Art Barn - Fiber & Color - Two Perspectives

Vera Neelen, née Szamborski, is a versatile artist who was born in 1960 in the charming town of Hameln on the Weser River. Her creative journey began with vocational training from 1976 to 1979, which laid the foundation for her later career. In the following years, Vera Neelen developed a deep passion for art and design, leading her to obtain her high school diploma at Hannover Kolleg in 1983. Here, she received valuable impulses, particularly from art classes taught by Janos Nádasdy. Her fascination with textile design led her to study textile design at the University of Applied Sciences for Art and Design in Hanover in 1987. During her studies from 1987 to 1992, she honed her skills under the guidance of renowned professors such as Verena Vernunft and other creative figures like Linneweh, Jatzlau, Lange, and Redeker. With plenty of drive and inspiration from her teachers, she graduated in 1992 with a diploma as a textile designer. Between 1993 and 1995, Vera Neelen expanded her creative palette with digital skills by completing a training program as a media designer at b.i.b. in Hanover. This training provided her access to modern technologies and opened new avenues for expressing her artistic visions in innovative ways. Vera Neelen represents an impressive symbiosis of traditional textile design and modern media applications. Her works embody a unique connection between craftsmanship and digital expression, interwoven with deep personal and artistic journeys of discovery. As an artist with an extensive portfolio, she reflects both her roots and her ongoing pursuit of creative progress in each of her projects. Her life path is an impressive testament to continuous development and adaptation in a dynamic and ever-changing artistic landscape.

Martina Ricks, a talented freelance artist, was born in Düren, North Rhine-Westphalia, and has found her artistic home in Nordstemmen in the Hildesheim district since 1994. Her creative passion has unfolded since 2004 in her role as an artist and lecturer. With remarkable dedication, she teaches at her own painting school as well as in adult education at the VHS Hildesheim, and she shares her knowledge as a substitute at the Lions Painting Club in Hanover. In June 2014, Ricks founded the Kunsthaus Nordstemmen and established the eponymous art association just a year later, underscoring her vision for a vibrant local art scene. Since 2016, she has been a member of the renowned artists' association GEDOK e.V. Hannover/Niedersachsen, which expands her network and artistic expression. The works of Martina Ricks can be found in private collections and public spaces across Europe, and she is also represented in the "Neue Galerie Dresden." Her art is showcased worldwide on various online platforms such as "Eventart – die Kunstmacher" and "artsolitaire," captivating an international audience. In an intense and spontaneous creative process, her paintings develop layer by layer into independent works of art. Each piece reveals a remarkable depth, akin to a third dimension that can also be experienced tactilely. With structural color information communicating on multiple levels, Ricks fills her works with the thoughts and emotions of the moment. Her paintings reflect life and its facets, full of tension and powerful radiance. Abstract schemes and signs lend the compositions a mysterious depth by bringing the hidden traces of reality to light. Through her art and her commitment to the Kunsthaus Nordstemmen, Martina Ricks enriches both the local and international art scene with her unmistakable, emotionally charged signature.

Opening hours: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 2 PM to 5 PM; Saturday, Sunday, and holidays from 11 AM to 5 PM. Admission is free – an experience for the whole family!