Leigh Bongiorno

Leigh Bongiorno (born 1987) is an American figurative artist. Her work has been displayed in galleries and museums all over the country including the United States Capitol and the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

Life and work
Leigh Bongiorno was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and was previously known as Wendy Leigh Knapp. She works in a variety of media. Bongiorno began her formal studies in 2005 when she studied with a local portrait artist in Cleveland. In 2006, she received mention for her artwork in National VFW Women’s Auxiliary Magazine. Bongiorno enrolled in the Columbus College of Art and Design in 2006 but later transferred to the Cleveland Institute of Art after being inspired by the work of forensic artists who helped officials solve a missing-person's case. Bongiorno earned a degree in Biomedical Illustration in 2011. Bongiorno explored biomedical illustration as a profession and worked with several hospitals, museums, and research facilities including the Cleveland Clinic.

Bongiorno traveled all over the U.S. to try to gain perspective and insight into the vast and varied American lifestyles and cultures. She gained artistic inspiration from various people she met along the way, which helped point her career back to its roots in figurative and portrait-based oil painting. Bongiorno's focus on underrepresented communities and people has inspired her passion for art.

With subjects ranging from transgender individuals to homeless communities, Bongiorno creates artwork to raise awareness and understanding of those living in a marginalized or underrepresented society. Her creations focus on topics such as race, sex, gender, religion, and poverty. Bongiorno has won a variety of awards for her art since 2004, and her work has been displayed in the Makeshift Museum in Los Angeles in 2016, Cleveland Institute of Art in 2008 and 2010, the U.S. Capitol Building in 2006, Corcoran Gallery in 2005 and 2006, Alliance Gallery in New York in 2006, Lorain County Community College in 2006, and the Diane von Furstenberg Studio in 2005.

Bongiorno currently lives and works in her hometown of Cleveland. In June 2018, she was chosen for an artistic project for the Cleveland RTA as a part of the Inter|Urban Art Project.

References

Category:Artists from Cleveland
Category:Living people
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Cleveland Institute of Art alumni