Angela Richardson was born in Brooklyn, New York. Raised in the Midwest, she grew up in Freeport, Illinois, “Home of the Pretzels”(pop. 25,000). Creative parents fostered her love of the visual and performing arts.

               After graduating from high school, Richardson spent a year in Tokyo, Japan as a Rotary International Youth Exchange Student. She graduated in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media and Gender (an individual major) from the Honors Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

               She has been employed as a legislative aide at the State Capitol, as a multimedia software designer and video editor at the UW, and as a photo collections assistant at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. She currently works as a visual artist and performer, maintaining her own space at Winnebago Studios on Madison's near east side.

                       Richardson leads a dynamic creative life, involving herself with a variety artistic pursuits. On any given day, she might be found rehearsing for a performance of aerial dance, constructing costumes and masks for a neighborhood parade, or experimenting with collage at her studio. These diverse efforts are evidence of her ever-curious nature and demonstrate her desire to weave the magic of Art into everyday life.

Visual Art

                       As a visual artist, Richardson works primarily with paper. She creates collages by using both the traditional method of "cut and paste" and also the rather unusual approach of sewing with paper. She has created a number of life-sized paper quilts. Using wax, paint, and pencil, she embellishes paper surfaces. Torn pieces are collaged and sewn onto backgrounds to create multi-layered works of art.

                       Richardson's work sometimes involves recycled materials and the "paper of everyday life" including: discarded shopping bags, scribbled notes, pages from magazines, receipts, etcetera. She also creates small, sculptural forms using paper.

                       Her formal investigations of color, line, and shape have also resulted in a series of block print patterns, and highly textured acrylic paintings. The popularity of her sewn collage works lead Richardson to develop a line of notecards for retail sale. To purchase her work, contact the artist directly or visit Absolutely Art gallery on Atwood Avenue in Madison.

Dance and Movement

                       When she’s not busy in her studio, she can often be found performing with Cycropia Aerial Dance, Madison’s own low-flying trapeze troupe. In addition to choreographing and dancing, Richardson wears many other hats as a member of this well-known dance collective. In 2002, she headed production of Firefly, Cycropia’s tree show for the Orton Park Festival. Most recently, she performed in Strange But True at the Wisconsin Union Theater, in the Madison Area Dance Festival at the Mitby Theater, and at the Celebrate Youth conference at the Monona Terrace Convention Center. She serves as 'in-house' video editor for Cycropia, as well as one of several members who design costumes, construct props and set elements for shows.

               In June 2003, Richardson conceived of Evermor's Flock -- a group of costumed performers who appeared at a dedication ceremony for artist Tom Every's (aka 'Dr. Evermor') Dreamkeeper sculptures. Richardson organized and lead a group of local artists in creation of the costumes she designed and called upon members of Madison's dance community to bring the birds to life.

Theatre and Spectacle

                       Fascinated by the power and beauty of transformation, she explores the notion by inventing costumes and characters, as well as scenarios in which they can come to life. Projects in current development include: a series of photographic “self portraits” as various characters, a procession of giant puppets and costumed dancers for Willy Street Fair Parade, and a site-specific event at Olin Park called, Dance Your Demons.  

                       Richardson aspires to create for Madison an organization akin to Chicago’s Redmoon Theater and Minneapolis’ Heart of the Beast, pulling together local artists to collaborate on the creation of fantastic theatrical events, community rituals, and other spectacles. 

                       Richardson collaborated with TAPIT/new works for their Spring 2004 production of Who's That Lady. She created the set and special properties, in addition to providing graphic design of the show's publicity materials. She has performed with Cherry Pop Burlesque at the Club Majestic since its July 2004 premiere. Staged in the historic, former Majestic Theatre, the show reworks vaudeville for a contemporary audience and brings neo-burlesque to Madison. One of her most popular burlesque characters, Olive Talique, performed at Tease-O-Rama 2005 in San Francisco, CA.

Video

                       Richardson is also an accomplished media activist and video producer. She has widely screened video pieces from her compilation tape, .22 (twenty-two) and other stories for girls -- on public access television, at academic conferences, in classroom settings, and most notably, at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (formerly known as the Madison Art Center) and as part of the VideoTensions series at the University of Arizona-Tucson.

                       In 1995, she co-founded a video production collective, Chick Chat, which created over 20 programs "produced for, by, and about women" for local television broadcast on WYOU, Channel Four, during the following two years. The group received City of Madison Innovative Production Fund Grants in 1996 and 1997. Richardson also received a 1997 Excellence in Media Award from the National Telemedia Council for her role in facilitating Calling All Grrrls, a video production workshop and mentoring program for high school women. Richardson was Wisconsin Arts Board Media Arts Fellowship finalist in 1998.

                       Richardson has done presentations on video production and media literacy for many school groups, ranging in age from elementary school to college. She also worked as an artist-in-residence with 4th and 5th graders at Lincoln Elementary, creating videos for a Madison Children's Museum exhibit celebrating the Wisconsin Sesquicentennial in 1998.

                       She does freelance video production and is a member of Wis-Kino, an organization of local, independent filmmakers. She has acted in numerous short films and videos, as well as television commercials.