Phoenix resident Christy Puetz creates intricately beaded creatures from fantastic environments with compelling stories. She uses a free-form, non-traditional peyote beading stitch along with other techniques to cover her creatures in a rich tapestry of beads. Puetz brought her artist studio to the gallery at the Civic Center Library where she created artwork, facilitated workshops, and chatted with with gallery-goers during her residency and exhibition.

Christy has earned a BFA in Fiber Arts and Printmaking from the University of North Dakota. She is the creative program director for Beads of Courage, an arts program for children with serious illness. She also teaches youth art classes at Scottsdale Artist School and other community locations.