My Story
I was born in Illinois, where I grew up on a farm. I was always creative, making things and later painting scenes. The landscape of the Midwest farmland is very flat. On the distant horizon I could see the small shapes of the buildings of the neighboring farms.The beauty of the Midwestern sky has always inspired me. The geometric shapes of farm buildings: the squares, rectangles, cylinders, and triangular shapes juxtaposed against the sky with the regulated nature of the crops have always influenced the way I view the world.
When I went to College it was to become an Art teacher. However, I decided on concentrating on fine art when I saw a painting by the late Harold Gregor. He has been dubbed as the founder of the so called "Prairie School." His paintings featured the type of things that I grew up with: Corn cribs, bean fields, hedge rows, the vast flat landscape of crop lines receding into the distance with the big sky of Illinois as a backdrop. His art inspired me to pursue an art career. I finished my B.F.A. degree in 1979 and went on to graduate school in collaboration with the Brooklyn Museum Art School on a Max Beckman Fellowship. After that year, I decided to stay on in Brooklyn. My future husband and I moved into a former factory building in the Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn where we could live and have our own art studios as well. My husband renovated the space and we both joined the ranks of the many artist/waiters of N.Y.C. However, I was still able to produce my art and participate in art shows. In walking around Brooklyn, I noticed how the sky interacts with the buildings, water towers, and church spires not dissimilar to my experiences of Illinois, and that became a theme in my artwork; Juxtaposing the manmade with the natural. After many years of waitressing and working in virtual isolation, I realized that I needed the feedback of other artists in order to grow as an artist. I enrolled in Brooklyn College's M.F.A. program. While there, I studied with renowned artist Lois Dodd and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree. After graduating, upon the advise of another graduate student, I became a substitute teacher and I took classes in Education to earn a teaching license. Shortly afterward, I got a job teaching in NYC public high schools. I taught in Brooklyn and Queens for more than 20 years, first as a substitute and then as an appointed teacher.
During all those years, I kept producing art and I also grew as an artist by teaching it. I was able to continue showing my art in various galleries. Now that I'm retired I'm going to dedicate the rest of my life producing and showing my art.
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Resume
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2020 "Watercolor U.S.A." Spring field, Missouri, group show
2019 "Visual Sites", Iona Gallery, Brooklyn, one woman show
2016 "Working in N.Y.C. - 27 Artists" Central Connecticut State University Art Gallery, New Britain, Conn.
2012 "Show/04", T.A.P.S. Gallery, Brooklyn
2008 "Six on Tenth", Pen and Brush Gallery, N.Y.C., group show
2006 "Watercolor U.S.A.", Springfield, Museum of Art, Springfield, Missouri
2004 "The 69th Annual Cooperstown National Juried Show", Cooperstown, N.Y.
2003 "Salon", The Williamsburg Art and Historical Center, Brooklyn,
2002 "Salon", Williams Art and Historical Society, Brooklyn
2002 "Watercolor U.S.A.", Springfield Museum of Art, Springfield, Missouri
2002 "The Small Works Show", The Grey Gallery, NYC
2000 "The 175 Annual Exhibition", The National Academy of Design, NYC
2000 "Salon" The Williamsburg Art and Historical Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.
1999 "Industry's Architecture", Pfizer Plant/Rotunda Gallery, Brooklyn, N.Y.
1998 "Artworks 98" Cork Gallery, Avery Fisher Hall, NYC
1997 "Group Show", First Light Gallery, NYC
1996 "The 171st. Annual Exhibition", The National Academy of Design, NYC
1996 "The Lyrical, the Expressionistic and the Poetic", Denise Bibro Fine Arts, NYC
1995 "N.Y. Soho Biennial-Soul in C Minor", 450 Broadway, NYC
1995 "National Juried Show", Bowery Gallery,NYC
1992 "The 17th National Open Competitive Exhibition", The Print Club of Albany
1992 "The Salon of Mating Spiders", Test Site Gallery, Brooklyn, group show
1991,"The Salon of Mating Spiders", Test Site Gallery, Brooklyn
1990 "A Combination of Two", Mankato State University, Mankato, Minn.
1988 "Five Artists", The Greg Gallery, The National Arts Club, NYC
1985 "The 10th Annual Scholastic Competition", The National Arts Club
1985 "Monotypes" The National Academy of Design
1985 "Group Show", Minor Injury Gallery, Brooklyn
1984 "Group Show", A Place Apart Gallery, Brooklyn
1982 "Alumni Show", The Brooklyn Museum Art School, Brooklyn
1981 "Solo Exhibition", The Little Gallery at the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn
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Solo Exhibitions"
1991 "Ambient Gallery", Port Jefferson, NY
1981 "Visual Sites", The Little Gallery at the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn
2019 "Visual Sights", Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY.
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Awards:
1996 Certificate of Merit, The National Academy of Design
1993 The Charles G. Shaw Award, Brooklyn College
1985 The Sally Stengel Memorial Award, The National Arts Club
!979 The Max Beckman Award, The Brooklyn Museum Art School
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Publications:
1997 "Two Centuries of Artists' Views" Fund for the Borough of Brooklyn
1996 "America the Beautiful and Diverse" New York Daily News
1995 "NY Soho Biennial "95"
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