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STORM
RITTER
In the past thirteen years, the bewitching artist has eccentrically pioneered her artistry through retail storefronts, by-appointment art studios and solo exhibition selling her original artwork and branded collections while providing immersive experiences and commissioned creative services in NYC. Sedulous in studio, progressively passionate, and savvy in soul, Storm Ritter is on a mission to figure out the noumena of her soul. As a painter, she adores the fantasia of our natural abilities, cultivating her work through her personal evolution.
She's got the power, to be the power. An interoceptive thinker and eccentric storyteller at heart, Storm is an ambidextrous painter with roots in mysticism, theatrics and music. Simultaneously, she's an entrepreneur with a bewitching focus on both studio art and sales accessibility. Storm's business and branding is founded by old school authenticity, intellectual curiosity, innate spirituality and of course, kindness. Over thirteen years in art production, retail, gallery and fine art industries, Storm now exclusively offers her work and services from her East Village Private Studio, seasonal pop-up exhibitions, and online commerce.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
STORM RITTER is a surrealist artist, ambidextrous painter, multidisciplinary designer, writer and entrepreneur in New York City. Her collections include fine art paintings, illustration, apparel lines, branded merchandise and stylized sketchbooks. Storm extends her art direction in event coordination, retail management, and production design. For over a decade, she has pioneered her artistry and business by launching retail storefronts, solo exhibitions, private art studios and this online commerce. These art production and sales platforms allowed Storm to curate countless events, launch workshops, pursue philanthropic projects and cater to clients with collections and commissions.
She is known for her ambidextrous painting approach, her iconography, "The Cool People," and equally recognizable color palettes of both technicolor and monochromic nature. Storm is passionate about esoteric philosophy, mysticism, theatrical storytelling, and nostalgia. In studio, she uses these inspirations in how she curates emotionally stimulating music to control her synesthesia experiences. Storm received her bachelor's degree from New York University in 2016, and she continues to didactically pursue an education in philosophy and history of the arts to underpin her artistry, business endeavors and philanthropic efforts.
CREATIVE PROCESS
Since 2014, she has been painting with her left and right hand, acting as two separate parts of herself. Passionate about duality in life, she finds that trusting her subconscious in her creative process gives her freedom and connection to divine emotions. Music and theatre are a driving force in her work, listening to scores and specific songs on repeat that evoke the concept of frission, also known as goosebumps. A believer in human magic, she is rooted in tactile processes of creation, without use of technology to produce her paintings. There is a mystical unknown about the brain, and she is on a journey to following the path inwards.
She relies heavily on her ability to understand numbers as colors and music as vibrant visuals, bringing her into a flow when painting. With faith in her inner monologues and the technicolor world of her third eye, Storm's work is spiritual, not pertaining to a specific organized religion, but a connection with the Universe around her. Storm uses her intense emotions, past memories and ever-expanding imagination to create paintings that have meaning for those who find bliss in dreaming and crave reminders that we are never alone.
Prior to painting, Storm curates spiritual, intellectual and emotional stimulus that explores self-didacticism, enlightenment, and escapism. Her work relies on a centrifugal expression, physically and emotionally, that reflects her response from the collected stimuli. She investigates a parallel of nostalgic memory and human experiences of natural magic, like synesthesia and frisson, in studio to produce compositions with esoteric symbolism and visual storytelling.
RETAIL & BUSINESS
In 2013, Storm began work on launching a lifestyle brand with her paintings as the foundation. She opened Storm Ritter Studio, a two-story brick-and-mortar storefront in Greenwich Village in 2016. The two-floor location housed an upstairs production studio for painting production, textile design, apparel manufacture and the street-level store offered original fashion, stage wear, branded merchandise, curated vintage, and accessible fine art. The collections developed a fan base and apparel was commissioned and purchased by Mean Girls on Broadway, in-production Netflix shows and celebrity clientele like Usher, Miley Cyrus and Cheap Trick. Storm began collaborations with The Greenwich Village Alliance for painting workshop in public spaces and Electric Lady Studios on The Jimi Hendrix Way campaign, featured in The New York Times. In 2018, Storm opened a solo exhibition, Storm Ritter Studio Experience with Ideal Glass Gallery.
In 2020, the business moved to her West Village Private Studio for e-commerce, face mask production and philanthropic projects. In 2021, Storm opened a solo exhibition, Realm of The Cool People. The following year, she executed a 60-foot surrealist mural, Age of The Cool People and opened Cirque of The Cool People. In the Fall of 2022, Storm received sponsored residence in Meatpacking and launched two brick-and-mortar storefronts, Storm Ritter Gallery and Storm Ritter Gallery II.
In 2024, she moved her business to a her new East Village Private Studio, and opened her fourth solo show, A Kind Soul Is A Cool Soul with Detour Gallery. As of 2025, The Villager released a press feature on Storm's private studio, projecting her into a new era of art and business development. In 2025, she opened her fifth solo show, Theatre of The Cool People, again with Detour Gallery. Storm is accepting commissions and working on a new collection of fine art paintings, including a illustrated storybook featuring the past solo show collection.
EDUCATION & COMMUNITY
In 2016, Storm received her BA degree in Individualized Study from New York University, studying theatrical design, philosophy and art history at both NYU Tisch and NYU Gallatin School for Individualized Study. During college, she was employed by NBC as an assistant in the wardrobe department at Saturday Night Live and as a stylist assistant for editorials, credited in Marie Claire and Vogue.
Prior to NYU, she studied set design and fine art at Wake Forest University and Ringling College of Fine Art. Storm earned an International Baccalaureate diploma with a focus on higher level Theatre, English and History. She excelled in scenic design at state level competitions and accepted into national contests that prompted sales of her large-scale puppets and set props to professional theatre companies. Thanks to her hardworking parents, her upbringing provided her experience in event production, prop manufacture, professional painting, renovations, carpentry and mural executions.
SHOP BOSS IN ART STUDIO
What's it like to create for yourself and for business?
STORM: I’ve worn many hats for years, but I never compromise my artistry for consumers or sales. I’ve done that, and it doesn’t work, but I do spend equal time on business as art, to make a living. I’m the agent for every element of Storm Ritter, so I step outside of myself and switch personas to market my enterprise. The artist makes decisions for art. The entrepreneur makes decisions for business. Together, they fight. So I have to switch hats to become the creative director, conceptualizing a vision from what’s been created and planned. Then comes the editor hat, for cut-throat choices, despite the other’s input. Critique is indispensable, but it’s just me, so I’ve built a thick skin when I take on roles.
I still have chutzpah to keep knocking on doors, making this a ceaseless cycle. The artist and the entrepreneur have opened countless profitable doors, and as the creative director, it’s taxing to equally manage so many. And as the editor, I have to be cold-blooded to close perfectly good doors, but never lock them. I really need more real people to work the doors.
STUDIO CAT VELVET
Storm's studio cat, Velvet, has been a constant force in studio and stores in New York City since 2014. Not only did Velvet travel daily with the artist to her past three storefronts, working as a shop cat, but she continued been a constant muse at Storm's private studios. In past years, Velvet inspired The Cool Cat designs often found in Storm's classic paintings of The Cool People and tattoo designs. And of course, Vel is the original muse and model for the Storm Ritter Studio's pet apparel line. Storm's spirited little feline is at the heart of her artistry and business with customers and friends treating her as a true supervisor of Storm Ritter, Inc. You can follow Velvet on Instagram, @studiocatvelvet, to keep up with her adventures.
ARTIST TIMELINE
Time moves exceptionally fast and Storm invests every day of her life into her artistry and business. As an avid archiver, she has kept diligent sketchbook for at least fifteen years to record and review her art and business evolution. Storm grew up in purple house with a peace sign over the roof, working alongside her two rocker, artisan parents. Living in a digital age, she finds it pivotal to stay organized for her own sanity as well as to connect with her supportive customers and collectors. Below are updated summaries by year starting with her higher education and the launch of her first business. We all have stories; it's up to us to share them.
Full time at the East Village Private Studio, Storm is currently working on the publishing of her work from her 2025 solo show exhibition while producing a new collection and accommodating to new commissions. Highly routined, the artist is prioritizing philosophical studies while in studio production. She is highly focused on her commerce, art production and branding, battling the indulgences of social media and chaos of the world.
March into May, Storm has continued her volunteer and mentorship work with the Girl Scouts of Greater New York, providing workshops and talks to continue into the summer of '26. At the end of April, Storm's art and fashion will be featured on the front and back cover of the print book edition of Up Magazine, to be sold in local NYC stores.
Thus far, Storm is set to produce a new solo show collection as well as multiple smaller bodies of work to release throughout the year.
YEAR 2025
January to February, Storm focused on transforming the East Village Private Studio with new wall/ceiling colors and interior layout in the art salon and work studio. Her artistry and private studio was featured in The Villager and AMNY in print and online.
She continued her arts mentorship work at a networking seminar, Leading Women in Our Lives, hosted by the Girl Scouts of Greater New York. In March, Storm acted as a panelist on the New York Museum of Science's virtual seminar about art careers with female students. Collaborating with Blur Nightclub, where three large scale murals and installations reside, Storm dropped an exclusive collection of t-shirts. April to May, the artist re-designed the website for a refreshed portfolio and online commerce, while showing in two group gallery shows and catering to small painting commissions.
November 2025, Storm opened her solo exhibition, "Theatre of The Cool People" with Detour Gallery which ran into December.
YEAR 2024
January, Storm opened her private location in the East Village with studio, showroom and living quarters. The renovation of the space took her one month, and in March she continued her fine art collection production in house. Client meetings began at the East Village Private Studio, executing on-location sales and meetings.
Spring, she worked with the Girl Scouts of Greater New York and Road Recovery in arts mentorship speaking events, home studio workshops and fundraising art donations. Consistently painting, the artist was producing a large quantity of new pieces for her 2024 collection and also traveled for an on-location painting commission in Florida. Summer, she catered to commissioned work including large-scale canvas pieces, painted garments and tattoo designs. Storm continued her relationship with Broadway's Mean Girls, providing more costumes for the National Tour.
Fall, Storm again worked with Road Recovery, creating a fundraiser t-shirt with the youth program while finalizing her gallery collection. In November, she opened her fourth solo show, A Kind Soul Is A Cool Soul, with Detour Gallery, which ran into late December.
YEAR 2023
Managing Storm Ritter Gallery daily at 807 Washington Street, Storm led the showroom, live painted in the public studio, and hosted events into April. She was featured in The Villager in print and online.
With her collaboration with G23NY, she joined their non-profit team to contribute efforts for kids arts workshops. Storm was honored at the Girl Scouts of Greater New York Gala receiving an award for arts volunteer work.
May, Storm opened her second gallery location in Meatpacking at 38 Little West 12th Street. Over twenty new pieces were created at the storefront with four showcase gallery events. Fall-Winter, Storm closed the location to prepare for opening of her private art studio in the East Village and catered to on-location commissions into 2024.
YEAR 2022
January, Storm executed a 60-foot commissioned building mural, Age Of The Cool People in Dunedin, Florida for Blur Nightclub. The final piece became the foundation for her 2022 fine art collection, also providing design elements for merchandise and NFT art for a collaboration.
Spring and summer, she focused on studio art painting, launched the artisan jewelry collection, expanded inventory of prints, and tattooed The Cool People at the West Village Private Studio. With TMJ Arts Collective, Storm participated in various live painting events and group shows in Soho.
In October, she opened the solo show, Cirque of The Cool People in Meatpacking with G23NY. After the success of the opening and Storm's retail experience, the space transitioned into her own storefront, Storm Ritter Gallery.
YEAR 2021
At the start of the year, Storm hibernated at the West Village Private Studio working on her 2021 collection of canvas paintings, tattooed clients with The Cool People, and catered to client commissions for painted garments. Spring, she was hired to paint The Cool People in the classic ascend pattern inside Blur Nightclub in Dunedin, Florida. This mural design was originated on the walls at Storm Ritter Studio, and the work at Blur Nightclub sparked the popularity for commissions.
In Summer, Storm began showing new work in group shows Downtown Manhattan with TMJ Arts Collective and NY Arts Empire, including live painting events with Soho Art Walks. Storm showed NFT art at NYC Crypto Art Fair in Times Square and was featured in Forbes and at Miami Art Week. Fall, she launched a fundraising collaboration creating custom t-shirts for the non-profit, Road Recovery. From July to August, she focused on studio art and merchandise production.In October, Storm opened the solo show exhibition, Realm of The Cool People at 34 Little West 12th Street with G23NY. The show ran three months into December, acting as a pop-up. During the run into December, Storm hosted events, including workshops with the NY Girls Scouts.
YEAR 2020
After closing Storm Ritter Studio in Greenwich Village, she planned to re-open her storefront in the Lower East Side, but the pandemic forced the business to be operated as an online commerce from her West Village Private Studio. She was consistently commissioned to produce garments for individual clients and as well as provide bulk wholesale for designers.
In March, Storm focused on bulk face mask production for donations and sales. With her seamstress Jenny Lin, Storm designed, manufactured by hand, and shipped over 2,000 face masks made of her original textiles to essential workers & customers. With her donation care packages, she designed a Heroes Rock t-shirt featuring The Cool People for essential workers and fundraising. In her Zoom-working era, she began volunteering with the Girls Scouts of Greater New York teaching art history and painting styles via virtual group meetings. As she developed her business branding, Storm expanded her studio art inventory for online commerce and focused fully on fine art painting. The work produced was the start of her 2021 collection, Realm of The Cool People.
YEARS 2015 - 2019
In 2015, Storm launched her first brick-and-mortar storefront, Storm Ritter Studio in Greenwich Village. All interiors of the two-story store was painted by Storm and set dressed with her original inventory of apparel, painted fashion, accessible fine art, and curated vintage. As the designer, creative director and staff manager, she evolved her collections and hosted countless events in store. In the first two years at the store, she catered to commissions, styling pulls for Netflix, costumes for Mean Girls on Broadway, and custom work for celebrity clientele like Miley Cyrus, Usher, and Cheap Trick. Working the shop daily, Storm continued to re-painted interiors and produce canvases and garments for retail, while designing new textiles and garment patterns for in-house manufacturing.
In 2017, She co-launched The Jimi Hendrix Way campaign with Electric Lady Studios, creating a buzz in the community and received press in The New York Times. Working with Greenwich Village Alliance, Storm led public painting events, kids workshops, and retail pop-ups. In 2018, she opened her first solo show, Storm Ritter Studio Experience, and the following year she launched her second corporation, Storm Ritter, Inc. and prepared to move to a new location in the Lower East Side, unfortunately these plans were sidetracked by the pandemic.
YEARS 2011 - 2014
In 2014, Storm moved into her West Village Private Studio as she was a junior at NYU and began developing her own business with fine art and fashion design. At NYU, she studied scenic design, costume design, sculpting, philosophy, museum/art history, and anthropology.
During her college years she was employed at NBC in the wardrobe department at Saturday Night Live, editorial fashion stylist assistant (credits: Vogue, Marie Claire) Simultaneously at her home studio, she developed her ambidextrous style of painting, birthed The Cool People, and adopted her kitten, Studio Cat Velvet. Storm was able to combine all of her experiences and pursuits in her graduating NYU colloquium: The Pragmatic Didacticism of Aesthetics.
In Fall of 2012, Storm moved to New York City as a transfer student at NYU School for Professional Studies, working full-time as a freelance event production assistant and online consultant for a title company. She then internally transferred to both NYU Tisch and NYU Gallatin School for Individualized Study. Before moving to NYC, she attended Wake Forest University, studying scenic design, and Ringling College for fine art.
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