Donna Flenniken is an artist who has been working with fabric all her life. She was strongly influenced by her grandmother, a prolific quilter. Flenniken's fabric work includes heirloom quilts, quilted tapestries, baby quilts, and colorful quilted pillows. Her work consists of precisely planned and executed hand and machine embroidery and quilting.

A sense of order is at the heart of Flenniken's work, as in all quilt making, both in terms of process and symbolism. The metaphors of the quilt – making something of scraps, and ordering random fabric pieces into a dynamic whole – resonate powerfully in her work. In addition to creating studies of light, pattern, line, color, and texture, she deals with themes of life and death, human relationships, and the mystical thread of myth that runs continuously through human experience.

Flenniken also hand paints antique furniture, and creates vibrant pieces that reflect the time she lived in Mexico. And she is a prolific beader. Her love for beads grew from a problem she faced because she is allergic to almost all metal and could rarely fine jewelry she could wear – so she learned to make her own. Her creations usually include multiple strands of contrasting beads and pendants made or various kinds of stone.

Flenniken, who lives in Silver City, New Mexico, holds both bachelor's and master’s degrees. In addition to being an artist, she is a widely published journalist and has received numerous awards for investigative reporting and medical journalism.