Lauren Luna is a Houston-based visual artist, educator, and entrepreneur known as “Your City Painter.” Born in Columbus, Ohio, she earned a BFA in Painting from Kent State University, an MS in Special Education from Manhattan College, and an MFA from the Academy of Art University. She has lived and worked in Houston since 2011. Luna’s mixed-media cityscapes celebrate the energy, architecture, and layered histories of the places people call home. Working with acrylic paint, charcoal, resin, vintage maps, newspapers, and other ephemera, she creates richly textured compositions that invite viewers to experience familiar cities from a new perspective. Her broader body of work includes expressive palette-knife skylines and elegant fashion-inspired figures accented with bold color, movement, and gold leaf. Her work has been presented through solo exhibitions at Houston City Hall, The Silos at Sawyer Yards, and MKT Bar, as well as numerous festivals, galleries, and curated exhibitions. She has participated in the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the Bayou City Art Festival, created public art throughout the Houston area, and completed live paintings and commissioned projects for corporate and community clients. Her artwork has also been acquired for private and institutional collections and reproduced as licensed wall art for national retail distribution. In addition to maintaining her studio practice, Luna has spent more than two decades in education and currently teaches elementary art in the Houston area. Her experience as both a professional artist and educator shapes her belief that art should be accessible, meaningful, and rooted in connection. Through her classroom, public projects, and studio work, she encourages others to recognize the beauty and stories already present in their surroundings. Whether she is painting a city skyline, creating a public mural, or introducing a child to a new artistic process, Lauren Luna approaches every project with the same goal: to create work that feels vibrant, personal, and unmistakably connected to place.

Lauren Luna

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Lauren Luna is a Houston-based visual artist, educator, and entrepreneur known as “Your City Painter.” Born in Columbus, Ohio, she earned a BFA in Painting from Kent State University, an MS in Special Education from Manhattan College, and an MFA from the Academy of Art University. She has lived and worked in Houston since 2011. Luna’s mixed-media cityscapes celebrate the energy, architecture, and layered histories of the places people call home. Working with acrylic paint, charcoal, resin, vintage maps, newspapers, and other ephemera, she creates richly textured compositions that invite viewers to experience familiar cities from a new perspective. Her broader body of work includes expressive palette-knife skylines and elegant fashion-inspired figures accented with bold color, movement, and gold leaf. Her work has been presented through solo exhibitions at Houston City Hall, The Silos at Sawyer Yards, and MKT Bar, as well as numerous festivals, galleries, and curated exhibitions. She has participated in the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the Bayou City Art Festival, created public art throughout the Houston area, and completed live paintings and commissioned projects for corporate and community clients. Her artwork has also been acquired for private and institutional collections and reproduced as licensed wall art for national retail distribution. In addition to maintaining her studio practice, Luna has spent more than two decades in education and currently teaches elementary art in the Houston area. Her experience as both a professional artist and educator shapes her belief that art should be accessible, meaningful, and rooted in connection. Through her classroom, public projects, and studio work, she encourages others to recognize the beauty and stories already present in their surroundings. Whether she is painting a city skyline, creating a public mural, or introducing a child to a new artistic process, Lauren Luna approaches every project with the same goal: to create work that feels vibrant, personal, and unmistakably connected to place.

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Lauren Luna is a Houston-based visual artist, educator, and entrepreneur known as “Your City Painter.” Born in Columbus, Ohio, she earned a BFA in Painting from Kent State University, an MS in Special Education from Manhattan College, and an MFA from the Academy of Art University. She has lived and worked in Houston since 2011.

Luna’s mixed-media cityscapes celebrate the energy, architecture, and layered histories of the places people call home. Working with acrylic paint, charcoal, resin, vintage maps, newspapers, and other ephemera, she creates richly textured compositions that invite viewers to experience familiar cities from a new perspective. Her broader body of work includes expressive palette-knife skylines and elegant fashion-inspired figures accented with bold color, movement, and gold leaf.

Her work has been presented through solo exhibitions at Houston City Hall, The Silos at Sawyer Yards, and MKT Bar, as well as numerous festivals, galleries, and curated exhibitions. She has participated in the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the Bayou City Art Festival, created public art throughout the Houston area, and completed live paintings and commissioned projects for corporate and community clients. Her artwork has also been acquired for private and institutional collections and reproduced as licensed wall art for national retail distribution.

In addition to maintaining her studio practice, Luna has spent more than two decades in education and currently teaches elementary art in the Houston area. Her experience as both a professional artist and educator shapes her belief that art should be accessible, meaningful, and rooted in connection. Through her classroom, public projects, and studio work, she encourages others to recognize the beauty and stories already present in their surroundings.

Whether she is painting a city skyline, creating a public mural, or introducing a child to a new artistic process, Lauren Luna approaches every project with the same goal: to create work that feels vibrant, personal, and unmistakably connected to place.

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Language

English
Fluent
Spanish; Castilian
Fluent

Work Experience

Adjunct Art Professor at San Jacinto College
January 1, 2020 - Present
Instructed dual credit Art Appreciation classes on high school campuses and Design class on college campus. All of which transitioned to virtual classes. Currently teaching Drawing 1 & 2 studio classes in person. Proficient in Blackboard and D2L platforms.
Creative Director/Lead Artist, Owner at Lauren Luna Ltd.
January 1, 2009 - Present
Create custom artwork that meets the client's vision and brand; design and paint murals for indoor and outdoor spaces; collaborate with clients, architects, and designers to ensure the artwork aligns with the overall project vision; speak at events, conferences, and workshops on topics related to art, creativity, and inspiration; work with the team to develop new business, designs and maintain relationships with existing clients; stay up-to-date on industry trends and techniques to continuously improve skills and knowledge

Education

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) at Academy of Art University
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2012
Master of Science (MS) at Manhattan College
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2004
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) at Kent State University
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2000
Master of Fine Arts (Non-Figurative Studies) at Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA
January 11, 2030 - June 17, 2026
Master of Science in Special Education at Manhattan College, Bronx, NY
January 11, 2030 - June 17, 2026
Bachelor of Fine Arts at Kent State University, Kent, OH
January 11, 2030 - June 17, 2026
Master of Fine Arts at Academy of Art University
January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012
Master of Science at Manhattan College
January 1, 2004 - December 31, 2004
Bachelor of Fine Art at Kent State University
January 1, 2000 - December 31, 2000

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Education, Non-Profit Organization, Other, Professional Services, Government