Art Background
Growing up in Chicago, my early interest in art was nurtured by the city’s vibrant cultural scene. The Art Institute of Chicago was a continuous source of inspiration and the site of my very first art lesson. To further my involvement in the arts, I moved to New York City, where I worked at the Metropolitan Museum while earning a BA in Art History from New York University.
Following several years of art gallery experience in both New York and Los Angeles, I realized that my desire to paint surpassed my interest in gallery work. Recognizing the need for formal training, I built up my art portfolio and returned to Chicago to pursue a BFA in Painting from the University of Illinois at Chicago's School of Art and Design.
Art school was a pivotal time in my life, thanks to the mentorship of established Chicago artists, Susan Sensemann and Kerry James Marshall. They generously shared their art studios, demystified the painting process, and helped me think critically about my work. Their insightful critiques were transformative and had a lasting impact on my artistic development.
I have shown my work—including paintings, drawings, handwoven tapestries, and art masks—in exhibitions across Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, and abroad. In 2022, my artwork was featured in Art Folio, a contemporary art publication; highlighted in Seattle's Earshot Jazz magazine; and selected for the HerStory exhibition, curated by Manhattan Arts International. By late 2023, my artwork reached an international audience with an exhibition in Bologna, Italy.
Abstract Paintings: Oil, Acrylic & Mixed Media
Julia Crosara, "Uncharted Territory," oil on canvas, 36x36in.
Julia Crosara, "Reflection," mixed media, 18x18in.
Julia Crosara, "Waterfall," mixed media, 18x18in.
Julia Crosara, "Tuscan Sunset," acrylic on canvas, 36x36in.
Julia provides a wellspring of visual references that evoke the passage of time and transformation. Her deft and complex stylistic approach to image-making suggests similarities to the continuously evolving forces inherent in nature. Her paintings serve to inspire discovery, and reflection and provide endless possibilities for interpretation. — Renee Philips, Founder/Curator of Manhattan Arts International
Julia Crosara, "Eternal Spring," oil on canvas, 36x36in.
Julia Crosara, "Improvisation 4," mixed media, 18x18 in.
Julia Crosara, "Into the Wild Sea," mixed media, 18x18in.
Julia Crosara, "Heart of the Matter," mixed media, 18x18in.
Julia Crosara, "Red Tide," mixed media, 18x18in.
Julia Crosara adding texture to a large canvas
Design Career
Alongside my work as an artist, I've enjoyed a dynamic career as a graphic designer for both print and digital media. My experience spans various sectors, including web consulting, advertising, nonprofits, and academia. This diverse background has equipped me with a unique perspective and an extensive skill set that I bring to every design project I undertake.
As the Art Director for Crosara Creative, which I cofounded with my spouse, jazz pianist and composer Francesco Crosara, I oversee the design and production of print and digital content for our Seattle-based music production studio. In addition to my studio role, I document live performances through photography and videography. I also maintain a freelance design practice dedicated to the arts.
Posters/Graphics for FrancescoJAZZ Productions
Digital publications created for Lilian Terry, to bring her jazz memoirs to life. Click images to open PDFs.
Exhibit invitations for UC Irvine Libraries' Special Collections and Archives
Client Endorsements
I love working with Julia Crosara! She’s talented, creative, curious, funny and totally professional.
Equally important is what she is not – Julia Crosara is not a prima donna and she is not a flake. She gets the “big picture” quickly and understands & respects the realities a creative director is working with. Unlike many otherwise good designers, Julia is always part of the solution – never a whole new problem. And she never misses a deadline.
Julia inspires me.
I am so glad to have found her and – if you’re looking for an excellent designer who you can be happy to work with on your most important projects – I believe you will be too.
Julia Crosara worked as a graphic web designer on my team while I was Product Manager of Computer Services at Kinko's [Corporate Headquarters in Ventura, CA]. Julia interfaced with our back-end web design team and with the front-end strategists to very successfully fulfill graphic and technical requirements to both sides' complete satisfaction. She showed great capacity to understand user needs, and management and technical requirements, and produced the desired products without fuss in an extremely timely manner under great time constriction.
She was extremely personable and easy to get along with. When handed significant handicaps in technical equipment, she was able to respond flexibly and without complaint. Often working from home, we were still able to build faith in her reliability as she met deadline after deadline with exacting and satisfactory output. In fact, when put in a significant disadvantage by having to redo work of a previous artist and bring the team back on schedule, she responded gracefully and successfully to the challenge.
It was a great pleasure working with Julia. I heartily recommend her to potential entrepreneurial clients due to her professionalism, trustworthiness, reliability, motivation and character.
I am so grateful to have found Julia to create my website. I was so indecisive, had a vague vision of what I wanted and was all over the place. With Julia's background in art she was able to make sense out of all my babble and created the most beautiful, artistic website. It was a real pleasure to see my vague ideas came to life. She was so patient and so flexible to work with and always adaptable to all my new ideas. I got a lot of compliments regarding my floral design but I got more compliments for my website. I can highly compliment Julia!
Julia is a fabulous graphics/web/print design artist. For years, I’ve been working to create a new logo and none of the graphics people I retained got the idea of what I wanted. Frustrated, I put it off for ages. I finally decided to talk with Julia and found in her a person who got me, my concept, and who has consistently worked proactively to help me redesign the logo to support my brand.
I was struggling to take my company to the next level. I needed a marketing makeover; new website, printed materials - everything. I was tired of spending money on fancy design work that didn't communicate my message. This time I wanted it to be perfect. Julia Crosara asked questions no one had ever asked me before. First she got to know me, then she got to know my company. Her first design draft took my breath away. She nailed it! After some minor tweaking, I have a graphic design that communicates my message perfectly and instantaneously. Thank you Julia, for taking me to the next level.
If you've been looking for a designer that will over-deliver, look no further.
I'm still constantly smiling as I update sections because this site is so beautiful. It really is just exactly what we needed and wanted. You do such beautiful work, and I'm glad we had someone design it who understands the organization and its mission. I think that really comes through in the design. It's just gorgeous, and I can't wait for the rest of the team to see it!
Julia Crosara began working for me in 2001 and is still a great source of insight and direction for my company, Aware Toys. In 2001, my company was in the start up position and required a logo, marketing materials, illustrations for a children's book, and a web site. Julia had all of the abilities required to market our new product, along with many other talents.
Julia took the time to listen and learn about my business and future goals. The work she produced was professional, timely, and brought together all aspects of the creative marketing person I was looking for to develop my ideas and concepts. Although we work at a distance, the relationship we have developed will continue, due to her being honest, reliable and communicative.
I give Julia my highest recommendation and know she will continue to support and creatively develop many other businesses.