Giovanna Ruggiero DeSantis is a painter, pastelist, and printmaker, and was raised in Fairmont, West Virginia. She was the third of five children born to Italian Immigrants and a first-generation American. She received a BA in Art Education at Fairmont State College and a Master's in Interdisciplinary Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University. As a working artist, Giovanna obtained a teaching job in Marion County Public Schools for eight years and then relocated to Northern Virginia to teach art with Fairfax County Public Schools for 31 years.

During these years, Giovanna worked on her portfolio, continued to take classes, and incorporated what she learned in the classroom. Giovanna mentored students using art, painting, and demonstrated daily in the classroom, teaching everything from Calligraphy, Oil Painting, Watercolor, Brush and Ink, Ceramics, Photography, Computer Graphics, and all Drawing Media.

EDUCATION

Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 2009
M.A. Interdisciplinary Studies-Painting and Printmaking
Minor: Computer Graphics
Fairmont State University, Fairmont, West Virginia. 1977
B.A. Art Education Comprehensive K-12

AWARDS

The Artist’s Magazine Annual Competition Finalist- Still Life/Floral Category 2011
International Landscape Show- National Gallery of Art-Juror, Mark Leithauser 2006
Stephenson Calendar - Winning Photograph for January 2005
National Gallery of Art –Juror, J. Carter Brown-Open Exhibition Competition 1998
Northern Virginia Art Educator of the Year for Secondary Schools 1998
Nikon “The Best of College Photography” 1998