Tania Dibbs has been living in the Roaring Fork Valley for the last 27 years. She is a painter and also works in sculpture and ceramics. Her work is displayed in collections around the world and she has a one woman show at the Dere Gallery in Los Angeles opening January 14th.

Tania’s journey in the art world didn’t have a very traditional beginning. She obtained a degree in biology from the University of Virginia where she studied premed with a focus on invertebrate zoology. She took a break after college and made her way to Aspen where she started teaching skiing at Aspen Highlands and then, Aspen Mountain.

Tania had always carried the secret dream of being a professional artist, but she didn’t share that dream until her art career had so much momentum that the secret was not a secret any longer. We asked her what it took to go from biologist, to ski pro, to professional artist, and she said, “Maybe some people turn over the right stone which results in a huge leap forward in their careers. For me it has just been a process of turning over thousands of stones, one at a time, some with a little payoff, and slowly moving my career forward.” It seems to be moving forward nicely, she proudly told us that she achieved a life goal of living in a house that was paid off from sales of her artwork.

Her art career seems to be coming full circle now as she was recently granted a space on an artist and scientist led expeditionary residency program aboard a sailing vessel slated to leave next October called The Arctic Circle. This will meld her work concerning man’s relationship with nature with her background in science. Tania has a permanent studio location at 227 Midland Avenue unit 17A, in Basalt and her work is currently included in The Fletcher Exhibit: Socially and Politically Engaged Art at the Reece Museum in Johnson City TN.
For more about Tania, go to www.taniadibbs.com