Helga Watkins

Helga Watkins is a painter and designer. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Degree in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design and a Master of Fine Arts in Painting (MFA) Degree from the University of Notre Dame. Helga initiated the Bachelor of Design and Media program at the University of Las Vegas, Nevada, where she was a faculty member. Helga also taught in UNLV’s innovative Entertainment Engineering and Design program. While a tenured professor, she also maintained a professional design practice over two decades, specializing in identity design for resorts and restaurants. Prior to her academic career, Helga was Art Director (Interiors Division) at Young Electric Sign Company in Las Vegas, where she managed a large art department and designed large-scale environmental graphics, lighting, and signage programs for an international clientele. She recently retired from academics to have time to paint and design from her fabrication shop and studio.

Plein Air Competition Awards/Experience

2023
3rd Place Winner, overall competition
Second Place, Downtown Paint Out
Driggs Plein Air Festival

2nd Place, Paint the Town Paint Out
Conducted a presentation in conjunction with the Art Festival “Landscape Drawing for Better Landscape Painting”
Escalante Canyons Art Festival Plein Air Competition

Honorable Mention
Spring City Arts Plein Air Competition

Sheila Faulkner Award
Award of Merit
Escalante Canyons Art Festival Plein Air Competition

2022
Second Place Winner
Bountiful Davis Art Center 8th Annual Plein Air Competition
Dry Spell: Climate & Drought in the American West

Fourth Place Winner
11th Annual Driggs Plein Air Festival

2021
Best of Show Purchase Award
Award of Merit
Escalante Canyons Art Festival Plein Air Competition