Bio  (resumé format)

Born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania in 1956, Liz Holly began drawing at the very early age of three, and at her mother’s urging, at age 12, took painting lessons with a local group of young adults.  Working directly from nature, even at that young an age, her attraction to the transformation of shapes with the changing light in southwestern Pennsylvania caught her attention and has remained teaser for her until this day.  Her father, a coal miner, brought from the blackness of the ground a noticeable poetic influence upon his daughter’s zest for nature.  Early years of study in a Catholic setting exposed the artist to time spent in observation of stained glass windows, the narrative in each telling their story a different way with the changing light.

Liz was fortunate to have studied early on with Zeljko Kujundzic, with both strong abstract and Native American Indian influences in his own work, and then studio painting and drawing with Richard Mayhew, a colorist, and Steve Sherman, a strong figurative artist.  Upon moving to New York City in 1979, Liz connected with artists Paul Resika, Leland Bell, Robert DeNiro, Sr., and Howard Daum, through her studies in the graduate program at Parsons School of Design, each encouraging in her work some of the same aesthetics developed after years with their own studies in Hans Hoffman’s schools.  Howard Daum became her good friend and mentor until his death in 1988. 

Liz continues her dialogue with nature and continually presents a sense of place, regardless of how abstract her work or how representational.  The richness of her visual vocabulary entices the viewer with palettes of undefineable color and rhythms woven into simplicity.  Each of her paintings and drawings present powerful images, some lyrical, some narrative, each of solid and sophisticated composition.

Liz Holly has exhibited her work in various galleries, the Belanthi Gallery in Brooklyn, New York, which represented her from 1990 until 2008, the Florence Lynch Art/Nation Projects, New York, and others.  In 2003 she enjoyed a partial fellowship and residency at the Vermont Studio Center for Artists and Writers. 

The artist lives and works in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband of 31 years, poet, playwright, author, and publisher,  Arthur Mortensen.



Resumé
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born Uniontown, Pennsylvania 1956

Solo Exhibitions
2015 "Here. There. Everywhere.: the landscape...themes and variation"              gallery505 Brooklyn, New York
2011 gallery505, Brooklyn, NY
2004 Belanthi Gallery “25 year retrospective”, Brooklyn, NY
1999 Belanthi Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
1997 Belanthi Gallery “Stealing light”, Brooklyn, NY
1992 Belanthi Gallery “25 paintings and works on paper”, Brooklyn, NY
1992 The Artist’s Alliance, New York, NY
1991 Boswells, New York, NY
1990 Two Wall Gallery, New York, NY
1988 Two Wall Gallery, New York, NY

Group Exhibitions
2003 BWAC Carnivale, Brooklyn, NY
2002 AIR Gallery “Generations III”, New York, NY
1998 ARTNation Fine Arts Projects/Florence Lynch, New York, NY
1994 Belanthi Gallery “anniversary show”, Brooklyn, NY
1993 Belanthi Gallery “anniversary show”, Brooklyn, NY
1992 Belanthi Gallery “Mostly Nude”, Brooklyn, NY
1991 Belanthi Gallery “New Works”, Brooklyn, NY
1992 Pyramid Gallery “Innovations”, New York, NY
1985 Images Gallery, Briarcliff Manor, NY
1984 Prince Street Gallery “Salon Invitational” New York, NY

Select Private Collections
Mr. Thomas O'Mahony Mercer, Pennsylvania
Thomas and Susan Dalhquist, Long Island, New York
Gregory and Dolores Workman, Mountville, Pennsylvania
Drs. Shahid and Fatima Sheikh, Briarcliff Manor, New York
Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Stout, New York, New York

Awards, Honors, and Residencies
2003 Residency and Fellowship Vermont Studio Center
for Artists and Writers, Johnson, Vermont
1981 Visiting Artist/Artist-in-residence, Provincetown Art Association,
             Provincetown, Massachusetts
1980-81 Helena Rubenstein Foundation Scholar,
             Parsons School of Design
1981-82 Helena Rubenstein Foundation Scholar,
             Parsons School of Design

Lectures/Public-speaking Engagements
November, 1992 The Artist’s Alliance “Indian Space to the Present”,
            and slide show of own work, New York, NY
February, 1992 The Artist’s Alliance “solo exhibition”, and slide             presentation on work of Howard Daum, with cousin of Daum,
            New York, NY

Education
MFA Parsons School of Design New York, New York 1982
BFA Penn State University, State College, Pennsylvania 1978


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