Doug Pfliger has recently moved back to North Dakota after residing in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for the past six years.

In March 2020, while in New Mexico, the Pandemic locked down the state.  Pfliger found the isolation caused by the shutdown conducive to art making, and he experienced an art Renaissance with renewed studio activity. The isolation allowed him to bring to fruition a number of series that had been simple notes, reference images, or thumbnail sketches incubating for months or in some cases years in various sketchbooks.

Humor has always played a significant factor in his art, and he has been developing that aspect since the mid-90s by working in a variety of themes and series in an attempt to both amuse and create dialogue. Some might argue that humor is a protective shield to keep others from knowing the maker of the art. Pfliger says that the humor helps him to make sense of and deal with the uncertainties of the world we find ourselves in today.

Pfliger holds a number of degrees that include an Associate of Applied Science from Bismarck State College (1978), a Bachelor of Science in Education from Minot State University (1984) and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of North Dakota (1998). Pfliger taught art for 13 years at the elementary and secondary levels and taught art courses for 13 years at the university level as well.

Pfliger fully retired in 2021 and has been managing to keep the Renaissance going with regular studio immersions. Pfliger currently resides in Beulah, North Dakota.