About Monica
About Monica
A second generation visual artist, designer, color specialist, & fine art consultant, Monica’s multi-disciplinary practice expresses her rich artistic, visual & aesthetic foundation — a dedicated & deeply informed homage to her creative lineage & roots.
Monica Monaghan-Milstein grew up in a family of artists, designers & architects, where exposure to & appreciation of the Arts was emphasized & nurtured. She studied Fine Art at Washington State University, receiving a BA in Fine Arts, after which she moved to New York, to pursue advanced study at the renowned Art Students League of New York, & earn a AAS in Textile Design, Summa Cum Laude, from the Fashion Institute of Technology. During her years in New York, Monica designed Textiles for a prominent interior upholstery line. She also received several independent commissions in Textiles & Fine Art. Monica then moved to Portland, Oregon, accepting a position as Fabric Designer with Pendleton Woolen Mills. During that period, she also exhibited her textile studio work & enjoyed teaching Art & Design at the Oregon College of Arts & Crafts. Nearly a decade later, Monica launched her independent design consultancy & studio, which is still thriving today.
Monica continues to appreciate how her Applied Arts practice, including Interior & Textile Design, contributes to enriching her client’s everyday lives in gratifying ways. Monica passionately believes that an array of Art & Design expressions possess great value in our lives, something which is readily reflected in how Monica approaches all aspects of her design practice.
In addition to Monica’s devotion to her design practice, other activities include supporting visual arts, theater, dance & music, spending time with family & friends, & volunteering at several non-profit organizations, including the Children’s Teaching Garden in Portland, which she co-founded with Rose Community Development in the Lents neighborhood, as well the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble (PJCE) – an organization dedicated to building a vibrant jazz community among composers, performers, students & audiences in Portland.