Bio
Julie VonDerVellen, MFA is an artist and design educator. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Graphic Design at Edgewood College and her Master of Fine Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the Associate Professor of Graphic Design at Carroll University.
Julie has held solo exhibitions at the Cameron Art Museum, Clarke University, Carroll University, and the Foundry Art Centre. She has participated extensively within group exhibitions held at the Racine Art Museum, James May Gallery, Var Gallery, Dishman Art Museum, Indiana University, High Point University, South Dakota University, and the Minnesota Center for Book Arts. Her artist books have been acquired by the UW-Madison Kohler Art Library, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Special Collections Library, and the University of North Texas Special Collections Library.
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University of Wisconsin Madison,
Master of Fine Arts, GraphicsEdgewood College,
Bachelor of Science, Graphic Design -
The Craft of Paper: Contemporary Takes on Tradition, Invitation, Group Exhibition, Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, May–Sept. 2026
Faculty Art Exhibition, Group Exhibition, Carroll University, Waukesha, WI, Sept–Oct. 2026
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Collaborators include WISH Interior Architecture, Princeton University Dean of Students Office, Donna Benedetto Designs, Collaborative Art Movements, Underwood Events.
I welcome invitations to develop specialized commissioned pieces for individual, interior design firms, agency, and/or corporate clients. I can also help with paper props and product styling for your business. If you would like to work together, please fill out the form or email jvondervellen@gmail.com.
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To request a portfolio of available work or pricing for a specific piece, please email jvondervellen@gmail.com.
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For all inquires please email jvondervellen@gmail.com. I typically respond within 24–48 hours.
Artist’s Statement
My creative practice focuses on narrative, memory, and the redefinition of traditional book structures. Working primarily with handmade paper, I explore two-dimensional and three-dimensional applications of the material to examine how human experiences are recorded in our minds. Through sculpture and painting, my work reflects the intersection of time, place, and emotion embedded within significant moments. Landscapes, professional experiences, relationships, and pivotal events are translated into visual patterns that serve as both documentation and introspection.
As a graphic designer, I understand that meaning is not only conveyed by words on a page but by how they are set — leading, margins, columns, grids, spacing, and hierarchy. My work parallels the anatomy, layout, and sequencing of the book through the way significant experiences are ordered, dissected, and ultimately bound together. The artwork begins with handmade paper painted in layers of acrylic, watercolor, and chalk pastels. Once dry, the sheets are cut into narrow 1/8” strips. Each piece is woven individually into a foundational sheet using a pin to guide its position. Meticulously placing each unique strip is like forming or documenting a new sentence.
