Satellite Events

Colleen Brand 

She/ Her

Bio

Born in 1979 near Philadelphia, PA, Colleen studied drawing and painting at Moravian College and then continued her studies at Fleisher Art Memorial for the next 20+ years. While she was trained in various mediums including formal oil painting, acrylic painting is her passion.

She loves experimenting with the textures of various mediums and how color can appear rich yet nuanced on the canvas. The majority of her work focuses on abstract color field paintings and is meant to encourage the viewer to look beyond the horizon and contemplate the forces of nature. Inspiration for her work comes from studying the color field paintings of Mark Rothko and the minimalist paintings of Agnes Martin.

Colleen exhibits her work across the United States and her work is part of private collections internationally. From 2000 to present, she has won several awards for her art.

Colleen believes that art is something that comes from within and is to be shared with the community. When not exhibiting her paintings or teaching classes locally, she paints in her local home studio.

‍

Statement

“I paint, because I have a compulsion to paint. In my studio, minutes become hours and my painting becomes my reality. Inspired by energy and colors found in nature, my work focuses on textured, abstract compositions.

I use acrylic paint and various mediums, choosing colors intentionally to add meaning. I use my tools (sponges, bamboo skewers, palette knives, etc.) in a relentless, repetitive way where the process becomes part of the painting. I enjoy adding and removing layers of paint, adding texture, and manipulating the surface of the canvas until I create an inviting, surprising new world for the viewer to enter.”

‍

William Bowser

He/ Him

Bio

I began studying in painting, drawing, printmaking, art history, design, sculpture and ceramics, holding a BFA from Alfred University, College of Ceramics. Between 1976 – 1979, I set up and maintained a pottery studio in upstate N.Y., selling work through galleries and craft shows. I taught ceramic classes periodically at the Chautauqua Institution and the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester. A developing interest in eating and paying bills regularly prompted a return to the Washington area in late 1979. I continued work in ceramics on a part-time basis while the below unfolded:

1979 – 1981: Part-time Museum Assistant at the Phillips Collection

1980 – 1982: Smithsonian American Art Museum (formerly the National Collection of Fine Arts) and Renwick Gallery, Design Department, Art Installation

1982 – 1985: National Gallery of Art, Office of the Registrar, Art Installation

1985 – 2009: National Gallery of Art, Design Department, Project Coordinator for Special Exhibitions, Retired from the NGA in April, 2009

I have been maintaining a regular studio practice and have had bi-annual exhibitions/sales at my home. Upon my recent move to Philadelphia, PA, I maintained a studio at the Crane Arts Building.

I have also provided mount making, design and installation services on a contract basis through my business, William R. Bowser Art & Art Services.

‍Statement

“I have a long-standing interest and involvement with clay which is now a basic starting point for my art practice. I have had the very good fortune and privilege to have learned from some of the most well-known and highly knowledgeable instructors throughout my path through college and university, most especially Alfred University.

I have also worked very closely with curators, designers, and artists, as well as paintings and objects of all eras and from many cultures as a result of close to 30 years with design departments in two Smithsonian Museums, and finally with the National Gallery of Art, all located in Washington, D.C.

I’m interested in making “things,” objects made in clay. Ceramic objects have been critical in human survival and art through their use in food utensils and food storage, the making of durable shelter, and territorial barriers, as well as sculpture, for millennia.

Clay has also been, and remains, critical in human culture in many areas - industry, art, ritual and metaphorical use. It is in these areas of the ceramic tradition that I am presently most interested.

I have also returned to drawing, primarily with gouache and pastel. The medium of drawing allows me to use a wider range of color than is possible in ceramic work (primarily because of the significant technical restraints in the firing of ceramic work) and allows me the ability to use my imagination more freely.”