New Exhibitions Currently On View!

It’s been a great while since I’ve posted here on my news page, and what better time to do so, to share a bit of news!

I’m thrilled to share that I’m participating in two exhibitions for the first time in many years: “Our Solo Show” which is a collective effort expanding the idea of a traditional solo exhibition with Jean Shin, Hasan Elahi, Mel Potter, Miguel Luciano and Edgar Arceneaux at Engage-Projects through December 4, 2021 in Chicago; and “That was Then, This is Now,” group exhibition at Signs & Symbols in their brand new home located at 249 E Houston Street in the Lower East Side, NYC through December 21, 2021.

Both exhibitions include work never shown before:

—At Engage Projects, in collaboration with Owner and Director Jennifer Armetta, I have new paintings and glass sculptures, both inspired by the pandemic, going back to my roots in painting and glass installations I’ve been doing for years. “The Barriers” are comprised of works on paper, paintings and glass sculptures. Check them out!

—At signs and symbols, Mitra Khorasheh selected “Flaps,” my first digital print made at Massachusetts College of Art’s professional press with a master printer back in 1999. The work is of an installation of the same name made a few years before, and one of my very first installations. You can see the print here on my website.

I hope you’ll be able to check out both exhibitions either in person or online! Both are amazing contexts to the work with the brilliant curation of all of the strong women who run these two galleries. Many thanks to all!

The Barriers (2021)
15 5⁄8 x 10 1⁄2 x 2 1⁄2 in
Glass rods (60 clear; 47 colored)

The Barriers (2021)
16 x 12 x 1 in
Oil on panel

The Barriers (2021)
13 x 13 in
Oil on paper

Flaps (1999)
22 x 15 in overall (image size: 10 x 8 in)
Inkjet digital print on Somerset paper

News, thoughts and opportunities

Hi there! How are you doing today? I hope you’re feeling well and enduring this time of uncertainty and the seemingly never-ending pandemic. I’m looking forward when we can all see art, people, experience restaurants, community engagements and performances to name a few things, hopefully in the near future! In the meantime, I’m very grateful to be in your company here today. Thanks for visiting this page and my website!

Continuing what I shared in my last newsletter, I have a few things to announce which may be of interest to you!:

—Have you checked out the artists, critics, curators talking about their lives as a part of the Chautauqua Visual Arts Lecture Series? I have loved meeting and hearing so much about the luminaries we are honored to have share their lives and work with us. I hope you can look and listen in every second Tuesday evening of every month. Check out recordings from past talks and upcoming ones here.

—We just put up a ton of Resources to access on my website anytime including some interesting reads including this article. I wondered: what if galleries could do this? It’s a wonderful idea and model of giving.

—Are you writing letters regularly as I do? Well, if you are, you may want to check out these amazing artists making gorgeous stationery. Some of my favorites are Foglio Press, Sapling Press, Huckleberry Press, LetteredWest, CardCraftUS and Green Bird Press to name a few. I’m also obsessed with stickers for the envelopes by many artists which I will share soon. If you have some great suggestions of lovely stationery, feel free to comment and suggest here. I love supporting independent presses. Thanks!

—Consistent with the work I do with my books and advocacy for artists, I’ll be sharing profiles of artists who inspire me, who I have met along the way during my book/conversation tours, who are amazing how they are generous to other artists in partnership with SpeakEasy on Monday, February 22nd starting at 6pmPST/9pmEST. REGISTER HERE.

—Community building and empowerment is what happens when we all get together for the Creative Capital workshops I’m honored to direct. I’m performing another 4-part series that will start in March. REGISTER HERE.

—Have you applied to the Chautauqua School of Art Residency Program? If you’re 21 years of age without any educational restriction, love being an artist, want to experiment, explore, learn and enjoy at Chautauqua, why not join us? Applying is a win/win: anyone who does not receive acceptance into our program will receive a response and brief feedback on their application. In addition, we will host a Zoom gathering with those who did not receive admission into the School of Art residency program with an offer to take a Masters Session with one of our Lead Faculty. It’s so important to me that EVERYONE who applies for an opportunity receive something back from the process. APPLICATIONS CLOSE ON MARCH 2. APPLY HERE.

—Want to know more about residency programs? Join us for this panel on February 24 at 2pm hosted by the New York Academy of Art.

Thank you again for visiting. I hope to see you soon!

Warmly, Sharon

News, Resources, Exhibition and Signs of Solidarity

Hello, there! How are you? I hope you’re feeling well today. Thanks for stopping by here! It’s lovely that you would.

I’m excited to share with you more of the Chautauqua Visual Arts new website. Wow: not only do we have a lot of resources to share, we have galleries that will host interviews, conversations, opportunities for artists to share their work YEAR ‘ROUND. Chautauqua Institution is a nonprofit organization that promotes an inclusive, wide-ranging program of art and artists. I hope you’ll check it out, say hello and visit often!

We also have a blog to share news, articles and topics of interest. Here’s our first blog post.

I’m excited about yet again organizing a new lecture series, this time for the Chautauqua Visual Arts. This year, we have 9 lectures of thought leaders visiting each Tuesday evening from 6:30-8:30pm. Be a part of it: watch, learn, participate! You can find our lecture series on the Virtual Porch: porch.chq.org. Our next lecture will be with Salvador Jimenez-Flores on Tuesday, July 7, 6:30-8:30pm. Look out for a video of Mitra Khorasheh’s talk yesterday! It was wonderful. I’ll be sure to post it on social media and the CVA website soon.

On a personal note, Cheryl Numark & Cheryl Numark Art Advisory is hosting a solo on-line exhibition of 10 years of my paintings and drawings. I’m grateful to be working with Cheryl again, as we are dear friends and we have always collaborated so well together. Cheryl and I worked together while her gallery was in operation for over 10 years and have stayed in touch since. If you have a chance, check it out and her website full of projects and various art work she has placed. And say hello!: info@numarkartadvisory.com

Inspiration of late: Protesters all over the country, Mitra’s signs and symbols store, Hrag’s podcasts and Sarah Cooper’s performative sketches among many other things. How about you? Where are you finding inspiration lately? I’d love to know.

Finally, during a few walks around an empty Chautauqua, I’ve seen some signs of solidarity. I will be adding to them as soon as I have a chance to take another walk.

Thanks for reading, saying hello, being in touch! Hoping you’re safe and well.

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Funding and Opportunities in the age of COVID19

Hi there! How are you? I hope you’re feeling good despite what is happening in the world.

I don’t know about you, but since I have been at home due to the COVID-19 crisis, I have been worrying about health, health of my community, sustaining a creative life, money, lack of opportunities and the future unknown on a daily basis. But some resources and projects have given me some hope. I thought I would share of few of them with you here. Thanks for reading and supporting one another during this time of uncertainty:

NYFA.org: Emergency Grants
Creative Capital: COVID-19 resources, April & May Opportunities
National Endowment of the Arts: COVID-19 Resources for Artists and Arts Organizations
H/T: Samantha Fields: Biomythart, 4TH WALL AR APP, Play Music on the Porch Day
H/T: Jillian Steinhauer: COVID-19 & Freelance Artists

The Common Field convening starts on April 23! This is an opportunity to connect, learn from and be a part of a community of artist community leaders from all over the country. Registration is open now! Click here for more information. The convening is FREE.

I recently led this workshop, which I hope will happen again in the fall. Each time I conduct this workshop, I share information passed along by others. Who knows what our communities will look like then, but I’m happy to listen, receive and share. If you have anything to pass along, I’m happy to receive it and share with others.

For both artists and administrators, you may want to check out this webinar I was happy to conduct with artist Julia Bloom on mentorship for the Americans for the Arts. I learned a lot from Julia and grateful for the opportunity to work with her as well as the generous people at the Americans for the Arts.

Finally, thank you to all of the health-care workers, the volunteers, and the leaders in our own communities for all of the amazing efforts on our behalf right now. It’s such a strange and fragile time, and I am very grateful for those who are lifting up others.

Wishing you the very best,

Sharon

Oklahoma City, OK
February 2020

What I've been up to

This past February, I was in Oklahoma City to complete a large scale commission for a private, family bank. The landscape was beautiful and the project was a wonderful creative challenge for which I am grateful. You can view photographs of the piece here.

Upon returning home, I was surprised to see my name as a part of the “Substance 100” List. Thank you!

Between January 5 - March 12, I visited students and faculty at Syracuse University, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Ringling College of Art and Design, University of California San Diego, and Columbia College Chicago. Many thanks to all who welcomed me to your schools and students.

And I’m working on many projects in and out of the studio including four books, drawings, paintings, a new animation and experimental work. Thank you for your interest!

Windows at the Philbrook in Tulsa, OK

Through January 5, 2020 on view at the Philbrook Museum is “Windows,” a site-specific installation in the Philbrook’s main rotunda lobby. If you’re in Tulsa, Oklahoma the first weekend of November, I will be there to participate in public programming including a panel discussion open to all. Details to follow! In the meantime, you can see images of the installation here.

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A summer at Chautauqua

This past season was my first summer as the Artistic Director at Chautauqua School of Art and the Visual Arts at Chautauqua Institution. It was a messy, experimental summer with some incredible artists in residence as well as brilliant faculty. I thought I would share some photographs of the experience. I’m honored to have been with so many wonderful people in a memorable summer sharing a new, experimental pedagogy. For more photos, check out our Instagram account which showed many more wonderful images from the season: https://www.instagram.com/chq.art/ Many thanks to all!

Source: https://www.instagram.com/chq.art/

Your 2019 School of Art Core-Faculty at Chautauqua

As the new Artistic Director of the Visual Arts at Chautauqua Institution, I'm thrilled to announce the 2019 School of Art Residency Core Faculty. It is an honor to work with these exceptional people who will work with students and emerging artists in a residency program that is an incubator of inclusive and expansive programming in the visual arts composed of classes, workshops and one-on-one time covering all media:

Hrag Vartanian, Yasmeen Siddiqui, Alpesh Kantilal Patel, Wendy Red Star, Hasan Elahi, Jean Shin, Tia-Simone Gardner and Raheleh Filsoofi. 

Applications open December 1 to students and emerging artists who have not yet received national recognition for their work. For more information on this new program, click here. We look forward to seeing you June 22 - August 10, 2019!

Windows at the University of Wyoming Art Museum

Hi there! I'm excited to share a new installation which is now on view at the University of Wyoming Art Museum until September, 2020. If you're in Wyoming on September 13, I hope you'll come for a talk I will be giving and visit this installation, as well as celebrate with me the Museum's 25th anniversary. For more information, click here. In the meantime, here is a preview in a few pictures below. Hope to see you in Wyoming soon!

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