Mahalia Jean-Pierre

Mahalia Jean-Pierre is a musician, artist, and actress living in Boulder, Colorado. Although she was born in Massachusetts, she grew up in Virginia, and relocated to Colorado after graduating from a highschool centered around the visual and performing arts . While growing up, she was in many musicals, and plays, and always found delight in making people laugh. She created an online store where she has been effectively selling her original artwork and commissioned portraits to people accross the country. She also taught herself guitar, ukulele, and piano, and often accompanies her instruments by singing. Mahalia started the same way many young artists do - doodling on school work, tracing her favorite cartoon characters, and getting in trouble for drawing on herself. However, something set Mahalia apart from other young artists, she had immense determination to draw as much as possible. She was accepted into to a high school program for visual and performing arts, and began drawing more than ever, constantly surrounded by fellow artists. Soon thereafter, Mahalia was constantly being asked to draw portraits for anniversaries, birthdays, and graduations. At age 17, she capitalized on this demand, launched an online store called Passion for Pencils, and began selling her artwork all over the United States. She quickly realized that it is truly possible to make a living doing what you you love. This realization has been the driving force in her plan to take her hobbies and turn them into a fulfilling career.