05/27/2026
Meet Daidria Renkel, another member of the 2026 Emerging Festival Artist class!
"As a lifelong artist, creating is central to who I am. After studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and raising my children, I’ve been able to return to this part of myself.
"Though my work has evolved, the constants are exploring the Self, especially as a woman and mother, and our relationship to culture and media. As a lifelong movie fan with a special love of horror, I bring those influences into my art.
Cinepegs began during the pandemic. With three children in middle school doing remote learning, I looked for ways to stay creative while helping them stay focused. Around the same time, my husband and I married with a theme from The Shining, and I painted small wooden peg dolls as cake toppers: our family as characters from the film. Remembering those figures, I started exploring which movie characters to paint and whether there was interest in them. Custom requests soon followed, and I shifted Cinepegs into a business, expanding into larger, more detailed figures and full scenes with backgrounds.
"I’m thrilled to be part of the Emerging Artists program this year and to expand Cinepegs beyond film into historical, social, and artistic icons. Being included in this year’s festival gives me the opportunity to take the work to the next level and reach a broader audience of collectors."
(Thank you to JPMorganChase for its support!)
