MaryLouise (LouLou) Marino is an artist and writer with a passion for creativity, nature’s wisdom, and cultural understanding. Her art—in fiber arts, nature gathering, mark-making, and photography—allows her to express how she sees and is a way to engage with her inner world and the world around her.

For many years, she has been involved with Studio PAUSE, a unique space in Arlington, VA, that makes multicultural visible through art, stories, and community. More recently, she has been working closely with its founder as an assistant and contributor on various grants focused on community book projects, oral stories, and exhibits. 

Her social enterprise, Indigo Lion Handmade, was where she curated ethically sourced handmade textiles from Laos for the US market. She fell in love with Laos and traveled there annually to learn and give voice to community partners and weavers engaged in preserving their cultural heritage. She served on the board of the Lao Heritage Foundation, based in Washington, DC, for three years.

Prior, she was Director of Programs and Operations for Empowered Women International in Washington, DC, working closely with Marga Fripp, its founder and then executive director. She served as a Community Development Volunteer in NGO Capacity Building for Peace Corps Romania and Uzbekistan. Afterward, she became a Technical Training Consultant for Peace Corps Romania. Earlier in her career, she worked for multiple design firms and taught design at the college level.

She received her Master of Science in Organizational Management from the School for International Training in Vermont, a Masters Coursework in Lettering Design from the Basel School of Design in Switzerland, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She also studied with experimental calligraphers in New York, Switzerland, and Japan.

Her lifelong wellness practices include meditation, hikes in nature, her art, and most recently and enthusiastically, QiGong with Marga Fripp. She lives with her sweet husband in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, VA, outside Washington, DC.
artist website