"Lei Mi Salva"

Hazel is a Macon native, studio artist, and art therapist. She paints full-time in her gallery at 452 First Street, with an open studio model, and is an adjunct faculty member in the Mercer Art Department. Hazel finds that the act of painting is a study in the art of relationships, not necessarily limited to human relationships, but also those with one’s surroundings.

After completing her undergraduate degree with a B.A. in Studio Art from the College of Charleston, she attended Eastern Virginia Medical School and received an M.S. in Art Therapy. She has worked with using art as therapy in many age populations and in many different settings such as the VA hospital, children’s hospitals, juvenile detention centers, private practice, State of Georgia Domestic Violence Centers, and individual, couples, and family therapy.

It is her goal not only to educate the community on the importance of art and self-expression but also to create artistic opportunities for local community involvement and exposure to different types of art from many disciplines. Investing her time and energy in downtown Macon with the goal of making it a stronger and more unified community is a dream come true for Hazel.