Zlata received a B.A. from Smith College in 1980, a B.F.A. from California College of Arts and Crafts in 1982, and an M.F.A. in Sculpture from Mills College in 1984. Over the years, she has been fortunate to work at a number of outstanding art galleries, museums, and academic institutions including the Allrich Gallery, the Richmond Art Center, Mills College Art Gallery, Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University, and University of Michigan School of Art.

As an artist, Zlata works on her own as well as working on collaborative projects with Jamy Sheridan. They have exhibited their installation-based artwork in Northern California, the Midwest, New York and Baltimore and have presented lectures about their work in Norway, England, Spain, Germany and across the United States.

Integrating professional experience in both the academic and art worlds has helped Zlata to focus MICA's low-residency MFA in Studio Art on meeting the needs of working graduate students as they develop a reflective and engaged studio practice in concert with sustainable careers and lives.