Education

Valenza is a fine artist living in New Jersey. Her background in art includes a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Caldwell College, Caldwell, N.J., with an education certification to teach Art grades K-12.
She continued post collegiate studies at Fashion Institute of Technology (NYC), The School of Visual Arts (NYC), at William Paterson University studied dark room / black and white photography with David Horton, Interior Design Drafting at Kean University, Chinese Brush Painting with master, David Kwo, and Watercolor Technique with Thomas Valenti.  At the NJCVA in Summit, N.J. she studied  Encaustics with Barry Andrews and Jewelry Design - The Lost Wax Technique with Jeanette Mullarkey.

Career

 For over 25+ years, Valenza has been a Visual Merchandising / Marketing professional, a curator of store exhibitions.  Her work has been as a visual artist who arranges objects in space. During her career, she worked as the Visual Merchandising Directors for The Museum Company, Viva International Optical Group and Bloomingdales. She has also worked as design consultant and a faux finishing artist for both commercial and residential applications.

Valenza authored two Museum Company manuals for store merchandising presenation: Visual Merchandising Standards 101, and Visual Merchandising Presentation for Jewelry.  She has presented workshops and seminars on Visual Merchandisng at national sales meetings, throughout the United States, England, Canada,  and in Japan through an interpreter.

In 2003, she left her Visual Merchandising / Marketing career to focus on her Art.  She has immersed herself in creating and exhibiting her works, and volunteers her time to local arts orgainzations.

Currently, she serves on several boards: Arts Council of Livingston, Livingston Art Association, Millburn Short Hills Arts Center, Studio Montclair Inc., and is the Visual Merchandising / Exhibition Coordinator (key holder) for the ACL Gallery, run by the Arts Council of Livingston.

In May 2009, Valenza was inducted into the National Association of Women Artists and is part of the Exhibition Committee.