Artist Biography

​

Lynn Bango is an artist, advocate, and storyteller whose work explores the intersections of mental health, faith, healing, resilience, and personal experience. Working primarily in oils, encaustic, and mixed media, she uses layers of color, texture, and symbolism to give voice to stories that are often difficult to express with words.

Lynn's connection to art began in childhood. Her grandmother owned a ceramics shop and kept a kiln in her basement, where Lynn learned to paint ceramics at a young age and eventually learned to operate the kiln herself. She also enjoyed plastic canvas and counted cross-stitch, developing an early appreciation for creativity, color, and craftsmanship. Around the same time, she began drawing a simple flower that became known within her family as "Lynnie's Flower," a motif that continues to influence her artistic identity today.
 

Art remained a constant presence throughout her life. Through the encouragement of her cousin Kim, an art major, Lynn was introduced to local artist association meetings while still in elementary school. Her love of nature and plants led her to become deeply involved in the William Foster Elementary School Tract Garden Program, first as a student and later as a teacher's assistant. The garden became one of her earliest places of refuge and remains a recurring source of inspiration in her work.

As an adult, art took on a deeper purpose. What began as art journaling became an important tool for navigating anxiety, OCD, bipolar disorder, and other mental health challenges. Later, work with an art therapist further demonstrated the power of creative expression as a means of processing emotions, experiences, and recovery. Today, Lynn creates artwork that invites viewers to look beneath the surface and engage with stories of struggle, hope, faith, and healing.

In addition to her visual artwork, Lynn enjoys creative writing and has completed two children's book manuscripts. One explores mental health concepts in a way that helps young readers better understand emotional experiences, while the other draws inspiration from the school garden program that played such an important role in her childhood. She hopes to one day illustrate and publish these stories, further expanding her work as both an artist and storyteller.
 

In addition to her artistic work, Lynn is actively involved in mental health advocacy through NAMI Portage County, where she works to increase understanding, reduce stigma, and connect individuals and families with support and resources. Her experiences as an advocate continue to shape her artistic voice and deepen her commitment to creating work that helps others feel seen, understood, and less alone.
 

Her debut collection, Hidden in the Layers: Where My Voice Lives, explores the realities of mental health, faith, resilience, relationships, and recovery through a deeply personal body of work. Through Layers of Grace Studio, Lynn continues to create art that encourages reflection, fosters understanding, and reminds viewers that even in life's most difficult seasons, grace can still be found within the layers.