ARTIST STATEMENT

An artist statement, by its very nature, captures only a single moment in an ever-evolving journey. It cannot contain the totality of artistic endeavor or vision—only a reflection of where one stands in time. Words, after all, are symbols, not the thing itself. To use them to describe painting—a wordless, visual language—is to translate the ineffable twice over. And yet, we try.

Painting for me is not a fixed act but a continuum—a living process that unfolds and transforms as I work. Each brushstroke carries the momentum of thought, feeling, and discovery. No two paintings are alike because no two moments are alike. Each canvas is a synthesis of chaos and clarity, of idea and emotion, of conscious choice and intuitive surrender. Within that dynamic process, transformation begins: form and color resolve, spirit emerges, and something greater than thought alone takes shape.

I seek not merely to depict, but to express—to move beyond representation toward a visual language of spirit. However elusive that spirit may be, it remains my constant pursuit: to make visible what is felt but unseen, to let each painting breathe with its own living energy.

Every artist, of course, cultivates her own aesthetic. For me, the true excitement of painting lies in that rare moment of transcendence—the feeling of innocence and wonder that compels one to fall in love with an image. It’s a sensation that defies explanation, a reminder of why we create at all.

Donna is a graduate of Montclair State University and holds a design degree from F.I.T. She studied at the Art Students League of New York and has built a distinguished career over three decades. Her award-winning paintings have been exhibited in juried shows, galleries, and solo exhibitions throughout the Northeast and beyond. Donna’s work has been featured on NBC, Fox News, and SOS Radio Live, and is held in private and corporate collections across the U.S. and Europe. She has exhibited at the Maine State Capitol, Montclair State University, Bloomfield College, the Salmagundi Club, the National Arts Club, and the New Jersey State Museum, among others.

Donna continues to strive toward the creation of what has never been seen before—paintings that invite the viewer into that timeless space where thought, emotion, and spirit converge.

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BIOGRAPHY

An accomplished artist with a distinctive voice, Donna Grande creates expressive, dynamic works in acrylics, pastels, and oils. Her richly layered surfaces pulse with color and movement, revealing the mystery and beauty of the natural world. Each painting is a vivid exploration of form and emotion—where design, texture, and spirit converge.

Donna’s mastery of color and composition reflects both intuition and technical skill. Through bold experimentation and an expert command of multiple mediums, she transforms familiar imagery into something entirely new—art that invites contemplation and discovery.

A graduate of Montclair State University with a design degree from F.I.T., Donna also studied at the Art Students League of New York. Over the past 30 years, she has built a distinguished career, earning numerous awards and exhibiting widely in juried shows, galleries, and solo exhibitions throughout the Northeast. Her work has been featured on NBC, Fox News, and SOS Radio Live, and is held in both private and corporate collections across the United States and Europe.

Donna’s paintings have been exhibited at prestigious venues including the Maine State Capitol Building, Montclair State University, Bloomfield College, the Salmagundi Club, the National Arts Club, and the New Jersey State Museum, among others.

Donna recently moved from northern New Jersey to Philadelphia.  The move involved creating studio space within her new home.  Moving is an emotional journey, as is travel. Donna has traveled the world and lived abroad which influences her works of art.

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EDUCATION

2005
The Art Students League of NY, New York, NY
Continuing Education

2000
NJ School of Visual Arts, Summit, NJ
Continuing Education

1994
Koho School of Sumie, New York, NY
Continuing Education

1990 Montclair Art Museum, NJ
Continuing Education

1983
Montclair State University, Bachelor of Arts, Montclair, NJ
BA in Speech, Theater & Design

1966
Fashion Institute of Technology, A.A.S., New York, NY
AAS in Design
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SELECT AWARDS

2022
Merit Award, West Essex Art Association, NJ

2019
Honorable Mention, Viewpoints, International Exhibition

2017
Best in Show, York Fine Art Festival

2012
Mixed Media Award, American Artists Professional League  

2011
Merit Award, West Essex Art Association  

2009
PSA Award, Pastel Society of New Jersey, NJ

2008
AAPL Pastel Award, American Artist Professional League, NJ

2007
Best in Show, Mountain Art Show, NJ

2006
Best in Show, New Hope Art Show, PA

Merit Award, Millburn Art Festival, NJ  

2005
Best in Show, Mountain Art Show, NJ

Merit Award, Millburn Art Festival, NJ

2004
3rd Place, Portland Art Festival, ME

2003
1st Place, Bar Harbor Art Show, Maine  

2002
1st Place, Bar Harbor Art Show, Maine  

Pastel Award, Summit Art Show, NJ

2001
Best in Show, Portland Art Festival, ME

Merit Award, West Essex Art Association, NJ

PSA Award, Ridgewood Art Institute, NJ

Merit Award, Millburn Art Festival, NJ

2000
Merit Award, Atlantic City Art Center, NJ

1999
Merit Award, Millburn Art Festival, NJ  

Purchase Award, Atlantic City Art Center, NJ

Purchase & Merit Awards, Cape Elizabeth Maine Arts Festival, ME

Best in Show, Skylands Art Show, Sparta, NJ

2nd Place, Northeast Art Festival, Caldwell, NJ

Honorable Mention, Monmouth County Arts Council Show, NJ

1998
Merit Award, Millburn Art Festival, NJ  

2nd Place, Northeast Arts Festival at Caldwell College, NJ

2nd Place, Madison Art Festival, NJ

1997
1st Place, Tewksbury Art Show, NJ

1996
Best in Show, The Art Center of NJ, Livingston, NJ

The House of Heydenryk Award, Pastel Society of America, New York, NY

1995
1st Place, St. Mark’s Art Festival of NJ, Mendham, NJ

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS & SHOWS

Solo

2024
Studio Montclair, Montclair, NJ  

Sotheby’s Home Gallery, Morristown, NJ

Berkshire Hathaway, Montclair, NJ

2018
Hillside Square, Montclair, NJ  

2017 - 2018
Berkshire Hathaway, Montclair, NJ

2014
Art Around the Park, Simon Gallery, NJ  

2012 - 2014
Oska, Montclair, NJ

2010
Earth Matters, V.S. Block Gallery, Montclair, NJ

2008
Triumph Brewery, New Hope, PA

2006
ADP, Adp Atrium Roseland, NJ

2007
Anne Louise Davis Gallery, Plainfield, NJ

2004
Cloninger Art Consultants Morris Plains, NJ

2000
Atlantic City Art Center, Atlantic City, NJ
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Group

2022
Juried Four Person Show, JCCC, Tarrytown, NY

Juried Exhibition, New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, NJ

2020 - 2021
Juried Exhibition, Noyes Museum, Atlantic City, NJ

2020
Juried Online Exhibition, Allied Artists, New York, NY  

Juried Exhibition, Alfa Art Gallery, New Brunswick, NJ

Juried Exhibition, Skylands Manor, Ringwood, NJ

2019
Juried Exhibition, Viewpoints, Montclair, NJ

2011
Juried Three Person Show, s.h.e. Gallery, Boonton, NJ

2009
Two Person Show, J & W Gallery, New Hope, PA

2007
Juried Four Person Show, Westminster Gallery, Bloomfield, NJ

2006 Women’s Work, Artspace 129, Montclair, NJ
Juried Group Exhibition

2006
Juried Group Exhibition, Park Avenue Club, Florham Park, NJ

2005
Juried Group Exhibition, Pierro Gallery, South Orange, NJ  
Curated by Rocio Aranda-Alvarado

Wilson Gallery, Mountain Lakes, NJ
Featured Artist

2004
Dupre Gallery, Montclair, NJ
Featured Artist

2004
Maine Arts Commission Juried Show, Maine Capitol Building, Augusta, ME

2001
Juried Four Person Show, Line & Form, Montclair Sate University, NJ

2000
Juried Group Show, City Without Walls, Newark, NJ

Brookwood Showhouse, Montclair, NJ

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GALLERIES & COLLECTIONS

Art Forms, Red Bank, NJ

Birdsnest Gallery, Bar Harbor, ME

Design Domaine, Bernardsville, NJ

Flat Iron Gallery, Portland, ME

Jacklyn Kling Gallery, Montclair, NJ

Peel Gallery, Danby, VT

Rutgers University, Newark, NJ

Sandra Morgen Interiors, Greenwich, CT

SM Gallery, Greenwich, CT

Woodwind Galleries, Machias, ME

In numerous private and public collections

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PUBLICATIONS/APPEARANCES

Play, Passion & Purpose, Television & Radio Show, December 2023

The Connecticut Design Guide, 2020

Fairfield County LOOK, 2020

Television Interview with FOX News, York, PA, August 2017

Television Interview with NBC Portland, Maine, August 2010

American Artist Magazine, Pastel Society of America Award, April 2010

New Jersey Design Magazine, 2009

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