Artist and calligrapher Steph Ivelisse has established herself as a creative partner with Pease Park Conservancy in Austin. Her work focuses on themes of women, community, and cultural memory. The collaboration with the Conservancy includes projects such as enhancing the engraving on the story plate next to Malin, the Pease Park Troll, and creating engraved awards for the organization’s Volunteer Recognition Celebration using leftover materials from the installation.
Ivelisse credits her upbringing in a matriarchal household as an important influence on her art. “My mom was literally just the strongest woman you could ever imagine,” she said. She named her business after her mother, honoring their shared middle name.
Her first collection, The Mujer Collection, paid tribute to women who shaped her life by naming each piece after qualities she admires. “I just want people to feel seen,” Ivelisse said. “Represented, embraced, and connected to love and warmth.”
On her artistic approach, Ivelisse stated: “Everything I do is for a reason. It has a meaning behind it. Intentionality is probably one of my biggest core values.” She noted that public parks hold personal significance for her: “I walk outside almost every day,” she said. “I feel my best and most connected to myself when I am reminded that we are all nature, and we are all made of everything.” She also emphasized the mental health benefits of green spaces: “I think that it is essential just for humans’ mental health.”
In addition to her work with Pease Park Conservancy, Ivelisse is working on an employee-facing mural at Proper Hotel in downtown Austin. “It is not customer-facing. It is employee-facing, which is even more special to me because it was this eerie green hallway that all of the employees have to walk through,” she explained.
Looking ahead, Ivelisse plans to expand her team by hiring another calligrapher and hopes to extend her business into Dallas.
Through collaborations like these, Pease Park serves as a venue supporting local artists while offering opportunities for creativity and connection within the community.
If interested in learning more about Steph Ivelisse’s work or following future projects, information can be found on her website or Instagram.
