Maggie Tello Case

Maggie Tello Case is a  native of Riverside, California. She was taught to sew and embroider by her mother, who is a talented seamstress in her own right. When Maggie was very young, her mother gave her a box of buttons that had belonged to her grandmother. Maggie would spend hours playing with the buttons, re-organizing them by size, shape and color, and making jewelry and other things with them. Later, she began including buttons in many of her art pieces as a signature calling card and even named her craft business, “Button, Button, Who!” for her love of buttons.

Maggie is an admitted thrift shopaholic and scours swap meets, yard sales, as well as local thrift stores for vintage fabric, buttons, clothing and trims which she then uses as inspiration and incorporates into her art. Inspired by memories from her childhood, pop culture, and a love of color, she creates imaginative pieces which demonstrate her sense of humor and whimsy. When asked about her art, Maggie says, “It is very important that my artwork reflects my personality and although my pieces may seem playful and childlike at first glance, each piece has a story to tell that resonates from within my soul.”

Maggie is very involved in the Riverside local arts community, having participated in group shows at The Cheech Marin Center For Chicano Art & Culture, Riverside Art Museum, Norco College Art Gallery, Division 9 Gallery, Saturation Fest, Riverside Arts Council’s Artscape exhibitions at the Riverside County Administrative Building, and has placed at the Riverside Mariachi Festival Art Competition in 2013 and 2014.