ABOUT
Alyssa Boldischar is a Freelance Photographer, Designer, & Ceramic Artist based in White Bear Lake, MN. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota where she studied Photography, Sociology & Art. Her fine art photos have been published in Capture Minnesota, several Photographers Forum Magazine “Best of Photography” books & National Geographic online. She has been featured in exhibitions at Concordia University, the University of Minnesota, Mall of America, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Minnesota State Fair. Her work has been documented by the Star Tribune newspaper and featured in a television special documenting Minnesota photographers. She has also worked as a Travel Photographer documenting the East and West Coasts in the USA and Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada.
Alyssa has been drawn to the arts since she was a little girl. Her Grandma, Joyce was her role model and encouraged her to create art since she was young. She grew up surrounded by her grandma’s paintings and love for all things art.
In 2020 Alyssa founded a creative shop called Opal + Birch. Here, she sells her handmade pottery, jewelry, clothing and creative designs. As seen in her photography, she creates her art, drawing from natural elements and is continuously inspired by art in nature. She has been known to use her photography to design yoga pants, scarves, tank tops, and kimonos using her photography as her main inspiration.
Alyssa is also the Director of Operations at Canine Inspired Change. Canine Inspired Change (CIC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to giving vulnerable youth the social-emotional tools they need to be active participants in their schools—and their communities. CIC’s work helps these remarkable young people transcend trauma, social struggles and isolation by sparking meaningful connections with dogs, volunteers—and each other. She also a volunteer team with her therapy dog- Filius at schools around the Twin Cities.
As an advocate for arts and healing, Alyssa has also worked with Free Arts Minnesota for several of their Summer programs. Free Arts Minnesota is a local nonprofit that helps children who have experienced poverty, abuse, homeless, neglect, depression & mental illness gain self-esteem and inspire hope through artistic expression. There she worked alongside renowned Photographer Wing Young Huie, photographing, documenting and post-produced all the final photographs taken by the kids to be displayed at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
In her free time Alyssa loves creating in pottery studio, yoga, hanging out with her husband Mike, friends, family and her three dogs- Filius, Albus & June. She loves rock hunting, traveling, and discovering new places with her camera.