Florida Artists Group

Shirley's Bio:

Shirley earned a BS degree in Art Education from Ball State College, now University and a MA degree from the University of South Florida.  She taught secondary education in Ohio and Florida for 7 years, and adult education for Pinellas County Schools for 11 years. Until retirement in 1995, she taught painting and drawing at Florida Gulf Coast Art Center in Belleair, Florida for a total of 17 years.  She studied with William Pachner at his school in Clearwater, Florida from 1962 to 1969 and Cleveland Institute of Art in Lacoste, France during their summer session of 1982.  She also attended the Atlantic Center for the Arts, New Smyrna, Florida in 1997.  She taught workshops and provided critiques for groups in the Tampa Bay area for many years.  She and a colleague co-directed painting and drawing trips to England in 1985 and 1986, and England and France in 1987 that were sponsored by Florida Gulf Coast Art Center. She has work in private and corporate collections in Jacksonville, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sweden and throughout the country.
The Winter issue of Watercolor Magazine included her paintings in 2001.

Artist's Statement:

My long-time interest in cemeteries as integral pieces of the visual landscape is still my source of imagery in my work. Their stones and markers of the deceased become symbols for their being both earth-bound and spiritual. I find them a source of intrigue and I continue to seek ways to express this mystery.

The stones are disguised with color and light, that are affirmations of life.  I do not consider them morbid, but reassuring with a bit of mischievousness.

Selected Solo and Two and Three Person Shows:

2014 Mentors St Pete Collage Gallery
2009 Octagon Gallery, Clearwater, FL. (Solo)
2000 Dunedin Fine Arts Center, Dunedin, FL  (Solo)                       
2000 Raymond-James, St. Petersburg, FL (Solo)
1990 Lee Scarfone Gallery, University of Tampa (Two-Person)           
1986 Capitol Building, Tallahassee, FL (Two-Person)
1985 Polk Community College, Winter Haven, FL (Three-Person)
1983 Arts Center, St. Petersburg, FL (Three-Person)

Selected Awards:

2009 Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, FL, Florida Artists Group Juried Show, Merit Award
1985 Arts Center, St. Petersburg, Annual Open Competition, Best of Show and Purchase Award
1982 Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa FL., "Tampa Bay 82", Purchase Award

Selected Group and Invitational Shows:

1998 Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa, FL,"Undercurrent/Overview", Invitational
1992 Lemoyne Center for the Visual Arts, Tallahassee, FL, Group Invitational
1990 - 1992 American Embassy, Madrid, Spain, Invitational Florida Artists
1970 Piedmont Show, Mint Museum of Art, 10th Annual Painting and Sculpture Competition (11 State), Charlotte, NC