Lorette Dodt

Lorette has loved the art of photography from a young age. By receiving a Kodak Instamatic camera for her 9th birthday, it began a life of capturing the world around her. Freshman year of high school she bought her first “real” SLR camera, was hired by a local newspaper, and built her own darkroom. The world became her canvas. She spent her early teen years in Bergamo, Italy with her family and travel photography became a passion. In college, she had the chance to meet with photographer Ansel Adams and he inspired her with his long range landscapes. As Lorette traveled the world, she captured the feeling of each place and time for the viewer.

Through the years, she explored life through experiences in school, family, career and the arts. Those experiences as student, wife, mother, college professor, college dean, author, painter, jewelry artist, gallery curator, and event coordinator opened her eyes to different views and perspectives. As a graduate student at DePaul University, Lorette explored in her master’s thesis, the influence and challenges of the bi-hemispheric learning needed to create art using a computer as a tool. As a full-time college professor she taught art, design, and photography for over three decades. As a author, Lorette wrote two books about graphic design with an emphasis on readability and creativity. Always engulfed in the art community, she felt and observed the ongoing challenges facing artists. The years of exploring the art world with other artists lead her to realize the need for places where local artists can show, share, sell, and learn from one another.

In Spring of 2025, Lorette opened a gallery and studio in Woodstock IL., named for her grandmother Lorette, who love art and dragonflies. Lorette’s Dragonfly Studio & Gallery is comprised of two unique spaces; a place to show and sell and a place to share and explore art.