Angela Otts has persistently pursued creative outlets throughout most of her life, pausing only when she had to be a caretaker for her ill husband. As a writer for over 50 years, she continues a column entitled “Between Me and You” to this day, and after the passing of her husband, she returned to her painting as a means of solace during a time of grief. Her Wisconsin studio has become a cathartic escape to work on acrylic abstracts, pastel paintings, and pen and ink drawings while the world struggles with the current pandemic.

Angela and her family hung up a variety of her abstract paintings in the shop at the beginning of March, but her show was cut short as COVID-19 ascended on our area. Her work has continued to hang on the walls, patiently waiting until things get back to normal, meanwhile filling our lonely space with vibrant colors and expressive brush strokes. We are grateful to see her pieces each day as we open up for limited hours and services.

Hailing from Waukesha, Wisconsin, Angela connected with Press Coffee through her granddaughter Rachel, a Press Coffee regular whose work at Shelter House we recently highlighted. Growing up, Rachel can’t remember a time when Angela didn’t make art as the two often crafted together when she was young. Painting has become Angela’s main focus in recent years, but writing was something that the two kept in touch about over the years by sharing ideas and pieces of writing. Angela always encouraged Rachel to keep creating which likely helped inspire Rachel’s BA in non-fiction writing.

Angela’s enthusiasm for what she does is evident by the quantity and variety of art she installed at Press over two months ago. Some of Angela’s family joined her for the install, assisting her as she excitedly filled the shop with her work. Whether the paint was poured on canvas in thick, bold colors or applied in vibrant swatches, Angela’s work is infused with the playful energy of an artist who clearly loves the act of creating. Alongside her framed abstracts, Angela also brought hand-drawn cards and matted photography to sell, as well as a bunch of floral-designed bookmarks for us to give out for free. (Find them outside in our Little Free Library!)

Angela’s column, which she has written since the ’70s, earned her recognition as one of the three best humor columnists by the Alabama Press association in 2015 when she and her husband retired to Guntersville, Alabama. There she was also honored by the Chamber of Commerce with their Lifetime Achievement Award for her extensive writing about the people in the area. After the passing of her husband, she moved back to Wisconsin where last year one of her paintings was a regional winner judged by the University of Wisconsin.

Even now, Angela has been getting into her studio space at the Fischer Creative Arts Center where she continues to experiment with different color schemes and techniques. Rachel says that she gets inspiration from Angela’s continued hunger to learn new things and has witnessed it shape her grandmother’s art over the decades. Rachel isn’t the only one influenced by her artistry, Angela has also taught a number of classes in both Alabama and Wisconsin called Writing the Stories of Your Life and How to Become a Storyteller. She also speaks locally about her days covering feature stories for newspapers and magazines at many organizations.

All of Angela’s paintings and drawings are for sale and will continue to be displayed in Coralville for the time being. Smaller items can be purchased with cash and taken home the same day and you can contact her via e-mail for other inquiries.