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An exhibition of paintings by Portland artist Margaret Shirley is on display in the Governor’s Office in the State Capitol in Salem through November 1, 2002. Organized by the Oregon Arts Commission, the show is part of the Art in the Governor’s Office program, which showcases the work of living Oregon artists. Margaret Shirley is a bit of an alchemist, combining found natural materials, such as pine needles, seaweed, and other plant material with oil and acrylic paint and graphite. What she is able to create from such disparate materials are works that convey a natural world effortlessly, while remaining abstract compositions. "With exacting formal rigor and a limited palette, Shirley explored the possibilities of mark, stroke, surface and shape. Here nature and artifice meet, as Shirley, still devoted to understatement, reveals new realms of intelligence, feeling and subtle wit," wrote Portland art historian Sue Taylor for Art in America magazine in July, 1999. An Associate Art Faculty member at Marylhurst University, Shirley received a B.F.A. in Painting from Yale and an M.F.A. at Portland State University. She was awarded an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Oregon Arts Commission in 1982. Her work has shown throughout the United States, and has been included in three Portland Art Museum Oregon Biennials (1983, 1987, 1995). The Art in the Governor’s Office Program honors selected artists in Oregon with exhibitions in the reception area of the Governor’s Office in the State Capitol. Only professional, living Oregon artists are considered and an exhibit in the Governor’s office is considered a "once in a lifetime" honor. Artists whose work has previously been shown in the Governor’s office include Henk Pander, Michele Russo, Manuel Izquierdo, James Lavadour, Margot Thompson, Gordon Gilkey, and Yuji Hiratsuka. The Oregon Arts Commission provides leadership, funding and arts programs through its grants, special initiatives and services. Nine Commissioners, appointed by the Governor, determine arts needs and establish policies for public support of the arts. The Arts Commission became part of the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department in 1993, in recognition of the expanding role the arts play in the broader social, economic and educational arenas of Oregon communities. Dated for freshness! Page last updated May 02, 2008 |
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