MEET LORENA
Lorena Sferlazza (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist and educator from Norwalk, CT, with 10+ years of teaching experience for a wide range of learners. She is passionate about helping her community connect more deeply and create beyond their own perceived limits. Lorena founded and runs all facets of CAWL — it is her life’s mission.
Community
Lorena takes pride and is active in our local community. She teaches art full-time during the school year at Norwalk High School while running CAWL. Lorena also represents The Norwalk Art Space as one of their Inaugural Resident Artists, where she returns to teach and support their mission of providing free art classes to bridge the education gap for under-resourced youth. Lorena remains engaged in this mission for the LGBTQ community as well by providing free monthly therapeutic art classes for adults and teens at the Triangle Community Center.
Credentials
Lorena’s work is supported by her thorough liberal arts education and diverse experience in visual arts teaching, practice, program development, creative design, and professional exchange with museums, auction houses, galleries, schools, community organizations, and universities. She holds the following degrees:
MAT in Art Education—Southern CT State University (New Haven, CT)
MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts—Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts/PAFA (Philadelphia, PA), Merit Scholar
Dual Honors BA in Visual Arts & Italian—College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, MA), Valedictory candidate
Certificates in:
Drawing & Painting—Libera Accademia di Belle Arti (Florence, Italy)
Art History & Literature—Università degli Studi di Firenze (Florence, Italy)
… and Diploma from Norwalk High School, Valedictorian, Class of 2011.
Collaborations
Lorena has collaborated with organizations across the region and abroad, including…
Creative Practice
Lorena’s artwork spans across disciplines as her exploration of art continues to grow. She trained as a classical figurative painter and has since expanded into more contemporary practices that challenge the limits and perceptions of what art can be. She is most interested in exploring themes of empowerment and identity, gathering inspiration from her students and life experiences. Lorena practices art as a means to understand, heal, spark conversation, and appreciate each phase of life.
Commitment
As an artist and educator, Lorena remains committed to empathy, inclusivity, and thoughtful communication. She is a creative problem-solver who works continuously to build community. She offers genuine ideas with an inquiry-based learning approach and remains attuned to the intentional needs of her students.
Lorena is equipped to facilitate creative classes for a wide range of learners: Pre-K through Grade 12, homeschoolers, undergraduates, adults, families, neurodiverse learners, physiodiverse learners, and seniors, particularly those with Alzheimer’s.
