Is Laurie Hogin a contemporary artist?

Yes, that's right. Laurie Hogin is an American artist born in 1963 and as of yesterday, at least, is alive and well! She is considered Chicago-based, though her work is represented in galleries and museums all over the country and internationally. She lives and works mostly in Illinois, and is a professor of studio art at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. A google search will turn up images, videos, and links to galleries, and Laurie's own site (which isn't quite up-to-date, but it has a bio and some of her own writings).