Lore Stephan was born and raised in Reading, Pennsylvania where she inherited her artistic instincts from her maternal grandfather who was a designer and a builder. Also known by her trademark artist name Zora, she moved from painting landscapes at age fifteen to developing a wide range of skills using many different media. Studying drawing, sculpture, glass and clay, Lore received her Bachelors degree cum laude in Fine Arts from the Tyler School of Art Temple University in Philadelphia. She studied sculpture in Rome under Paolo Corosone, where she discovered her passion of sculpting the figure. Upon graduation, Lore followed this connection and apprenticed in the Bahamas for 2 years with figurative sculptor Randolph Johnston.

She has worked as a graphic designer, a scientific illustrator, and porcelain artisan. Lore was a partner in "Heartwood Boxes," where she created and sold "one of a kind" cedar boxes at fine craft shows. She was part of the "Tree house Project" at the Philadelphia Zoo, where she worked with a team of sculptors to create multi-sensory interior eco-systems designed for hands-on learning by children. She also created a business "Lore Zora Silk Fantasia" making painted silk scarves, wall hangings, and men's ties, which she sold to Doneckers and various fine craft galleries in Philadelphia and New Jersey.

Teaching allows Lore to pass on her artistic abilities to younger generations and continue her own learning process. She received her teaching certificate from Millersville University cum laude and has taught art in the Reading School District, Lancaster Museum of Art, and is currently an adjunct professor at Alvernia College. Lore is also active in her community through volunteering. She worked at the Rainbow Home in Berks County, the Literary Council of Berks County, and Women Organized Against Rape in Philadelphia. She is a member of the International Sculpture Society, the College Art Association, and the National Art Education Association.

Zora's work is found in many private collections and she has been involved in several shows. These include: a group show in Wyomissing, PA in 1978, a black-and-white group photography show in Rome in 1982, a solo sculpture show in the Bahamas in 1984, a solo landscape painting show in North Carolina in 1986, a solo dreamscapes show in North Carolina in 1988, and a group sculpture show in Rome in 1992, a collaborative sculpture and mixed media show in Reading, PA in 2008 . Currently, Lore is continuing to refine her talents as an artist and sculptor, and since 2005 has created her own company called "Zora's Garden," which sells sculptures, mixed media paintings, and drawings for both the home and the garden.