Olivia began her journey into sculpture at the University of North Florida. During her time there, Olivia’s first large-scale public sculpture was designed and installed in Atlantic Beach. While at UNF, Olivia had the privilege of performing at the International Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art (ICCCIA) in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Soon After, Olivia displayed her artwork at the Museum of Contemporary Art, where she was selected to build another public sculpture that eventually found a permanent home in James Weldon Johnson Park.
Olivia graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of North Florida in 2019, and held her Senior Exhibition at CoRK Arts District. She received Outstanding Sculptor Honors from the UNF Faculty upon graduation. Olivia’s gallery work was displayed interstate for the first time in 2019, at Sloss Historic Furnaces, Alabama. She continued to participate in her local arts community with projects such as the Mayport Road Mural, Sunshine Bike Rack, and the Fort Caroline Middle School Mural. Olivia has showcased her work in numerous exhibitions, preceding and succeeding graduation.
Olivia held a position on the board of directors of an art gallery in Atlantic Beach, Florida, called Word Revolt. She was employed as the Exhibit Manager at The Museum of Science and History, but chose to explore teaching art at Fort Caroline Middle School before leaving Florida for higher education.
During Olivia’s time in graduate school she participated in and performed at the 9th ICCCIA in Germany. Smithworks Fabrication hired Olivia as a part time summer worker, where she learned machining techniques and built high-end furniture parts. Olivia planned and hosted an “Eco-Art” recycled artwork workshop and won the Darwin Week art prize while in school. In 2024 Olivia completed graduate school at Southern Illinois University Carbondale with a 3.922 GPA. She held her thesis exhibition “Similitudes” in the Surplus Gallery, which she also managed during her time at the university.
After graduate school, Olivia shifted her focus north to Chicagoland. Olivia was briefly employed in the Scenic Design industry before settling into her current position as Senior Exhibit Manager at the DuPage Children’s Museum. Presently, Olivia is establishing herself in her new local arts community.
Looking forward, Olivia is excited about future possibilities and the opportunities that may await!
What People Say
“Olivia’s professional manner and high caliber of artwork have been well received by all who meet her.”
-Theresa Rykaczewski
“[Olivia] is very creative, responsible, polite, patient, talented, and dedicated.”
-Kelly Delaney
“Olivia’s greatest strengths as an artist are her curiosity, her creativity, her versatility, and her kindness.”
-Jennifer Hager
Let’s build something together.
Photography by Laird Myer @www.lairdvue.com/-contact-info
Videography by Justen Mann @thejustenmann
Olivia Warro 