved to the Colby Street location in Whitehall, she started selling her porcelain jewelry and ornaments. Cara’s sculptural work is now on display and sold through the La Fontsee Gallery in Grand Rapids https://lafontsee.com/artist/cara-obrien and Higher Art Gallery in Traverse City - https://www.higherartgallery.com/

For the past two decades Cara has had a successful professional career as an artist. She has carved out the enviable niche of being able to make art on a consistent basis to sustain her lifestyle. This is no easy task, and Cara sees this as one of her greatest accomplishments. She credits her mentor, Ray Jansma, as being a role model and providing her with what she says was, “the gift of his time when I was trying to figure out this whole idea of being an artist”. Mr. Jansma, based in Fremont, was accomplished in the traditional approaches to painting, drawing and sculpture and he maintained an inspiring work ethic.

Cara received her BFA from Central Michigan University where her focus was on sculpture. She states that she does not have formal training in ceramics but has this to say about the medium, ‘Most of what I have learned from clay is by trial and lots of errors.” Cara also has received technical tips from her husband Chester who has extensive experience with the medium.

What motivates Cara in her Whitehall home studio is having the opportunity to experiment and try new things. Experimentation and her love of exploring the nuances of nature always lead Cara down the path of new ideas and sustain her lifelong artistic journey.

To see Cara’s latest porcelain jewelry and unique ornaments – both great gifts to give year-round – stop by the ACWL-Nuveen retail gallery. https://www.caraobrienobjects.com/