Growing up in a small town in Pennsylvania can be a challenge when you’re considering pursuing a life in the arts. Making the choice of where to study can be a difficult one.

After visiting art schools in Philadelphia and seeing the level of work a PAFA student generates, Laura Sallade (Cert. ’13) was convinced she had to be a part of what she found so inspiring.

“I want to be around people who are great at what they do. I want to be pushed.”

Initially drawn to a classical approach, she switched from pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts to the Certificate Program so she could spend more time in the studio. What began as an attempt to cut away unwanted sections of a print with a razor blade, Laura’s intricate cutting of translucent paper reveals patterns evocative of nature, science, and memories.