Hi, I’m Gabriella, the heart behind Craft & Yap ATX.

I grew up in Chicago, where I was introduced to art and computers at a young age. Between art classes, early computer labs, iconic public sculptures, and world-class museums, creativity was always around me—and it stuck. As I got older, the computer became my world: games, websites, and eventually learning how to code. I built my own websites, which shared quotes and poems, created and animated AIM icons and banners (yes, I was born in ’92), and of course fully coded my MySpace page.

Art followed me everywhere. I drew abstract pieces for friends, doodled intricate designs in the margins of school tests (sometimes instead of answering the questions), and fell in love with woodworking in middle school—building bookshelves and clocks just for the joy of making something real.

As a teenager, I picked up snowboarding, and while shopping for boards, I noticed something that stuck with me: most designs for women were pink and floral. While I don’t hate pink or flowers, it didn’t feel like me. I wanted to see representation that reflected different expressions of femininity—so I taught myself graphic design.

That passion led me to Massasoit Community College in Massachusetts, where I pursued visual design. While there, I fell in love with painting—especially portraiture. I loved the messiness, the imperfection, and the intimacy of painting people I’d never met but somehow felt deeply connected to by the time the piece was finished.

I reached a crossroads: continue down the path of graphic design, or fully step into fine art.

Around that time, I took a short break from school and helped my incredible mom with a fundraiser. (I could talk about her forever.) She worked to help bring war dogs home from Afghanistan and Iraq—dogs that U.S. soldiers had befriended overseas. In one case, a soldier didn’t make it home, but we were able to raise money to transport the dog back to their family. Soon after, my mom asked me to help raise funds for a child who needed a service dog.

So naturally… I accidentally created a company overnight called Karma Flows.

I reached out to venues, sponsors, models, fashion designers—and turned the fundraiser into a fashion show. We brought together artists showcasing fashion, jewelry, and shoes, plus hairstylists, models, photographers, hula hoop performers, and a DJ. I designed the event pamphlet, sold sponsorship placements, organized merchandise, and raised enough money for the child to receive their service dog. Artists gained exposure, collaborated afterward, and something truly special happened.

That experience changed me.

I realized how much I loved creating space for other artists, even though I often felt too modest to showcase my own work. Still, I knew I wanted to keep creating—so I returned to school, this time at the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University.

There, my practice evolved into mixed media, including painting, projection mapping, installation, sound, welding, ceramics, wood working and performance art. I loved every minute of it. I was also incredibly fortunate to study in Venice, Italy during the Venice Biennale, learning from professors whose work existed alongside contemporary legends. Imagine brushing elbows with Marina Abramović inside centuries-old buildings filled with breathtaking art—it was surreal.

I graduated from the Museum of Fine Arts Boston / Tufts University, and after navigating both immense growth and deep personal loss, I made the move to Austin, Texas, ready to explore creativity through a new lens.

In Austin, I completed a UX/UI certificate program hosted by the McCombs School of Business. Along the way, I worked extensively in the service industry (shoutout to service workers everywhere—true masters of empathy, problem-solving, and experience curation). I later transitioned into tech sales, earned my P&C insurance license, and now work as an Account Manager for an SEO startup, where I still get to use my creativity daily through social media, email marketing, and website work for small businesses.

Craft & Yap ATX is my passion project.

There were moments in my life when art was all I had—it grounded me, carried me, and helped me process the world. I once completed a project of 47,005 circles to represent opioid overdose deaths in 2013. Art is everywhere in my life. It centers me. It heals me.

Being able to share that with others—building a space where people can collaborate, laugh, create, and simply zen out—is something I don’t take lightly. It’s an honor.

If you ever come to a Craft & Yap event, I’d truly love to meet you. I’m an open book with a big heart, and I’m so glad you’re here.

Xoxo,
Gabriella