Alum in the Spotlight: Carla E. Reyes
LIHSA Alum Carla E. Reyes has lived in Queens and Manhasset, gone to school in the Bronx, worked in Manhattan, maintained a studio in Brooklyn, and now lives, works, teaches, and creates art in the United Kingdom. An artist to her core, she has always found a way to make art and be creative in her work roles, with jobs that have ranged from set painting to decorative/restoration work, to education, to selling her own art.
Growing up in Queens until the age of 9, Carla’s family moved to Manhasset, a less diverse place than she had experienced. “Manhasset High School was very sports-oriented and not the ideal environment for artsy weirdos like me,” Carla reflects.
Fortunately, she found LIHSA – then known as Cultural Arts Center – through its summer program and soon enrolled in LIHSA for high school. There, Carla found “her people” – wonderful teachers who became lifelong mentors and friends who she is still close with today. Carla shares, “It was such a special opportunity to attend LIHSA. I loved it. I could do art all day!”
After graduating in 1992, Carla attended School of Visual Arts (SVA) on a partial scholarship. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do in art and chose illustration as a major. This required her to paint with specific criteria and meet strict deadlines, which was too demanding for her at the time, so after about a year and a half, she decided to take a break from school.
Continuing to be creative, Carla found herself immersed in the theater community through a scenic painting internship that blossomed into working in regional theater and shops in New York City doing set painting and design. “I loved this,” Carla explains. “It was technical and interesting. I loved being physical – climbing, creating murals, and moving around.”
Realizing that such physical work and the travel associated wouldn’t be sustainable for her, Carla then enrolled at FIT to receive her Associates degree in Fine Arts focusing on restoration. She was so happy working with so many materials – wood working, metal, ceramics, painting and more. This degree parlayed into working in a variety of roles in New York City Museums like The Met and The Whitney. “I just wanted to be in an artistic environment,” Carla recalls.
Though she loved working for art institutions, Carla missed doing art so she began working for a decorative finishing studio, designing the finishes and managing the staff artisans. It allowed her to apply the skills and knowledge she gained while doing theatrical scenic work and studying Restoration. This work slowed during an economic downturn, and Carla decided to pause and get her Masters in Art Education at CUNY City College. In a full circle moment, she found herself back at LIHSA for her student teaching.
Carla taught in various settings throughout NYC until COVID hit. At that point, with two kids at home, Carla focused on creating and selling her art through dealers and art shows. She also went back to school to pursue her MFA in Painting at CUNY Lehman College in the Bronx, studying in a hybrid format.
In 2025, Carla and her family moved to Brighton, England. Her husband is British and they decided to move closer to his community and roots. She’s fallen in love with Brighton, which is known as a “mini London on the sea” – the art scene, the beach, the parks, how family-oriented it is, and also accessible for European and other travel. She’s thriving in Brighton – teaching art in various schools and exhibiting her artwork with a local women’s collective.
Carla will also be featured as a guest curator in the Sfumato Art Magazine. This month (March 2026), Carla will have her work on display at her first UK Museum group exhibition, Odyssey, at Hastings Contemporary. While busy, she also appreciates the work/life balance perspective in the UK.
Carla is very proud of her recent art series called Motherwelm. She shares, “It’s a bittersweet look at the day-to-day of motherhood. Some of the pieces depict images that are often deemed not worthy of discussion, bringing those experiences to light.”
For current and future LIHSA students, Carla hopes they will find their own voice, and to take advantage of the school offerings because, “the more you experience, the better you’ll be. Even if it’s a medium that you’re not as good at, this is the best time to try things – in a safe environment and with support. Be open, try different things. You may surprise yourself on what you find interesting. It’s what I love most about teaching. I’ve learned mediums like weaving, bookmaking, 3D techniques, and animation to create lessons and assignments. And now I want to do more!”
Carla – we’re excited to see more of your work and to keep following your multi-faceted and exciting career! Please visit Carla’s website at carlaereyes.wixsite.com and keep scrolling to see some of her art.
