BIO
Charlene Lanzel is a self-taught American artist from New York City, currently living in Hollywood, CA.
Born in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Charlene started painting at the kindergarten easel. It had always been her dream to pursue a career in the arts. Her Father, Mother and Grandfather were visual artists themselves, and spent ample time exposing Charlene to drawing, painting, wood carving, ceramics and other visual art forms that provided a sound foundation for her artistic mastery.
As a child, Charlene was published in an instruction book for elementary school art teachers at age 9. At her high school in Onalaska, Wisconsin, she was invited into the Gifted & Talented Artists program. Upon graduation in 1985, she received OHS's Senior Art Award and Art Scholarship. After a short move to Minneapolis in 1985 to explore life on her own, the restless artist relocated to New York City in 1987 at the age of 20.
Charlene Lanzel began working as a display artist in 1988, when she joined the art department of lower Broadway's once notorious Unique Clothing Warehouse, a center for New York City’s underground fashion in the 1980’s. Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring had both previously created artwork for Unique. Charlene’s responsibilities included: window displays, mural painting, sign painting and props. Charlene worked hard and eventually became Art Director of Unique Clothing Warehouse until the store’s closing in 1991, when she began working as a freelance muralist.
Charlene attended the Fashion Institute of Technology from 1992-1995. She focused her study on the History of Art & Architecture, Screen Printing and Entrepreneurial Business.
From 1996 to 2008, Charlene Lanzel was represented by one of the world's leading mural painting companies, Silver Hill Atelier (formerly Modeworks). As a lead artist for Silver Hill, Charlene designed and painted murals for casinos, restaurants, retail stores, theaters and private residences worldwide. Some projects include: Planet Hollywood, Godiva Chocolatier, Hong Kong Disneyland, W Hotel Chicago, Mohegan Sun Casino, Nobu 57th St., Mesa Grill Las Vegas, Cheesecake Factory and Disney's Tokyo Sea Resort, among many others.
In 1999, Charlene Lanzel worked with a crew of artists from Los Angeles, directed by fellow artist Tracy Lee Stum, to paint Italian trompe l'oeil murals for the Venetian Casino in Las Vegas. The two artists also competed together at the prestigious XXVII Centro Italiano Madonnari Street Painting Festival in Mantova, Italy. Their effort produced a bronze medal and the two artists appeared on the front page of the Gazetta Di Mantova newspaper, which stated they are, "...technically considered some of the best in the world...". In 2003, they collaborated with over 30 of the world's top street painters on a 70 ft. reproduction of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling at the Youth In Arts Festival in San Rafael, CA. In 2010, Charlene worked with Tracy at the USA House of the Olympic Games in Vancouver, where they created spectacular 3D interactive chalk art murals.
Charlene Lanzel is well known for her fine art paintings and has shown her work in galleries around New York City, in Chicago, Las Vegas and Amsterdam. Charlene and her work have appeared in many publications, including 2010 appearances in The New York Optimist and Time Out NY Magazine. Time Out has called her, "...lovely and talented...”. In 2010, Charlene was invited to show her art at the prestigious Fountain Art Fair in New York City, which supports emerging artists working in diverse genres.
In 2010, Charlene began creating amazing sand animation films, synched to a musical soundscape. By 2011, she was performing live, worldwide, with her artwork projected onto a large screen for audiences to experience.
Charlene Lanzel is a multi-faceted diamond who shines at every point. Charlene currently resides in Hollywood, CA and works as a traveling sand animation artist and fine artist.