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CHARLIE HOUSKA    gallerybiographyphd exhibitionfeatured pressfeatured pressprint

Bold. Optimistic. Electric! Charles Houska commands a vibrating pop-art palette that is instantly recognizable. Houska (pronounced House-ka) has been a working artist for more than 15 years. His cheerful, and whimsical style has been featured in murals at the St. Louis Zoo and adorns the entrance of St. Louis Children's Hospital. Besides his acrylic-on-canvas paintings and murals, Houska's ubiquitous imagery has appeared in a variety of forms, from credit cards to shower curtains to an Illinois license plate. Major corporations, including St. Louis Children's Hospital, Absolut Vodka, Emerson Electric Co., and Bergners Co., have commissioned Houska to create artwork for their specific needs. Oprah Winfrey is a fan and owns a portrait of herself commissioned by HARPO producers as a gift to the talk show giant.

Born and raised in Springfield, Illinois, Houska earned a bachelor's degree in art and visual communication from Illinois State University and worked as a graphic designer in a design studio in Chicago before moving back to Springfield to work as an artist full-time. In 1998, he moved to St. Louis and opened his own gallery, "Houska St. Louis" which was a CWE favorite until 2005, when Houska closed the gallery to focus on painting his new series of paintings.

The artist stays active in the community devoting a significant portion of his time to charitable organizations especially those dealing with animals, such as PAWS, Stray Rescue, and The Humane Society. His favorite community project is what he has dubbed "Houskaballoo" in which he collaborates with children on mural projects in their schools.

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