About
Gloria is a professor specializing in art therapy. A registered art therapist under the American Art Therapy Association, she brings decades of professional experience in both the private sector and public mental health placements.
As an art therapist, Gloria introduces the visual arts to people who are unable to express themselves through conventional mediums of speech and language. She views her work as a facilitator, creating safe spaces for people to connect with themselves and thereby reconnect to their community.
Her pursuits recently include an artist residency with young adults in patient care settings. Gloria completed seven years of service an art therapist in the Child Development Project, a local, research-based program serving four year old children in need using art therapy. Dedicated and passionate about the field, she continues to serve all who are interested in learning about the power of personal expression as a means of self-empowerment. In her spare time, Gloria loves singing and engaging with nature, and has a passion for gardening.
Research Interests
Gloria believes art is a method to communicate with an audience in the most direct and immediate way. She is a tactile artist, creating with traditional mediums, but is interested in shaking them free of their conventional milieu to create something unexpected. For example, with stained glass, many early windows obscured natural light because the methods to produce sheets of glass were primitive, and glass was restricted to small pieces held by heavy pieces of lead, called caning. Gloria’s stained glass work utilizes modern techniques, which allow the colored glass to appear lighter, breaking boundaries and transforming spaces. He most recent additions are mosaic work on board using stained glass, and found objects.
Exhibition Awards
- 2023 Solo Exhibition: UW Superior Experiential Gallery, The natural world artistically rendered through the eye of abstraction, original artworks by Gloria Eslinger, 2023 Jump start Grant recipient.
- 2022 Solo Exhibition: UW Superior Experiential Gallery, Elements a deep dive into contemporary mosaics, by Gloria Eslinger. 2022 Jump start Grant recipient.
Awards
- 2019 – High Impact Practices Excellence Award, University of Wisconsin-Superior
- 2018 – Recipient of Faculty Development Grant, Art Restoration: Italy
Education
- 2013 – Masters of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) – Interdisciplinary Arts, Goddard College
- 1993 – Master of Arts (M.A.) – Art Therapy, University of Wisconsin-Superior
- 1991 – Bachelor of Fine Art (B.F.A.) – Illustration, Minneapolis College of Art and Design