Maria Patterson

Maria is a woodcarving teaching artist based in Indianapolis who turned to carving as a therapeutic antidote for burnout in the tech industry. She creates whimsical wood art solely using hand tools, breathing new life into cottonwood bark sustainably sourced from dead trees. Her wooden sculptures have found homes everywhere from the bedrooms of children to national exhibits in fine art galleries. In 2023, her woodcarvings earned an Indiana Artisan designation, defining the finest in Hoosier craftsmanship. She currently teaches at the Indy Art Center and as a Lechleiter Visiting Artist at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis.