A Chicago native, Elysabeth has been living and breathing the arts for all of her life. Born to parents who were odd collectors and dedicated art enthusiasts, she went on to study art history and fashion in Paris and Florence. She returned to Chicago and owned an international art gallery, stretching her arts connections beyond the visual arts to all arts communities throughout the city. Having the itch to create herself, she worked in the Chicago fashion industry, designing and producing textiles in her own accessories business, while expanding her contacts into the design and fashion community. Ms. Alfano taught Graduate and Undergraduate classes in Marketing For the Visual Artists at Columbia College, and has freelanced on various arts projects, including writing art reviews and artist consulting.