Florida Artists Group

Artists Bio:

Lori Simon is originally from Birmingham, Michigan. She received her art training at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and studied at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine.
Initially, Lori studied ceramics and the sculptural aspects of clay. She built large ceramic sculptures, boxes, and platters with unusual surfaces and textures. She “painted” these sculptures with wide swaths of colors using large brushes, and pouring and overlaying glazes to achieve a painterly surface. This technique still informs her painting style today, coupled with an influence from the Abstract Expressionist of the Modernist movement.
Lori’s paintings have been exhibited throughout Florida at Frary Gallery, The Claire Mitchell Gallery, Art Center Sarasota, The HuB, Raymond James & Associates in Sarasota, Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa, Florida Museum for Women Artists in Deland, The Art Place Wynwood Gallery and Wynwood Warehouse Project in Miami. She was featured in a film documentary, ‘The Observer and the Observed’, at the 2011 Sarasota Film Festival and in an article in New England Homes Magazine in October, 2013. Her artwork is in private collections in Michigan, Illinois, Massachusetts, Florida, New York and Connecticut, and corporate collections in Florida and Illinois.
Lori currently lives and works in Sarasota, Florida where she is an active member of the arts community.
 
Artists Statement

Painting is an introspective exploration of emotions and ideas. My artwork is my visual journal – when I paint time feels suspended, my subconscious takes over and a story unfolds.
I use sweeping gestures and large brushes to apply layers of paint in my large paintings. I often wash away areas and scrape or etch into the surfaces on the canvas. These layers, textures and veils of color reflect the way that my mind moves from one direction to another before it slowly ‘settles’ and the artwork evolves.
My smaller paintings pull me into a quiet, meditative space. Light strokes of ink, paint and charcoal create smooth, translucent washes with subtle lines and shapes. The small size of this artwork invites the viewer to step in towards the painting and quietly reflect on the emotive qualities of the simple marks.
At a certain point the painting is complete and the 'story of my painting is told.’ It is my hope that there is a conversation between the viewer and my artwork, and that the observer develops their own meaning from my artwork; their own story.

Education

1971-1975               University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
1973                         Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
1971                         J.T. Abernathy Studio, Ann Arbor, MI. Ceramics Apprenticeship
1971                         Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, ME

Exhibitions

2014                        Miami Mix 2014 Art Basel Week,                                      Curated by Danilo Gonzalez
                                 Wynwood Warehouse Project, Miami, FL           
2014                         The HuB, Sarasota, FL                                                        Curated by Emma Thurgood
2014                         Breaking Tradition, Art Center Sarasota, FL                  
                                  Juried by Pat Dabbert and Jeff Schwartz
2013                         Miniatures, Art Center Sarasota, FL                                Juried by Jamie Tracy
2013                         Simply Original, Art Center Sarasota, FL                       
                                  Juried by Mary Roff and Patrick Lilndhardt
2012                         Point of View, Art Center Sarasota, FL                           
                                  Juried by Tim Jaeger and Sabrina Hughes
2012                         It’s Political! Art Center Sarasota, FL                           
                                  Juried by Kim Russo and Marty Fugate.
2012                         The Art Place, Wynwood Gallery, Miami, FL                  
                                  Juried by Danilo Gonzalez and Molly Bo
2012                         University Park Annual Art Exhibition, FL                     Juried Exhibition
2011                         Florida Museum for Women Artists, FL                           Juried Exhibition
2011                         University Park Annual Art Exhibition, FL                     
                                  Juried by Su Byron, Charles Neubauer and Jane Sweeney
2011                         Frary Gallery 2nd Annual Exhibition, FL
2011                         Food for the Soul, Art Center Sarasota, FL                       
                                  Juried by Allyn Gallup and Diane Shelly
2010                         'unseen', The Second National Juried Art Exhibition
                                  The Museum of Science and Industry, FL                        
                                  Curated by Zarth Bertsch, Michael Massaro and Ofra Friedman
2010                         Observer and Observed, Art Center Sarasota, FL             
                                  Curated by Anne Ferrier
                                  Sarasota Partnership for Children's Mental Health
2010                         Raymond James & Associates Art Exhibition, FL             Curated by Lyn Rogers.
2010                         I Am Home, Art Center Sarasota, FL                              
                                  Juried by Joe Loccisano and Joyce Ely Walker
2010                         Google Art ~ Google Gallery, Frary Gallery, FL             Curated by Lori Frary
2010                         Fringe Film Festival Gallery Art Exhibition, FL             Curated by Lori Frary
2010                         Wish You Were Here, Art Center Sarasota, FL           
                                  Juried by Jackie Cully and Barbara Mask
2010                         Red Hot, Love, Romance & Humor, Art Center Sarasota, FL                        
                                  Juried by Jeff Schwartz and Nathan Skiles
2010                        'unbeatable' Exhibition, Frary Gallery, FL                         Invitational Exhibition
2009                         Show Us What You’ve Got, Art Center Sarasota, FL            Juried by Kim Anderson
2009                         Small Works, Clair Mitchell Gallery, FL                         Juried by Tim Jaeger
2009                         Green the Primary Color, Art Center Sarasota, FL           
                                  Juried by Patrick Fiore & Nancy Hellebrand

Awards and Honors

2014                         1st Place, Parallel Universes, Art Center Sarasota, FL
2012                         Honorable Mention, It’s Political! , Art Center Sarasota, FL
2012                         2nd Place, University Park Annual Art Exhibition, University Park, FL
2011                         1st Place, University Park Annual Art Exhibition, University Park, FL
2010                         Grant, ‘Observer & Observed’ Art and Community Partnership Project, Sarasota , FL                                   Partnership for Children’s Mental Health in collaboration with Art Center Sarasota, FL
2010                         Honorable Mention, I Am Home, Art Center Sarasota, FL
2010                         Honorable Mention, Red Hot, Love, Romance, & Humor, Art Center Sarasota, FL

Film

2011                         Observer and the Observed, Documentary Feature, Sarasota Film Festival, Sarasota, FL
                                  Directed by: Brad Bryan, Filmmaker; Produced by: Anne Ferrier, Sarasota Partnership
                                  for Children’s Mental Health

Publications and Articles

2013                         New England Homes Magazine, “Designer Snapshot: Double Take” by Paula Bodah
2010                         ‘unseen’, published by Arc Gallery at Museum of Science & Industry, Tampa, FL
2010                         Sarasota Observer, “Gallery Around the Corner: Frary Gallery” by Heidi Kurpiela

Collections
2014                         Saks Fifth Avenue Corporate Collection, Sarasota, FL
2012                         PNC Bank Corporate Collection, Sarasota, FL
2012                         Load Delivered Logistics Corporate Collection, Chicago, IL

Positions
2011 - current        Exhibitions Committee member, Art Center Sarasota, FL
2013 - current       Women Contemporary Artists of the Florida Gulf Coast, member