Dina O’Sullivan, originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, has embraced Minnesota as her home since 2005, marking a significant chapter in her life’s journey post-Hurricane Katrina. In the 70s, she embarked on a transformative journey to Israel with her husband and three young children, landing in Tel Aviv amidst a blackout at the onset of the Yom Kippur War—an impactful experience that continues to resonate in her artistic endeavors. Dina is an ardent traveler and her art is influenced by her visits to Italy, Cypress, Switzerland, Israel, Jordan, London, Paris, Hawaii, California, New York, Chicago, and Florida.
Drawing has been Dina’s lifelong passion, with her artistic journey beginning as early as second grade. Beyond a personal pursuit, art has seamlessly woven into her professional career, starting as a teacher in special education and extending through her graduate studies. Dina was as a high school art teacher in Gulfport, Mississippi. She also earned a second Masters in Art Education at the University of South Mississippi in Hattiesburg. She later worked in the education department of the Ohr O’Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi, Mississippi—an avant-garde institution dedicated to honoring the pottery of George Ohr. In addition, she founded and managed the Spiral Gallery, an independent art gallery and coffee house in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, where her husband served as chief of police.
Dina has shown her work in galleries in Mississippi, New Orleans, and Minnesota. She was inspired by her art residencies at the Mendocino Art Center in Mendocino, California and at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
While Dina’s journalist son and family still reside in Israel, her oldest daughter and family now calls California home, and her youngest daughter resides in Minnesota. Following an injury and subsequent surgery, Dina moved in with her youngest daughter’s family in the Twin Cities, where she continues to passionately create art. Beyond her artistic pursuits, she actively supports animal causes, championing vegetarianism and pet adoption. Proudly, she is also a member of the Minnesota Textile Center, further immersing herself in the vibrant local artistic community.
DINA O'SULLIVAN 