Holly Gardner grew up and resides in Reno, Nevada. During her high school and college years, Holly ski raced for several teams including Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana, and UNR. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a Bachelor’s of Arts. In high school and college, she found joy in drawing taking classes, and experimenting in creating her own clothes.
After experiencing a massage, she decided to become a massage therapist and Aesthetician and ran her own spa.
She worked and set up the treatment protocols for the Atlantis Casino.
Holly married Bryan Gardner and they soon started a family. Having grown up without a mother Holly longed to be at home with her children creating the relationships with her children she longed for as a child, so she left the Atlantis for the new adventure of motherhood. She spent her time homeschooling and volunteering to teach at the home school co-ops such classes as sewing and Tall Tales, and American geography.
By the time both her children decided to go to public high school, Holly had decided to take an art quilt class, intending to learn about combining her love of fabric and art, never really intending to go back to work, however, her passion for textile art has now lead her to dream of sharing her art in homes, galleries, and museums.
To understand more techniques Holly Studied under Nancy Ryan, Denise Oyama Miller, Sophie Standing, and Loraine Turner.
Holly is an active member and sits on the board of Reno Open Studios as well as a member of the Sierra Arts Foundation. She is a guest artist for the Reno Artists Co-op. And a member of Studio Art Quilt Associates and Quilters without Borders.
Holly is a national juried artist through Arc Gallery of San Francisco and has exhibited her work in both group and solo shows.
Her work is held in private collections in Reno and Las Vegas as well as Merced, California.
Holly has contracted with Truckee Meadows Community College to teach art classes Winter and Spring of 2020.