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Artist Statement

My recent work involves on-location drawing and painting that documents the people, places and locations I have experienced over the past couple of years. I typically work from a small sketchbook in order to capture a fleeting moment. I enjoy creating a quick composition and image from life instead of through a camera lens. Part of the appeal and challenge is trying to draw a moving subject. I start with pen so any mistakes just become part of the piece. Sometimes I add watercolor on location but I generally complete the sketch later. Watercolor is a quick and easy way to capture light, shadow, and color to enhance my quick sketches.

Since the spring of 2015, I’ve spent six months in Glasgow, one year in San Antonio, six months in Israel, eight months in Albuquerque, and moved to Tulsa in December of 2017. Over this period of time I’ve accumulated several sketches of the places in which I’ve worked, lived, and visited. Many of the places I have sketched I now consider a home away from home. This obsession started as a meditation practice to center myself in a place that was new and unfamiliar. Soon, my process evolved into a way to feel more connected to the community around me. I began to see myself in the places and people I drew.

I take these sketches and transform them into larger and more complex panoramic works or as I call them: “social-scapes.”  The addition of transparent paper to show more people and objects suggests a passage of time — a location revisited several times over a period of hours or months. Sometimes I even include myself in these works. An observer that becomes part of the landscape. As I recognize myself in the people around me I feel a stronger connection to the place and a stronger sense of belonging.

Biography

Maddy Witt grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico and completed her BA degree in Fine Art at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. In 2016, she was awarded the Excellence in Art Award from Trinity University. She recently participated in the Momentum 2019 exhibition in Oklahoma City, OK and the group show "Oh! Tulsa!" in Tulsa, OK. Her work consists of on-location drawings and paintings that encompass the people and environments of her everyday life.

Curriculum Vitae

EDUCATION                                                                       

 

Trinity University                                                                                                     San Antonio, TX

Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts, May 2016

Glasgow School of Art, UK                                                                                             Glasgow, UK

Spring 2015

  • Study Abroad in Painting and Printmaking, 18 credits

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE                                      

 

The Gilcrease Museum                                                                                                        Tulsa, OK

Conservation Technician                                                                        December 2017 – Present

  • Assists with preparation of objects for exhibitions; dust collection items on exhibit and monitor for condition changes

  • Prepares safe housing for collection items, including constructing boxes, and supports, as needed

  • Minor treatments on artwork or artifacts such as filling and inpainting

  • Maintains the conservation lab

  • Assists in the creation, organization, and maintenance of conservation files for the collection materials

 

The Israel Museum                                                                                                   Jerusalem, Israel

Wood Conservation Intern                                                                   August 2016 – March 2017

  • Worked with Director of Wood Conservation on various projects including: cleaning objects; color retouching on a sculpture and frames; Gilding; Consolidation

  • Design Department Intern

  • Photographed and cataloged 1500 architectural drawings by Zoltan Harmat into Museum database

 

High Desert Art and Frame                                                                              Albuquerque, NM

Art Gallery Framer                                                                                 May 2017-December 2017

 

EXHIBITIONS                                                                     

 

  • Group Exhibition: Momentum 2019 – Oklahoma City, OK

  • Group Exhibition: Diverse Forms: Four Tulsa Artists – Liggett Studios, Tulsa, OK

  • Solo Exhibition: Shades of Brown – Tulsa, OK

  • Solo Exhibition: SocialScapes Art Show – Jewish Community Center, Albuquerque, NM

  • Group Exhibition: Mini Art Juried Exhibition – Neidorff Art Gallery, San Antonio, TX

  • Group Exhibition: Senior Art Show – Neidorff Art Gallery, San Antonio, TX

 

HONORS                                                                               

 

  • 2016 Excellence in Art Award – Trinity University

  • Baker Duncan Scholarship for Art Excellence – Trinity Scholarship

  • National Scholastic Art Award – West Regional – Honorable Mention – Painting

  • SAIC Summer Session 2 – Online Exhibition Images 32, 33, 34

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