PCA Celebrates Women in the Arts: Maria Manzione
Maria Manzione, Photographer & Healer
For Maria Manzione, a native Long Islander who grew up in Virginia Beach, Charlottesville would only be more perfect if Water Street lived up to it’s namesake. A beachcomber by nature, she’s lived here for just under a decade. She owns and operates Shala, a holistic healing center located in The Glass Building, where she practices Reiki, massage, and yoga therapies. It had always been her dream to work with medical doctors to provide comprehensive alternative care for patients, and she’s gotten what she hoped for.
The same dedication that drew her to a career in healing, helped her find a mentor for her creative endeavors, which include drawing, painting and, her most prolific passion, photography. Despite being nearly blinded by cataracts at an extremely young age (don’t worry, she’s had corrective surgery), Maria has gone on to work with world-renouned National Geographic and Festival of the Photograph founder, Michael “Nick” Nichols. His guidance and her perseverance to learn and meditate on this medium have transformed her work. She’s currently redesigning her website, which should be up by summer, but for now you can find her photos here. Her youthful spirit and energetic determination have the best effect on everything she touches.
Photo by Jason Lappa / Submitted by Leslie Channel
To submit an image of a woman in the arts who inspires you, email info@charlottesvillearts.org
