Meet Our Newest Instructor: Arnela Mahmutović

We’re thrilled to welcome Arnela Mahmutović to the Atelier at Arlene’s. A visual artist living and working in Albany, Arnela brings a rich, multifaceted perspective shaped by her upbringing and her deep engagement with narrative, history, and diasporic experience. Born in Hamburg, Germany to parents from the former Yugoslavia, her work explores the intersections of a traditional Balkan heritage within a Western cultural landscape.

At the heart of Arnela’s practice is a visual language rooted in stories of displacement, identity, and belonging. Drawing inspiration from illuminated manuscripts, contemporary imagery, and personal histories, she constructs layered worlds where influences overlap and evolve. Her paintings often depict intimate, shifting relationships between bodies and imagined spaces—places where memory, culture, and invention coexist.

Arnela’s work has been featured in exhibitions across the East Coast, including the New York State Museum and the ICA in Portland, Maine. She is a recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant for emerging artists, holds a BFA in Painting from Maine College of Art, and earned her master’s degree in Studio Art from the University at Albany.

This spring, Arnela joins the Atelier at Arlene’s as an instructor, teaching her first course with us:

Intro to Oil Painting with Arnela Mahmutović  

Tuesdays, March 24, March 31, April 7, and April 14, 2026 — 11 am to 1 pm

This four‑week beginner‑friendly class offers a confident introduction to the slow, luminous world of oil paint. Guided by Arnela’s decade of experience as both a painter and educator, students will explore the full life of a painting—from preparing surfaces and understanding brushes and pigments to choosing references, building underpaintings, and bringing work to life through color theory, glazing, and thoughtful finishing details.

Designed for beginners and curious painters alike, the workshop provides a strong foundation and the confidence to continue painting long after the final session.

Click the link to learn more about Intro to Oil Painting and to sign up:  https://www.atelieratarlenes.com/event-details/intro-to-oil-painting-with-arnela-mahmutovic