Hasmig Vartanian was born in Palestine in 1946 of Armenian descent and grew up in Beirut, Lebanon. Her family immigrated to the United States in 1956 where they lived in Philadelphia, PA. and she attended public schools, graduating from high school in Racine, Wisconsin. In 1973 she began studies in art at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where she earned her BFA degree in fiber art, 1977 and an MFA degree in painting/drawing from Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 1980. Her teaching experience includes both full time faculty teaching at Loyola University Art Department, in New Orleans, St Tammany Public Schools, Talented Art Program, and adjunct instructor at Southeastern Louisiana University Art Department, Hammond, LA.