Ana O’Keefe and Allie Fair Keel draw inspiration from the feminist Surrealists and female artist collectives of history, building on their friendship and experience as mutidisciplinary artists to create in collaboration as The House Opposite. Their connection stems from almost two decades of friendship after meeting at 18 during the first days of art school in New York City. They quickly bonded as friends, roommates, and classmates, developing their skill and aesthetic, collaborating in student shows, and encouraging each other’s artistic growth.

Ana completed a graduate program in Art Education and developed a passion for community-arts practice and social activism. As a K-12 art teacher she has worked in schools and with the artist collective Los Muralistas de El Puente in Brooklyn, NY. Allie Fair worked as a craftsperson for many years with the John Derian Company in NYC before embarking on a masters program and becoming a school counselor providing holistic support and advocacy for students and their families.

After moves abroad and around the country, years both working in education, and becoming mothers within a week of each other, Allie Fair and Ana found themselves once again living close by. Maintaining connection over years and distance has never been hard but their recent proximity was a catalyst for reconnecting with the generative parts of themselves, welcome ,motivation to create in partnership as The House Opposite.

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