A painter who has been working as an artist for 5 years, Lesley Friedman Bodzy splits her time between Houston and New York City. She has studied painting with Susan Shatter and Henry Finkelstein through the New York Art Students League and with Gabriele Evertz, Valerie Jaudon, and Robert Swain through Hunter College. Lesley Friedman Bodzy also completed the drawing marathon with Graham Nickson at the New York Studio School. In addition to her extensive studies in New York City, she is currently pursuing a master of fine arts (MFA) at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). She matriculated at SAIC in 2019 and expects to graduate in 2021. While working toward her MFA, she has continued to paint and sell her work as a professional artist. In an effort to give back to the communities in which she lives and works, Lesley Friedman Bodzy has supported the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Houston since 2016 and Emma’s Torch since 2017. Emma’s Torch is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps new immigrants assimilate to life in America.