Elena Rizek
Elena Rizek knows what it means to work across disciplines. A graphic design student at Western Carolina University with a minor in marketing, she is also a violinist who performs at weddings and community gatherings, a bilingual speaker fluent in English and Spanish, and a freelance illustrator bringing clients’ projects to life.
This summer, she joins The Bascom as the 2026 Emerging Designer–the second iteration of a mentored internship program placing young creative professionals at the center of real arts marketing work.
That range–visual, musical, communal–is part of what drew The Bascom to her. So was her portfolio.
Rizek’s illustrations are layered and generous, the kind of images that open up the longer you look. She builds scenes full of figures, landscapes, and details that surface only after a second pass. Beneath the expressiveness lies real discipline—and real joy, each image filled with small discoveries that form a cohesive whole.
When I saw her work, she knew exactly how to put it to use: a pocket guide to The Bascom that functions as both map and art piece, telling the story of the campus through her joyous visual language.
Rizek has been on campus every Friday since February, developing the guide—an illustrated map of The Bascom’s grounds, buildings, sculpture trail, and programmatic offerings. Work continues through early May, with the finished piece available in June. It’s the kind of object you pick up at the door and find yourself still holding an hour later.
Beginning in late May, Rizek turns to her second project: educational and illustrative materials for the 16th Annual Dazzling Dahlia Festival, Sept. 10–12. Last year, inaugural Emerging Designer Parks Felton refreshed the festival’s visual identity. Rizek will build on that foundation, creating new materials that invite visitors to look deeper.
The Emerging Designer Program, launched in 2025 with Western Carolina University graphic design students Seth Baker and Parks Felton, is rooted in The Bascom’s Creative Community Initiative and its commitment to building professional pathways for artists at every stage. In rural Western North Carolina, career-building experience in the arts can be limited by distance, resources, or even awareness that such opportunities exist. The program works to close that gap, placing emerging talent at the center of real work for a real audience in a place that values visual language.
Programs like these are made possible through community support–The Bascom is grateful to the Cullasaja Women’s Outreach for investing in emerging artists.
Admission to The Bascom is always free. Pick up Elena’s guide at the door and let it show you what you might have missed. The Dazzling Dahlia Festival runs September 10–12, a perfect reason to make the trip.
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