Hilarie Couture is the founder and president of the Premiere Pastel Society of Indiana.  She is the current Vice President of the Fort Wayne Artists Guild., also a member of the American Impressionists Society.   Hilarie is an award winning self- taught artist whose first medium was pastel, drawing portraits in the streets in the 1970's.  After a 40 + hiatus while working JOBS, she returned to her favorite medium of pastel and also works in oil and mixed media.  Hilarie believes in continuing education to better your craft and still continues to grow by taking workshops from artists that she admires.  She has had several solo shows and has participated in juried group shows from galleries to museums. She has won national awards for her work and has collectors all over the world.  Hilarie was published in a French Artist publication called Pratique des Arts Issue 53, a special pastel issue with a six -page article. She is a sought- after workshop instructor, a mentor, and has been a judge for other art organizations competitions.  Her passion and specialty are in painting people and telling their stories through the work be it portraiture or figurative, in different environments.

I moved to Muncie in 1972 to attend Ball State University, majoring in Art Education. In 1976, with my plan to exit Muncie forming, I met Paul Fisher, a Muncie native. We were married in 1982, and have one daughter, Elizabeth.

I went back to school for a master’s degree in education in 1990. At the time I also picked up an endorsement in reading, and taught reading in Anderson schools for a couple of years before going to work for my longtime friends Brian and Genny at Gordy’s Art Mart. In 2003 Paul and I purchased the business from Gordy’s and renamed it simply Art Mart. Art Mart is a successful art materials business in the BSU Village. My staff and I are all Certified Art Material’s experts and members of NAMTA, an International Art Materials Association.

I have taught art classes to many young students and adults through the years. I still interact with many of those same folks, with their children and some with their grandchildren. I still do ArtCamp in the summertime and I often go to area family art festivals to demonstrate one process or another. I taught classes at Cornerstone Center for the Arts for several years.

As an artist, I like to draw and paint. Recently I been concentrating on learning pastel painting. I am an avid collector of many things and I enjoy incorporating my collections into my artwork. We currently live in a 125-year-old home downtown, and I appreciate the artistic quality that can be found in old homes.

I am a member of Muncie Artist Guild and former president. Currently I am the chair of the Susie Burns Memorial Scholarship Committee and Events Committee chair. I am also a member of the Mayor’s Public Arts Committee, NAMTA, and iAMart, in international organization of Independent Art Materials Retailers.