Writing portfolio for Lisa Mikulski

Lisa Mikulski is an arts and culture writer based in Boston, MA. Lisa’s words and images have appeared in numerous publications in print and online. While in living in Sweden, she wrote for Göteborg Daily, Simple Things – UK, The Swedish Institute, The Local Sweden, Nordstjernan, Spoon Content Management, and Sleeklens. In the States, her work has been regularly featured in Venü Magazine, Artscope Magazine, Take Magazine, The New Haven Arts Paper, AIGA – The professional association for design, The Hartford Business Journal, and INK Publications.

Lisa is presently working on her first memoir about her four years living in Sweden.

Select Writing Samples

Thank you for visiting and for your interest in my work. Between the years of 2012 and 2016, I spent most of my time writing for 2sweden4love.com which documented my observations on Scandinavian culture, lifestyle, and news. While 2S4L is no longer available online, I do hope to incorporate my notes and archives regarding my experience in that Nordic nation within this site and also in my upcoming memoir.

Cover Story: The Healing Power of Art
Venü Magazine, Winter Issue 2019
An interview and exploration of the healing power of art with Lena Young. This story will be published in print for Venü Magazine’s upcoming Winter issue 2019. You may also download the PDF here.

Artemisia’s Revenge
Personal Essay – December 2018
Looking at how art history can be relevant today and working to bring attention to women artists often neglected by history. Artemisia Gentileschi’s work has not just resonated over the last 400 years, but today is more relevant than ever in light of the MeToo movement. This essay is a cornerstone piece. It has been picked up and will be published in print for Venü Magazine’s upcoming Winter issue 2019. You may also download the PDF here.

Katie Swatland’s Alchemy Visions, Curiosity Without Bounds.
Venü Magazine – Feature Story, Autumn Issue 2018
In the winter of 2016, artist Katie Swatland covered all her clocks to eliminate the illusion of time, hung a “do not disturb” sign upon her studio door, and stepped into a journey of self imposed artistic isolation for 29 months. She re-emerged on June 11, 2018 finally feeling the need to share the fruits of her labor. She has quite a story. It was my honor to help her tell it.

The Stories We Tell
Personal Essay – November 2018
Finding our new personal narrative – narrative therapy

Give Yourself Some Grace
Personal Essay – November 2018
Silencing our inner critic

Cover Story: Betsy Silverman Makes the Cut.
Venü Magazine– Summer Issue 2018
The work of artist Betsy Silverman’s detail orientated and architectonic collage canvas’.

Strolling SoWa, Boston’s Art District.
Venü Magazine– Summer Issue 2018
Travel piece.

Cover Story: Lanoue’s Grand Presentation – The Breath of a Dancer
Artscope Magazine – July/August 2018
Lanoue Gallery presents the stunning photography of Deborah Ory and Ken Browar and their NYC Dance Project. You can see an excerpt in the magazine, or read the piece it in its entirely here.

Beaumont Etiquette and Fairmont Hotels Partner for Your Personal Finishing Touch
Enveritas Group – June 2018
Travel piece for the Enveritas Group on how to acquire the etiquette and style of a diplomat.

The Certainty of my Uncertainty
Personal Essay– May 2018
An exploration in how we think.

Cover Story: Yayoi Kusama – Messages of Love Despite a Painful Past.
Venü Magazine – Spring Issue 2018
Exploring the art of the lady known as the Princess of Polka Dots.

Boston Creates, In Support of the Arts.
Venü Magazine – Spring Issue 2018

Léger at Lanoue, Layers of Beauty.
Artscope Magazine – Featured Gallery, March/April 2018
Canadian artist Karine Léger’s large-scale abstracts represent her expression of Quebec winter spaces and Icelandic landscapes.

Cover Story: Zaria Formen, The Wonder of What We Stand to Lose.
Venü Magazine – Winter Issue 2017/18
Feature on artist Zaria Formen and her inspired work from the arctic and antarctic.

Cover Story: Vaughan Oliver, Walk of Life.
Artscope Magazine – September/October 2017
Feature story on the work of legendary designer, Vaughan Oliver. Walking Backwards, on view at the Lesley University, Lunder Arts Center, features selections of work taken from designer Oliver’s extensive archive and reveals the work of a man who is an interdisciplinary connector, a unique art director of image and text, and a generous collaborator of practices.

Neighborhood expert, Gothenburg Sweden.
Enveritas Group – Content development produced for EVG for Google Travel.

Bill Vollers, A Faraway Aesthetic.
Take Magazine – October 2017

Sculptor Morris Norvin, Sculpting a Community of Art.
Take Magazine – September 2017

The Importance of Place
Personal Essay – May 2017
How much does your neighborhood define you?

Philippe Charles Jacquet – Dreamscapes of a World Contained
Artscope Magazine – May/June2017
Review and profile of the work of Philippe Charles Jacquet.

10 Swedish Superwomen
Sweden’s official website, Sweden.se – 2016
A team effort along with illustrator and the editor for Swedish Institute.

The Swedish Forest
Personal Essay – July 2016)
Human interest in the notion of forest healing.
http://2sweden4love.com/2016/07/22/the-swedish-forest/

Interview with Photographer Mike Shaw
Sleeklens – Nov 2016

How Photography Saved My Life
Sleeklens – Oct 2016

Göteborg: Recruiting Grounds For IS
Goteborg Daily – Nov 2015
The new reality of living in Sweden, and Europe, while under threat of terrorism and the possibility of local threats. Reported and written for Goteborg Daily.

Paul McCloskey – Omega Art Review (June 2015)
A review of Irish artist Paul McCloskey’s work, Omega. This copy was also used by Paul for PR purposes and press releases.
Link To PDF

My Gothenburg
Simple Things UK – May 2015
An interview conducted with me by the UK publication Simple Things which also included several layout pages of my photography of the city of Gothenburg.

Afrah Nasser
Göteborg Daily – Jan 2015
Article written for Göteborg Daily on freelance writer and blogger who was featured on CNN, BBC, Democracy now. Living now in Göteborg, Nasser, a self exiled political refugee focuses on human rights violations and revolution in Yemen.

Sweden Seems to Forget the ‘Other’ Immigrants
The Local Sweden – May 22, 2014
This piece was picked up by The Local for publication in 2014. It examines the Swedish idea of immigration and what is meant by integration in that Scandinavian country. This piece along with another on immigration helped to kick start my writing career in Europe.

Globe Trotter Magazine – Volvo Group Cars and Trucks (Sept 2013)
An interview conducted with Volvo Test Driver Jeff Bird for Spoon Content Management in Gothenburg, Sweden. Translated into 7 languages and distributed via Volvo Group Cars and Trucks.
Interview with Volvo Test Driver Jeff Bird

Adam Magyar at the Griffin
Artscope Magazine – Nov 2013
From the editor: “At times, stories match themselves with their writers. It just seemed perfect to match Lisa Mikulski, who helped Artscope establish itself in Connecticut before she moved to Sweden over a year ago, with the Hungarian photographer Adam Magyar, whose “Kontinuum” exhibition is on view at the Griffin Museum of Photography; they engaged in an email interview as Magyar flew from Japan to Germany to Lexington, Mass. for his opening reception.”
Link to PDF

Gothenburg Hotel Leaves Guests In The Cold
The Local Sweden – March 25, 2013
A Gothenburg hotel concept that is part social commentary, part installation, received worldwide attention by inviting guests to pay to be homeless for a night in the city.

INK Magazine – Meet AIGA (Aug 2010)
While the national organization for AIGA has long been established, I sat on the Board of Directors for the newly founded Connecticut chapter for the Professional Association of Design. During my tenure, I provided for AIGA their first ever non-trade article in INK Publications.
Link to PDF