Leah Lewman Laird grew up in Ellicott City, MD. Her family exposed her to many different facets of the art world, but her focused interest in the visual arts and painting became clear while studying at Salisbury University. Under the mentorship of artists like Jinchul Kim, Edward Brown, and Carl Goldhagen, she completed her BFA in Painting in 2013. After earning her undergraduate degree from Salisbury University, Leah Lewman Laird moved to Tucson, Arizona to complete a three-year MFA in 2D Studio Arts at the University of Arizona with a teaching assistantship. In this conceptually-driven program, her work evolved rapidly. Her previously figurative work became more focused on landscape and abstraction, and her artistic media expanded to drawing, collage, and environmental installation. Since graduating in 2017, she has exhibited her works nationally, participating in events such as the 2016 Wet Paint MFA Biennial at the Zhou B. Art Center in Chicago, IL, and a solo exhibition at VisArts Concourse Gallery, Rockville, MD, in 2019. Laird is currently an Adjunct Lecturer in Painting and Drawing at the University of Maryland College Park and Frederick Community College.