Meet the Artist!
Meet the Artist!
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I create award-winning puppets to bring joy to everyone's inner child.
I create award-winning puppets to bring joy to everyone's inner child.
I am an award winning puppet fabricator with a BFA in Studio Arts. My puppetry exploration started during the pandemic, and was fueled by my childhood fascination with animatronic toys and practical effects in film. This art form is special to me because my art serves as a vessel for the art of a performer and emphasizes the concepts of collaboration and interactivity. As a Studio Artist, I hope to challenge the viewer's perception of my works by mixing horror elements with a sense of curiosity and humor to mirror the raw elements of the human experience.
Resume
Resume
Victoria Naftal
Education
West Chester University– August 2021-May 2025 B.F.A. Studio Arts and Theatre Arts Minor.
Fabrication Experience
Team Member Fabricator for Eagle Puppet Build with White Box Theatre in Summer 2025.
Me, War and Toy Grenade--Props Master at West Chester University in Fall 2023.
Charlotte’s Web--Puppet Fabricator at West Chester University in Spring 2023.
Into the Woods--Puppet Fabricator at West Chester University in Spring 2022
Exhibitions and Publications
Anna's Oak Group Exhibit, Warwick Furnace Farm, 2025.
Group Exhibition, BFA Senior Exhibition, John Baker Gallery, West Chester University 2025.
Solo Exhibition, All the Rest is Crumbs, Old Lockers Gallery, West Chester University 2024.
Group Exhibition, Six Seasons, Old Lockers Gallery, West Chester University 2024.
Puppetry work featured in the USITT Juried Conference Exhibit in Seattle 2024.
Art published in the Daedalus Literary Magazine 2022, 2023, on the cover in 2024, and 2025.
Presenter at the Art History Symposium at West Chester University in 2024.
Awards
Best in Show for a Single Work of Art, BFA Senior Exhibition Award, West Chester University 2025.
Regional First Place Randy Lutz Allied Design and Technology Award, KCACTF 2024.
Certificate of Merit in Props Design Fall 2023 and Puppetry Design Spring, KCACTF 2023.
Regional First Place Randy Lutz Allied Design and Technology Award, KCACTF 2023.
Academic Honors
Dean’s List Recognition 2021-2025 for Cumulative GPA of 4.00.
Dave and Faye Eldreth Scholarship for Sculpture 2023.
John H. Baker Studio Arts Scholarship 2022.
Academic Excellence Scholarship 2021-2024.
Attended Conferences
United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) 2024 and 2023.
Kennedy Center of American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) 2024 and 2023.
Extra Curricular Activities
West Chester University, West Chester, PA.
Treasurer for Illustration Club August 2023-May 2025.
Time and funds management, team motivation through executive board, leadership.
Experience
Pony Camp Counselor at Stone Crop Farm in Chester County, PA– June 2016-Present.
Instructing children ages 6-17 on riding and taking care of a horse.
Teaching the daily craft which includes ceramics, horseshoe decoration, and painting.
Note Taker for the Office of Educational Accessibility (OEA) at West Chester University– Aug. 2022-Dec. 2023, Jan. 2025-May 2025.
Taking notes during class lectures for designated students to access through the OEA.
Skills
Puppet fabricating; operating wood shop tools; sculpting and mold making; MIG welding; illustrating; painting; machine and hand sewing; using Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Google and Microsoft programs; speaking basic Spanish; teaching children arts and crafts; communicating efficiently; note taking; time management; bringing inanimate objects to life.
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